2.  Litchfield Veterans Project Proposal  & Request   - 

CMSgt Bobby Jacques (USAF, retired)

Litchfield, NH Veterans Group, President

Review Preliminary Revenue Estimates

Review Preliminary Default Budget Calculation

Review Preliminary Tax Cap Calculation

Preliminary Budget Adoption

Wrap up & Motions

Vote - due to Budget Committee Sept. 18th

               Budget Committee - Schedule Link    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nig7N7NksH5s-YoToTGPY3s9cAB0bl989hYlHuths-0/edit?usp=drive_link

TOWN ADMINISTRATOR REPORT

1.  Annual Fire Prevention Fire truck parade will be Friday October 3rd at 6:30 pm.

The Fire department Open House will be Saturday October 18th from 1pm-4pm.

2.  DASI - Energy Charges   -  our Eversource bill, the DASI charge will appear as part of the overall "Delivery Charge" section. 

What is DASI? 

Is an initiative from ISO-NE to lessen the need for fast start generation assets and diminish loads settled on the real time market over time. As the name suggests, this new market structure operates on the day-ahead market, so costs are more variable. Most notably, DASI includes a new component to the ancillary market. This new component was designed to bridge the gap between supplier bids and expected demand. This cost is set on the real-time market, which means increased costs for consumers during times of uncertainty.    This is a regulatory change and therefore can be added to the cost of a fixed contract.   Impact to Town Budget from August - December estimated $400.00

3.    Audit wrap up   with  Alina Korsak, CPA.  Managing Director is scheduled for September 22nd. Audit Report

4.   Assessments USPAP Report - Link added to the Litchfield website under Assessing :

2025 Revaluation USPAP Report (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice)

To review the manual click here:  2025 Cyclical Revaluation USPAP as of 9.05.2025 . This report will be reviewed by the NH Department of Revenue Pursuant to RSA 21-J:14-b, I(c) which states: the Department in its assessment review process shall review all mass appraisals to ensure compliance with USPAP and applicable laws and regulations. The purpose of this appraisal review is to advance the legislative objective of bringing greater credibility, uniformity, transparency, and accountability to statewide assessment practices. In so doing, this document serves as an analytical tool for identifying and documenting compliance with recognized assessment methods and techniques. This document also provides a mechanism for communicating the results of the review to the appropriate municipalities, assessors, and contractors.

5.  Budget Committee Presentation -Dept. Heads  - Dept Heads have been sent a shared presentation for their information as requested by the Budget committee in years past.  This will only high level changes.

6.  2026 Proposed Warrant Articles -  Communications have been sent to Department Heads -  Preliminary discussion 

 6  .  Personnel Policy  - Have asked that the policy remain tabled until Department Heads meet again.  Discussion took place at the August 20th Department Head meeting with         more to come.

7.  Correspondence received -  Notice of TIP Public Review period

Public Notice – TIP Amendment 2

FY2025-28 Transportation Improvement Program

Nashua Regional Planning Commission

_________________________________________________________________________ 

The Nashua Regional Planning Commission (NRPC), as the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Nashua Region, is holding a public comment period on proposed Amendment 2 to the adopted Nashua Metropolitan Area 2025-2028 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). A ten (10) day public comment period for Amendment 2 to the TIP and associated MTP minor update begins on Friday, September 5th, 2025, and ends on Monday, September 15th, 2025.

Following the public comment period, and pursuant to the NRPC Public Participation Plan, the NRPC MPO Policy Committee will hold a public hearing to review comments, solicit final public feedback, and consider adoption of Amendment 2 to the TIP and the MTP minor update. The public hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 17th, 2025, at 7:00 PM at the Nashua Regional Planning Commission, located at 30 Temple Street, Suite 310, Nashua.

Written comments may be submitted through Monday, September 15th, 2025, via email to mattw@nashuarpc.org or via US mail to: Matt Waitkins, NRPC, 30 Temple Street, Suite 310, Nashua, NH 03060.

The full Amendment may be viewed at the following link: NRPC Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).

