Meeting report · Select Board
Creating this report cost real money.
Help fund coverage →
Select Board — March 3, 2026
Tension was present due to a personal dispute over tax liens and a direct confrontation between a resident and a board member regarding meeting conduct.
Public impact
Issues from this meeting with documented community impact.
01
Land Use Change Tax (LUCT) accuracy
Individual cases involve significant tax bills (e.g., $8,000) and potential liens/credit damage. Affected: Landowners installing solar arrays or changing land use
tax increase
Decisions logged
Every recorded vote, with timestamps and dissents.
Support for Senate Bill 538FN (Extending metering eligibility terms for municipal energy projects)
Hanson: YES, Seidel: YES, Smith: NO
Passed (2 YES, 1 NO)
Approval of the draft Town Land Sale Policy
Hanson: YES, Seidel: YES, Smith: ABSTAIN
Passed (2 YES, 1 ABSTAIN)
Acceptance of KLM lighting and fan installation quote
Hanson: YES, Seidel: YES, Smith: YES; amount $2,980
Passed (3 YES)
Decline DOT offer to purchase Map 28 Lot 33 (.3 acre parcel)
Hanson: YES, Seidel: YES, Smith: YES
Passed (3 YES)
Approval of Vachon Clukay for 2025 Town Audit
Hanson: YES, Seidel: YES, Smith: NO
Passed (2 YES, 1 NO)
Approval of Consent Agenda
Hanson: YES, Seidel: YES, Smith: ABSTAIN
Passed (2 YES, 1 ABSTAIN)
Approval of Manifest
Hanson: YES, Seidel: YES, Smith: ABSTAIN
Passed (2 YES, 1 ABSTAIN)
Topics discussed
Click a topic to expand quotes and full context.
06:00 Town Meeting Preparation
The Board discussed Select Board presence for the March 10 election and identified presenters for various warrant articles.
Speakers: Harry Seidel, Alfred Hanson, Mike Smith, Ben Frost
Transfer Station Updates
Discussion regarding Department of Labor violations, lighting replacement quotes, and a draft tree policy.
Speakers: Harry Seidel, Alfred Hanson, Ed Mical
Energy Committee - Senate Bill SB538
The Energy Committee requested support for legislation that would grandfather net metering for municipal energy projects for 20 years.
Speakers: Clyde Carson, Neil Nevins, Harry Seidel, Alfred Hanson, Mike Smith
2025 Town Audit Proposals
The Board debated whether to award the audit to Vachon Clukay or Veroff CPA, focusing on price discrepancies and the number of bids received.
Speakers: Harry Seidel, Alfred Hanson, Mike Smith, Elizabeth Labbe, Clyde Carson
Cell Tower Update
Update on radio equipment costs and the necessity of determining tower height to finalize Verizon financing.
Speakers: Harry Seidel, Ed Mical, Alfred Hanson
Insurance Indemnification (RSA 31:105/106)
Discussion on whether the town should adopt statutory protections for employees, which may impact liability and cost.
Speakers: Harry Seidel, Alfred Hanson, Elizabeth Labbe, Mike Smith
Town Land Sale Policy
Review of a new draft policy for selling town-owned land to ensure legal compliance with recent RSA updates and court cases.
Speakers: Harry Seidel, Alfred Hanson, Mike Smith
Public Comment - Land Use Change Tax (LUCT) Dispute
A resident addressed the Board regarding an $8,000 tax bill and subsequent lien resulting from a dispute over current use mapping.
Speakers: Nick Edraos, Harry Seidel, Mike Smith, Alfred Hanson
Controversy & dissent
Where the board, the community, or the agenda diverged.
Potentially controversial issues
01
Land Use Change Tax (LUCT) Dispute
A resident faced an $8,000 tax bill and a lien due to errors in the town's current use mapping, affecting personal credit and finances.
Board position: The board agreed to investigate the matter but did not resolve the financial liability during the meeting.
high concern
02
2025 Town Audit Selection
Disagreement over whether to award the audit despite receiving only two bids, which may conflict with town policy requiring three.
Board position: The board moved forward with Vachon Clukay to avoid further delays.
Internal dissent
Mike Smith voted NO, citing the need for three quotes per town policy; Harry Seidel argued it would be 'reckless' to delay further.
low concern
Split votes
Support for Senate Bill SB538 (Net metering for municipal energy projects)
2-1
Approval of the draft Town Land Sale Policy
2-0-1 (Abstain)
Approval of Vachon Clukay for 2025 Town Audit
2-1
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.
