Meeting report · Selectboard
Creating this report cost real money.
Help fund coverage →
Selectboard — September 22, 2025
The meeting was marked by significant, organized public testimony regarding the town's economic future and a clear tension between environmental protection and fiscal conservatism.
Public impact
Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01
Code Enforcement Staffing and Water Quality Protection
Potential long-term economic impact on the town's tax base and property values. Affected: All residents, particularly waterfront property owners whose tax base relies on lake health.
budget cut
Decisions logged
Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Approval of check manifests and invoice batches.
Included the notice of intent to cut on the Leone property.
Approved
Approval of Sunapee High School use of facilities for homecoming.
Approval includes a caveat that the bonfire is subject to Fire Chief approval based on state burn regulations.
Approved
Approval of MS.535 financial report.
Budget for the period ending December 31, 2024.
Approved
Authorization for Town Manager to claim abandoned property.
Allows claiming of uncashed checks totaling $1,225.97 from the state.
Approved
Approval to send easement determination letter to Debbie Samalas.
Letter confirms the town has no easement or interest in the property.
Approved
Topics discussed
Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
▶ 02:10 Approval of Minutes
The board reviewed and approved the minutes from the September 8th meeting.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 02:37 Notices and Use of Facilities
Discussion regarding a notice of intent to cut on the Leone property and a request for Sunapee High School to use facilities for a homecoming bonfire, which may be restricted by state burn bans.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 06:30 Financial Reports and Audits
Review of MS.535 financial reports and a discussion on the status of the 2024 audit.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 09:36 Public Comment: Code Enforcement
Multiple residents spoke regarding the necessity of a full-time Code Enforcement Officer to protect water quality and property values, while one resident argued against the position and criticized the perceived influence of non-profits on government.
Speakers: Kirk Bishop, Unidentified speaker, Stu Greer, Patricia Collins, Tim Eliason, Patrick Fine, Lisa Hoekstra
▶ 28:07 Abandoned Property Claim
The board discussed claiming uncashed checks (totaling approximately $1,225.97) from the state on behalf of the town.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 34:00 Easement Determination
The board reviewed a determination that the town holds no easement or legal interest in the property of Debbie Samalas on West Court Road.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 35:00 Tri-Town Meeting and Deputy Assessor
Discussion of the upcoming Tri-Town summit in New London and the announcement of a new deputy assessor starting October 3rd.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
▶ 40:00 Brookhaven Parking
Clarification that no new formal committees or meetings are planned for Brookhaven parking; the town will monitor current adjustments.
Speakers: Unidentified speaker
Controversy & dissent
Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.
Potentially controversial issues
01
Full-time Code Enforcement Officer Position
A sharp divide exists between residents/environmental advocates who see a full-time officer as essential for protecting lake water quality and the town's tax base, and opponents who cite budget constraints and government overreach.
Board position: The board remained non-committal during public comment but signaled internal debate regarding budget constraints and the necessity of the role.
Internal dissent
While no formal vote was taken, board members expressed differing views on budget priorities and the feasibility of the position.
high concern
02
Municipal Budgeting and Fiscal Discipline
Residents are demanding more proactive leadership, such as 'budget envelopes' and clearer prioritization, to manage declining infrastructure and limited funds.
Board position: The board is trending toward acknowledging the need for top-line budget limits, with at least one member echoing public suggestions.
medium concern
Community vs. board tension
Ready to share? AI-written accountability posts about this meeting's controversies.
View posts →
Action items
Who owes what, by when.
Claim abandoned property/uncashed checks from the state.
Assigned: Town Manager
Attend Tri-Town meeting/summit in New London.
Assigned: Select Board Members · Due: 2025-09-30
Notable statements
This is no time to skimp on code enforcement. Hire the best person you can. Don't split the job, don't make it part time. — Kirk Bishop · Arguing for a full-time Code Enforcement Officer to protect lake water quality. ▶ 09:36
Government meetings should be in a public building only... Having them in private businesses or private non profit organizations shows that there's some kind of alignment between the two. — Unidentified speaker · Criticizing the practice of holding public meetings at non-profit properties. ▶ 12:42
Set a budget envelope... and tell management what it should prioritize. — Patrick Fine · Recommendations for improving the municipal budgeting process. ▶ 20:46
We don't have the money to have everything that we want all at once... We have a lot of things that we need, and we have declining infrastructure. — Unidentified speaker · Addressing budget constraints and infrastructure needs during public comment. ▶ 44:06
Member positions
8 issues · 0 explicit · 6 inferred
Suzanne Gottling
Present
Chair
Approval of Minutes
YES
~
Approval of check manifests and invoice batches
YES
~
Approval of Sunapee High School use of facilities for homecoming
YES
~
Approval of MS.535 financial report
YES
~
Authorization for Town Manager to claim abandoned property
YES
~
Approval to send easement determination letter to Debbie Samalas
YES
~
Brookhaven Parking
✓
Jeremy Hathorn
Present
Vice Chair
Approval of Minutes
YES
~
Approval of check manifests and invoice batches
YES
~
Approval of Sunapee High School use of facilities for homecoming
YES
~
Approval of MS.535 financial report
YES
~
Easement Determination
YES
~
Tri-Town Meeting and Deputy Assessor
✓
Brookhaven Parking
✓
Present
Approval of Minutes
YES
~
Brookhaven Parking
✓
Present
Approval of Minutes
YES
~
Approval of MS.535 financial report
YES
~
Abandoned Property Claim
YES
~
Tri-Town Meeting and Deputy Assessor
✓
Brookhaven Parking
✓
Present
Approval of Minutes
YES
~
Notices and Use of Facilities
YES
~
Easement Determination
YES
~
Brookhaven Parking
✓
Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position.
