Accountability posts

**Sunapee Conservation Commission – February 4, 2026: What Was Decided Without Public Notice**

Several significant topics came before the Sunapee Conservation Commission at its February 4th meeting that were not listed on the public agenda — meaning residents had no advance notice and no opportunity to attend specifically for these items.

The most consequential: the Recreation Department presented detailed plans for a new Veterans Field playground that would require placing safety mulch 10 to 15 feet into the town's 25-foot protected wetland buffer zone. The commission discussed it and raised no major objections, setting a potential precedent for recreational infrastructure displacing wetland buffer protections. Also off-agenda was an early-stage proposal to build mountain bike trails on steep Tilton Park town forest land — terrain that raised documented concerns about erosion and damage to sensitive ecological communities. One commissioner drew on personal experience, describing erosion at a comparable privately-managed trail system in Newport as 'horrific.' The commission did not approve the bike trail proposal and asked for detailed plans first, but residents who care about the town forest had no notice this was on the table.

Separately, the commission received word that the Conservation Fund warrant article heading to town vote had been cut from $55,000 to $25,000 — a 55% reduction made by the Select Board before the deliberative session. The commission accepted the change without a formal objection on record. Voters will make the final call, but the reduced figure limits what conservation land the commission can pursue in 2026. There is also an ongoing and 'truly troubling' pattern (the staff's own words) of contractors submitting DES wetland permits without providing the town the required plan copies, effectively denying the commission its 30-day local review window on Eversource and other projects. The commission committed to escalating the issue.

Finally, long-serving member Barbara announced her resignation after five years. The commission voted to recommend Wendy as an acting replacement — also not on the agenda. Residents interested in joining the commission or its alternates had no public notice of the vacancy. If you care about how Sunapee manages its wetlands, conservation land, and open space, these are decisions worth paying attention to — and showing up for. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/sunapee/conservation-commission/2026-02-04/ #MeetingWatch #SunapeeNH