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Kim Hallquist Town Manager New London, NH

March 6, 2012

Elections - Tuesday March 13th. 

The Kearsarge Regional School District Annual School District elections will be held at Whipple Memorial Town Hall from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. . New London voters have historically turned out in large numbers to vote on school district matters and it is our hope that this year will be no different. A sample ballot can be viewed at the Town Office or at the public bulletin boards. Please plan to vote on Tuesday, March 13. If you plan to be out of town, you may vote by absentee ballot by picking up a ballot at the Town Clerk’s Office. Absentee ballots must either be hand-delivered to the Town Clerk by 5 p.m. on March 12 , or delivered by mail by March 13, so don’t delay if you want to vote by absentee.

Mark Kaplan decides not to seek reelection. 

Mark Kaplan was first elected to the Board of Selectmen in 1997. He also served on the Budget Committee both as a member-at-large and as the Selectmen’s Representative. I have worked with dozens of selectmen over the years and have seldom seen the dedication, sense of humor, compassion and sheer joy that Mark brings to his role as a member of the New London Board of Selectmen. Mark has graciously offered to take my calls even after he leaves office should I need advice. There’s very little chance that I will pass up that offer as Mark is a wealth of information and I have greatly appreciated his willingness to share what he knows with me.

New London residents interested in running for the open seat on the Board, or any other elected position, can sign up at the Town Clerk’s Office from March 21st to March 30th. 

Town Meeting 2012: 

New London will hold its Town Meeting in May this year, departing from the March Town Meeting format that was conducted for many years. May Town Meetings are often more well-attended because the weather is nicer (much less likely to have sub-zero weather or a driving snow storm) and people who spend the winter months out of New London will have a better chance of being home in time to attend. Town elections will be conducted on Tuesday, May 8 and the business portion of the Town Meeting will be held on the following day, Wednesday, May 9 . The locations for voting and the Town Meeting will remain the same: voting a Whipple Memorial Town Hall and the Town Meeting at the Kearsarge Learning Center. Please make a note of these dates and plan to attend so that you can have your voice heard on the important matters affecting your town.

Voters who would like to petition the Selectmen to include an article in the warrant must submit the petition, signed by at least 25 registered voters, by April 3. Town office staff members are happy to offer assistance to anyone who is unsure about how to go about submitting such a petition. The April 3 deadline is extremely important so please plan accordingly.

Budget Preparation Continues: 

The Selectmen’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year (July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013) is now in the hands of the Budget Committee. Over the coming weeks the Budget Committee will meet with various town staff members to discuss the fiscal needs of the town’s departments as well as representatives from non-profit organizations that are seeking funding. There will be at least one public hearing on the budget prior to being presented to voters at Town Meeting. The public hearing will be held on Monday, April 9 at 7 p.m. at Whipple Memorial Town Hall. Members of the public are encouraged to attend the meetings of the Budget Committee as well as the public hearing(s). Dates of meetings are listed on the town website calendar, posted on the town bulletin boards, or you can call the town office.

Ongoing projects: 

There are several very important projects in various stages of completion including the Pleasant Lake Dam; Sunapee Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade; Lamson Lane; Pleasant Street sidewalk; Elkins Transportation Enhancement; Elkins Hydro Study and the New London-Newbury- Sunapee Scenic By-ways project. 

One project in the “completed column” is the Elkins Hydro Study which was completed and submitted to the Board last week. Although the study concluded that building and operating a hydroelectric plant at Scytheville “is perhaps a concept for another time” because the cost of such a facility outweighs the financial benefit to the town, the report itself is nevertheless interesting reading . The report can be reviewed at the town office and is also available on the town website under the “Board of Selectmen” tab.

Residents and visitors will see some of these projects being completed this spring and summer such as the Pleasant Street sidewalk and Lamson Lane construction. Others, such as modifications that may be required to the Pleasant Lake Dam per State of New Hampshire Dam Bureau regulations, the Elkins project, and the upgrades to the Sunapee Wastewater Treatment Plant will likely take many months to be fully resolved, stretching into 2013 and beyond. 

All of these projects are complex, and require careful deliberation and decision-making as they progress towards completion. Public input is essential if we are to make the choices that will best serve the Town in the years to come, so we encourage citizens to offer their thoughts, concerns, and advice to the Selectmen as these issues are addressed. 



Kimberly Hallquist, Town Administrator
375 Main Street
New London, NH 03257

townadmin@nl-nh.com
Phone: 603-526-4821 extension 13
Fax: 603-526-9494