8.    Trustee of the Trust Funds August Report (see Below)

9.    Thursday, Sept. 11 - Karen, Heather and myself will attend the NHMA  Budget and Finance Workshop via zoom.

10. Healthtrust - Health Insurance  .Kim will attend 10 am session.  - Thursday, September 25, Learn how the HealthTrust Board of Directors sets rates and determines if there is surplus to be returned to Member Groups. Comments received at the hearings will be considered by the HealthTrust Board of Directors prior to setting coverage rates for plan years starting in 2026 and determining whether there will be a return of surplus for FY2025.

11.     NOTICE from NHDES Merrimack – Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, 701 Daniel Webster Highway NHDES Site #199712055, Project #36430 Request for Soil Sampling Work Plan  (  Letter below)

12 . State budget -   State business tax collections show signs of stabilizing after a two-year decline, while other revenue streams continue to slide.   State officials will finalize fiscal 2025 numbers by December. Preliminary data shows $3.139 billion in total revenues for the general fund and the education trust fund, which is still short of the $3.165 billion target.

13.  2025 Legislative Changes reported by the NHMA:

Tax impact notations.* Chapter 144 (HB 138) requires municipalities that already include a notation stating the estimated tax impact of the annual budget and special warrant articles to include on special warrant articles with multi-year tax impacts a notation stating the estimated tax impact each year for the first 5 years, or each year if the tax impact is less than 5 years. Effective 8/30/25. Statute: RSA 32:5, V-b

Overriding tax caps.* Chapter 170 (HB 200) eliminates the current ability of a majority at town meeting to override a tax cap and requires any override to be approved by town meeting by ballot with a 3/5th vote. Note:Prior to the enactment of HB 200, a tax cap did not limit the amount the voters could actually appropriate at the annual town meeting; it was only a limit on the budget submitted to the voters by the governing body or budget committee. Effective: 9/13/25. Statute: RSA 32:5-b

Tax caps tied to inflation or population.* Chapter 183 (HB 374) amends RSA 32:5-b to clarify how a tax cap using inflation and/or changes in population or school attendance will be calculated. New definitions on “Attendance,” “Base Amount,” and “Population” are provided along with a clarification that official inflation figures shall be as of October 1st preceding the date of the budget hearing held. Effective: 9/13/25. Statute: RSA 32:5-b, c, e, and f

New options for budget caps.* Chapter 131 (SB 105) enables municipalities to adopt a budget cap limiting a proposed budget not to exceed the dollars spent per resident in the prior fiscal year times the current town population plus a fixed percentage, or percent annual increase for inflation based upon data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics or American City or County. Furthermore, this legislation also introduces a new limit on the authority of town meeting to amend warrant articles:  Any question to adopt a budget cap under RSA 32:5-g shall not be subject to amendment by the legislative body. Effective: 8/23/25. Statutes RSA 32:5-g and h

Lease of town-owned real property. Chapter 127 (HB 373) requires the select board to obtain a vote from the legislative body for leases of real property exceeding one year, with the maximum lease term extended to 99 years. If a lease is for one year or less, the select board can proceed without legislative body approval. The legislative body may vote to grant the select board universal authority to lease property for up to five years without further action. Effective: 6/23/25. Statute: RSA 41:11-a 

Disabled veterans credit. Chapter 15 (HB 99) increases the optional maximum property tax waiver for disabled veterans from $4,000 to $5,000. Effective: 7/13/25. Statutes: RSA 72:27-a; RSA72:28, 28-b, and 28-c; RSA 72:36-a

Religious property tax exemption. Chapter 303 (SB 291) exempts church parsonages that are rented or vacant from property taxation. Effective: 8/1/25. Statute: RSA 72:23, III

Poll books and electioneering.* Chapter 217 (SB 43) authorizes cities and towns to use poll books for voter registration and check-in for not only elections but also for business meetings, deliberative sessions, and special meetings for both the town and school district. SB 43 also amends the statute regulating clothing worn at a polling place that advocates for or against any candidate, political party, or measure. Effective: 9/13/25

