Accountability posts

Three significant policy discussions happened at the Sunapee Selectboard meeting on March 2, 2026 — none of them were on the public agenda.

First, board members launched into a substantive conversation about forming a new housing committee to address affordability, assess buildable land, and balance growth with infrastructure capacity. This is a potential turning point for land use policy in Sunapee. A board member noted that a newly built two-bedroom home just listed at $750,000. That's a crisis-level signal — and residents had no notice this would even come up.

Second, the Town Manager quietly distributed documentation on harbor dock repair options after an initial $30,000 fix already failed. No repair costs were disclosed publicly during the meeting. The board deferred the decision to March 16th. Taxpayers are potentially facing a second round of spending on infrastructure that didn't hold — and no one was warned to attend and ask questions.

Third, the board discussed the harbor's parking capacity, acknowledging that businesses recently approved by the town can collectively draw up to 500 people — more than current infrastructure can handle. One board member stated plainly: 'Sunapee harbor is a finite space. We are not going to create any more Sunapee Harbor.' Shuttle services and remote parking were mentioned but nothing was resolved. Publicly funded solutions may follow.

Separately, resident Lisa Hoekstra raised a pointed concern during public comment: the board is asking voters to approve capital reserve warrant articles without first completing the Capital Improvement Plan that would establish spending priorities. The board offered no rebuttal and made no commitment to address the CIP timeline before the vote. If you care about how Sunapee spends your money and shapes its future, the March 16th meeting is one to watch.