Selectboard — March 23, 2026
Sunapee Selectboard discovered civic groups are advancing Route 11 and Ben Meer projects without town approval — and voted to demand answers, while a quiet EMS vulnerability and summer event legal conflicts went unresolved.
The meeting contained real tension around Sunapee Forward's unauthorized projects, ambulance service vulnerability, and a fundamental debate about the town's direction, but all conflicts remained civil and deliberative with no public opposition, split votes, or dramatic confrontations.
Questions about this meeting? Just ask.
Ask MeetingWatch answers from this meeting’s report, transcript, and records — with linked sources.
SUNAPEE SELECTBOARD — MARCH 23, 2026: What residents should know from Monday's work session.
The most immediate governance concern: the board learned that civic groups operating under the 'Sunapee Forward' name are advancing concrete projects — including a Route 11 traffic calming and tree-planting redesign and a Ben Meer land exchange — without ever consulting the Selectboard, which holds legal authority over town property and public right-of-way decisions. The board voted unanimously to send a letter demanding a meeting with Sunapee Forward leadership. One member described the situation plainly: 'None of this stuff that we are hearing about has been over our desk yet, and we are the ones that are in control of it.' Another questioned whether the Route 11 project delivers any measurable benefit and said competing budget priorities should come first. Residents on all sides of these projects — those who support them and those who don't — deserve a transparent public process, not decisions driven by groups operating outside official channels.
On public safety: the board openly acknowledged that Sunapee's ambulance service relies entirely on an arrangement with New London that could end without warning. 'We don't want to get caught with our pants down,' one member said. The board also began moving toward a significant fire department reorganization — hiring a full-time chief with expanded duties covering ambulance services, health officer functions, and emergency management. Two board members were authorized to attend a fire wards meeting on March 26th to communicate the board's direction. The budget impact of these changes has not yet been quantified publicly.
Two other issues could affect summer in Sunapee directly. First, the town's recreation ordinance prohibits commercial use of town property — but the farmers market and Arts in Harbor involve vendor sales operating under nonprofit umbrellas. The board acknowledged this is a legal conflict and referred it to town counsel, with an answer expected by April 6th. Second, a proposal to allow alcohol to be moved between licensed establishments across town property raised enforcement concerns from the police chief and was also sent to legal review. Neither issue has been resolved, and the summer season is approaching.
The board is also in the middle of building its first-ever Capital Improvement Plan, addressing a longstanding audit finding on fixed assets, managing multiple staff vacancies, and debating the town's long-term vision. A lot is in motion. The next meeting is April 2nd. The public is encouraged to attend or follow along.
Public impact
New London could exit ambulance contract at any time; town has no independent ambulance capacity, leaving a critical EMS gap with no formal backup plan in place
Major reorganization adding full-time chief position, absorbing ambulance services, and transferring health officer and emergency management roles — significant budget and operational implications not yet quantified
Potential purchase of private Route 103B property for public parking; cost not specified but involves capital expenditure and ongoing maintenance obligations
Legal ambiguity could result in cancellation or restructuring of established summer community events if ordinance is strictly enforced
First-ever comprehensive CIP to be developed covering all infrastructure, buildings, and equipment — will likely reveal significant deferred capital needs with future tax rate implications
Multiple concurrent vacancies with one staff member covering multiple critical roles; social media suspended; service delivery constrained across departments
Topics discussed
Board approved use of Ben Meer Bandstand by Lake Sunapee United Methodist Church for Easter sunrise service on April 5th from 6am-7am, and use of safety service building for Becker EMT training on multiple dates from March 24th through June 9th.
Board signed the 2025 Municipal Assessment Date certificate to authorize DRA to release equalization data.
Board reviewed notice of intent to excavate on Route 11 for Pine Hill Lemieux quarry operation, totaling 0.75 acres excavation area with 12,000 remaining cubic yards.
Board discussed establishing shared priorities for the year while recognizing current workload and competing demands, including organizational health, staffing vacancies, and infrastructure needs.