State Building Code Update. Chapter 135 (HB 134) amends the state building code to incorporate more recent versions of various international codes and updates to the National Electrical Code. Effective: 7/1/25. Statute: RSA 155-A:1

Impact fee expansion. Chapter 58 (HB 168) allows municipalities to include public works facilities as eligible capital facilities for the assessment of impact fees on new developments. Effective: 7/28/25. Statute: RSA 674:21, V

Building permits on private roads.* Chapter 175 (HB 296) adds an alternative pathway to gain authorization from local governing bodies to erect buildings along private roads. The law also contains an unrelated provision removing the zoning board of adjustment’s discretion for determining when to take an appeal and replaces it with a non-discretionary 30-day period. Effective: 9/13/25. Statutes: RSA 674:41; RSA 676:5

Vesting period for approved site plans.* Chapter 186 (HB 413) extends the vesting time periods that protect approved subdivision and site plans from changes in local planning and zoning regulations and limits the authority of the ZBA or select board when acting as the building code board of appeals. Effective: 7/1/25. Statutes: RSA 674:39; RSA 674:34, I ; RSA 155-A:11-b; RSA 478:1-a; RSA 679:5, IV; RSA 673:3, IV

State building code.* Chapter 276 (HB 428) limits local amendments to the state building code and state fire code to matters involving issuance of permits, collection of fees, and similar administrative functions. Effective: 7/1/26. Statutes: RSA 155-A:1-5, 7, 10, and 11-b; RSA 674:34; RSA 675:1

Occupancy limits.* Chapter 188 (HB 457) prohibits municipal zoning ordinances from restricting the number of occupants of any dwelling unit to less than two occupants per bedroom. Effective: 9/13/25. Statute: RSA 674:16, VIII

Accessory Dwelling Units.* Chapter 197 (HB 577) modifies the existing laws regarding Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) by expanding their definition and allowing for detached units to be constructed by right. Additionally, the maximum square footage for ADUs is increased, with a stipulation that the total living space cannot exceed 950 square feet unless authorized by the municipality and cannot be restricted to less than 750 square feet. Effective: 7/1/25. Statutes: RSA 674:71 and 73

Solid waste surcharge. (Chapter 141:176): A new $3.50 per ton surcharge on all solid waste disposed of at any of the state’s six active landfills or its waste-to-energy facility takes effect January 1, 2026. The fee will be paid by municipalities, businesses, and other entities, but towns and cities will receive a 100% quarterly rebate. The surcharge will fund waste management programs at the state Department of Environmental Services (DES) and grants focused on improving waste disposal infrastructure across the state. DES is developing guidance for this surcharge and NHMA will pass along this information when it becomes available.

PFAS mitigation. (Chapter 141:375): A new section was added to RSA 485-H:6 requiring DES to establish an application approval process and determine the prorated compensation amount for each public water system with PFAS detections based on the amount public water systems spent or will spend on infrastructure to mitigate PFAS compounds minus the amount received from other funding sources.

Vehicle safety inspections. (Chapter 141:253): The budget eliminates motor vehicle safety inspections in 2026 and authorizes the state to work with the federal government regarding emissions testing. Because 12 percent of the motor vehicle fee revenue is distributed to municipalities, the state Department of Transportation estimated this change will decrease municipal revenue by about $350,000 per year.

Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund. (Chapter 141:378): The budget appropriates $11.55 million from the Drinking Water and Groundwater Trust Fund to pay for drinking water infrastructure as part the Southern New Hampshire Regional Water Project.

SELECTMEN REPORTS

1. Recreation Commission Representative - F. Robert Leary Sr.

2. School Facilities Improvement Committee - John Brunelle

3. Budget Committee Representative - John Brunelle

4. Planning Board Representative - Steven G. Gannon

5. Capital Improvement Committee Representative - Kimberly M. Queenan

6. Conservation Commission Representative - Dianne Plansky

7. Heritage Commission Representative - Dianne Plansky

8. Emergency Management Team - John Brunelle

9. Energy Committee - Steven G. Gannon

10. Economic Development Committee - Kimberly M. Queenan

 Adjournment