Accountability posts

**Sunapee Recreation Committee — March 23, 2026 | Key Issues Residents Should Know**

At the Recreation Committee meeting on March 23rd, resident Chris Patroy raised a direct legal challenge that every recreation program family in Sunapee should be aware of. Patroy argued that the town is currently enforcing late fees on recreation program registrations without having met New Hampshire state law requirements for notifying residents of the fees' effective dates. In his words: "We have a legal liability because technically we are now enforcing something that under New Hampshire state law for governance, we can't do." The committee acknowledged there were communication gaps and committed to researching the legal requirements before the April 6th Select Board meeting — but they did not suspend the late fees or offer refunds to residents who have already been charged. If you paid a late fee for a recreation program, your money may have been collected without the legally required notice. That question is unresolved.

On gym scheduling: youth recreation teams have had practices cancelled because high school and middle school athletic programs routinely ignore the shared scheduling spreadsheet. Patroy raised this on behalf of frustrated volunteer coaches. The committee's response was candid but unsatisfying — they acknowledged they have no enforcement authority over school athletic programs. No immediate fix was offered; the issue was deferred to a broader "One Town Recreation" coordination discussion at a future meeting. In the meantime, cancelled practices continue.

The committee is also advancing revisions to the town's recreation area ordinances for Select Board review by April 20th — despite the fact that committee member Nick stated on the record that he does not believe it is legal to require permits under the facilities use ordinance. That legal question was not resolved before the committee agreed to move forward. Residents and organizations that use town recreation facilities have a stake in getting this right before it goes any further.

On the budget side: voters approved a $221,000 recreation budget. Summer camp and beach hiring is underway, including a new assistant director. Veterans Field improvements are in progress. A decision on the skate park location has been deferred pending a walkthrough between committee members and the Police Chief, who attended the meeting and advocated for the safety services site over Tilton Park based on visibility and youth accessibility. The next Recreation Committee meeting is April 15th. The Select Board will hear related items on April 6th and April 20th — public attendance matters. https://meetingwatch.org/nh/sunapee/recreation-committee/2026-03-23/ #MeetingWatch #SunapeeNH