Public comment
What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
7
Total speakers
0
Addressed
1
Partial
6
Not addressed
Kirk Bishop
Not addressed
Speaking as VP of the LSPA board, he argues that the town must hire a full-time code enforcement officer to protect water quality. He warns that declining lake health will eventually damage property values and the town's economic engine.
Key concern
The necessity of hiring a full-time code enforcement officer to protect the lake and water quality.
Board responseThe board did not provide a direct response during the public comment section, but individual board members expressed differing views later in the meeting regarding the budget and the role of the position.
The board did not respond to him directly during his comment, and while members discussed the topic later, no decision or direct response to his specific plea was made during this session.
Unidentified speaker
Not addressed
He disagrees with the need for a code enforcement officer and criticizes the town's budget management. He also expresses concern regarding the perceived closeness between the local government and non-profit organizations, specifically regarding the location of public meetings.
Key concern
Opposition to the code enforcement position and concerns over the lack of separation/transparency between the government and non-profits.
Board responseNo direct response was given to his specific concerns during the public comment portion.
The board did not address his specific criticisms regarding the meeting locations or the budget discrepancy during the meeting.
Stu Greer
Not addressed
Speaking for the LSPA Watershed Committee, he argues that eliminating the code enforcement position would be a grave error with long-term economic consequences. He emphasizes that the lake supports half of the town's tax base and that enforcement is vital for water quality.
Key concern
The long-term economic and environmental risks of eliminating the code enforcement officer position.
Board responseNo direct response was given.
The board acknowledged the comment with a thank you but did not provide a rebuttal or a plan of action.
Patricia Collins
Not addressed
She thanks the Chief for the new digital speed sign on Springfield Road but suggests more officer presence is needed to combat speeding. She also suggests the possibility of using volunteers to cover certain positions to save on personnel costs.
Key concern
Speeding enforcement and ideas for reducing personnel expenses through volunteers.
The board did not respond to her suggestions.
Tim Eliason
Not addressed
He supports the argument for protecting the lake, noting that waterfront property accounts for half of the town's total property value. He explains that protecting the lake ensures a stable tax rate for all residents, both on and off the water.
Key concern
The economic importance of protecting the lake to maintain the town's tax base.
The board did not respond to his comment.
Patrick Fine
Partial
He recommends that the Selectboard set a 'budget envelope' (a top-line number) for town management to ensure fiscal discipline. He also suggests the board should provide clearer priorities to management to guide the budgeting process.
Key concern
Improving the budgeting process through top-line limits and clear strategic priorities.
Board responseA board member (Jeremy Hathorn/a speaker) later echoed the sentiment that a top-line budget figure might be a good idea.
While the board didn't implement his suggestion immediately, a member explicitly agreed with the concept during the board reports.
Lisa Hoekstra
Not addressed
She follows up on a previous unanswered question regarding the cost of 'no through trucking' signs on specific streets. She also urges the board to make hard financial decisions regarding open positions and to provide clear direction to the town manager.
Key concern
Request for sign cost information and a plea for decisive leadership and direction for the town manager.
Board responseThe board did not provide the cost for the signs during this meeting.
Her specific question about the cost of the signs remained unanswered.
Anthony Dolan
Not addressed
Note: a speaker is identified in the prompt as a board member. However, in this specific transcript context, he is participating in the public comment period/discussion. He expresses an opinion that 'no through trucking' signs may not be needed past Elm Street.
Key concern
Opinion on the necessity/location of 'no through trucking' signs.
This was a board member's comment/opinion rather than a public speaker's request for action, though it was raised in the context of the meeting.
Accountability flags
Documented procedural gaps. Each item links to its source.
Agenda items not discussed
Topics discussed — not on agenda
Transcript vs. official minutes
Support coverage
Creating this report cost real money.
MeetingWatch attended, transcribed, and analyzed this meeting on its own dime. If this work is valuable to you, chip in to keep covering Sunapee.
Follow Sunapee
One email when a new report is published from the Selectboard — or one weekly digest.
Report composed by
gemma-4-26b, claude-opus-4-7 · analyzed 2026-05-27.