Forward list of companies contacted for audit bids to the Select Board
Assigned: Elizabeth Labbe · Due: Immediate
Send a letter to the Town Health Officer regarding the need for annual recertification
Assigned: Alfred Hanson
Investigate the LUCT dispute, tax lien, and interest charges for Nick Edraos
Assigned: Select Board
Forward the new current use map to Harry Seidel
Assigned: Nick Edraos
Notable statements
They should have three quotes pursuant to Town policy [regarding the audit]. — Mike Smith · Debating the selection of an auditing firm with only two responding bids.
It would be reckless to put it off any longer [regarding the audit decision]. — Harry Seidel · Responding to delays in selecting an auditor due to scheduling availability.
The solar panel exemption means very little if the land beneath them is taxed. — Nick Edraos · Discussing the impact of land use change taxes on solar array installations.
Member positions
8 issues · 7 explicit · 0 inferred
Alfred Hanson
Present
Chair
Support for Senate Bill 538FN
YES
✓
Supported extending metering eligibility for municipal energy projects.
Approval of the draft Town Land Sale Policy
YES
✓
Supported the adoption of the new land sale policy.
Acceptance of KLM lighting and fan installation quote
YES
✓
Approved the lighting and fan installation quote.
Decline DOT offer to purchase Map 28 Lot 33
YES
✓
Approved declining the DOT's offer to purchase the parcel.
Approval of Vachon Clukay for 2025 Town Audit
YES
✓
Supported awarding the audit to Vachon Clukay.
Approval of Consent Agenda
YES
✓
Approved the consent agenda.
Approval of Manifest
YES
✓
Approved the manifest.
Richard Bixby Jr.
Absent
Member
Michael Smith
Present
Member
Support for Senate Bill 538FN
NO
✓
Opposed the Senate Bill 538FN legislation.
Approval of the draft Town Land Sale Policy
ABSTAIN
✓
Abstained from voting on the land sale policy.
Acceptance of KLM lighting and fan installation quote
YES
✓
Approved the lighting and fan installation quote.
Decline DOT offer to purchase Map 28 Lot 33
YES
✓
Approved declining the DOT's offer to purchase the parcel.
Approval of Vachon Clukay for 2025 Town Audit
NO
✓
Opposed audit award due to lack of required three quotes.
Approval of Consent Agenda
ABSTAIN
✓
Abstained from voting on the consent agenda.
Approval of Manifest
ABSTAIN
✓
Abstained from voting on the manifest.
Positions marked ~ are inferred from context and may not reflect the member's explicitly stated position.
Public comment
What residents said — verbatim, with timestamps.
2
Total speakers
1
Addressed
1
Partial
0
Not addressed
Nick Edraos
Partial
Mr. Edraos discussed an $8,000 land use change tax (LUCT) he was charged after clearing land and installing solar panels. He noted that the Board of Tax and Land Appeals (BTLA) ruled the tax was inappropriate because the town lacked proper current use maps. He expressed frustration over resulting interest charges, a tax lien, and damage to his credit score.
Key concern
Request to release the tax lien, remove the LUCT bill, restore his credit score, and revert to the 2024 tax bill; also requested the town adopt a practice of contacting owners before issuing LUCT bills.
Board responseThe Select Board agreed to look into the matter for Mr. Edraos. Harry Seidel also reviewed a map provided by the speaker.
The board acknowledged the issue and agreed to investigate/look into it, but they did not immediately grant his specific requests to release the lien or remove the bill during the meeting.
Faith Minton
Addressed
Ms. Minton thanked the board for their service and adherence to the code of conduct. However, she expressed disappointment regarding a board member attending via Zoom rather than in person, suggesting it hinders the town.
Key concern
Dissatisfaction with a board member's remote attendance and perceived lack of preparation/presence.
Board responseMike Smith responded by clarifying that he was not in California and stated he did not appreciate the assumption made about his location.
The board member directly responded to the criticism regarding his presence and location.
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 Warner.
Follow Warner
One email when a new report is published from the Select Board — or one weekly digest.
Report composed by
grok-4.3, gemma-4-26b, grok-4.20-0309-reasoning · analyzed 2026-06-01.