Discussion of lack of coordination between Sunapee Forward groups and town government, with multiple projects proceeding without proper town consultation including Route 11 traffic calming and Ben Meer land exchange.
Review of current staffing vacancies and challenges with hiring, including discussion of need for HR position and difficulties with current outsourced HR services.
Discussion of cybersecurity compliance requirements, need for updated policies, multi-factor authentication implementation, and standardized communication/branding across town departments.
Extended discussion about fire department leadership, potential ambulance service development, equipment needs including ladder truck maintenance vs. replacement, and long-term departmental planning.
Discussion of transitioning health officer and emergency management roles to fire department, hiring a full-time fire chief, and integrating ambulance services. Board considering qualifications and job description changes.
Board discussed bringing ambulance service under fire department control due to rising costs of New London ambulance program and need for full-time staffing rather than per diem coverage.
Discussion of conflicts between recreation ordinance prohibiting commercial use of town property and events like farmers market and arts in harbor that involve sales under nonprofit umbrellas.
Chief outlined concerns about proposal to allow alcohol movement between establishments across town property, citing enforcement challenges and potential ordinance violations.
Town Manager detailed current staffing constraints with land use administrator handling multiple roles and need for additional professional staff to manage growing project workload.
Extended discussion on whether Sunapee should pursue growth-minded vs. fixed-minded community approach, with emphasis on need for board to articulate clear vision to guide staffing and organizational decisions.
Discussion of changing Code Compliance Officer position to broader role like 'Building Official Project Manager' or 'Development Services Manager' to attract different candidates and handle multiple responsibilities.
Discussion of using artificial intelligence and new technology tools to improve efficiency and potentially do more work without adding staff positions.
Board members discussed ongoing public criticism affecting employee morale and recruitment, with emphasis on need for board to defend staff and maintain civil discourse.
Confirmation to proceed with RFP for external consultant to develop comprehensive capital improvement plan covering infrastructure, buildings, and equipment replacement schedules.
Town Manager reports progress on developing first-ever fixed asset policy to address longstanding audit finding, with draft expected by May 4th to be completed in-house.
Town has suspended Facebook usage due to staff capacity issues and legal concerns about right-to-know law requirements for government social media records.
Discussion of implementing technology to control salt application rates on town trucks to reduce costs and environmental impact on Lake Sunapee.
Planning for coordination between departments on road paving projects, including Lake Avenue improvements and ADA compliance requirements.
Discussion of potentially purchasing property on Route 103B for harbor parking, including legal requirements and funding considerations.
Review of options for repairing damaged harbor docks and consideration of larger harbor reimagining project.
Controversy & dissent
Potentially controversial issues
Sunapee Forward Operating Without Town Oversight
Route 11 Traffic Calming and Land Exchange Proceeding Without Board Approval
Ambulance Service Continuity Risk and Integration Planning
Fire Department Restructuring and Full-Time Chief Hiring
Recreation Ordinance Conflict with Farmers Market and Arts Events
Alcohol Ordinance and Cross-Premises Movement Between Licensed Establishments
Public Criticism Damaging Employee Morale and Recruitment
Harbor Parking Land Acquisition
Town Vision: Growth-Minded vs. Fixed Community Approach
Community vs. board tension
Public comment
Decisions logged
Action items
Member positions
Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position. UNCLEAR means the vote was split but the record did not name how this member voted — it is not a “yes.”
Accountability flags
Agenda items not discussed
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.
claude-sonnet-4-20250514, claude-sonnet-4-6, claude-opus-4-6 · analyzed 2026-04-04.
Members feature
Ask questions. Get answers with receipts.
Ask about anything covered on this page and get a plain-English answer that links to the report, the official records, and the exact moment in the meeting video.
Create a free accountFree with a MeetingWatch account — no card, no spam.
Already a member? Sign in
Ask questions about any meeting
Open a community, board, issue, or meeting and I can answer from its records — with links to the report, official documents, and the exact moment in the video.
Then reopen this button to start asking.
AI-generated from meeting records — verify against the linked sources. Conversations are stored (privacy).