“FRIDAY
UPDATES”
December
4, 2009
The former China Buffet Restaurant
in the
FY
2011 Special
Budget Meetings
The ORCSD has scheduled three
sessions for public discussion on the FY2011 Budget with Superintendent, Howard
Colter and Business Administrator, Blaine Cox. This is an opportunity to
ask general questions about the budget process, offer ideas or suggestions as
well as other comments. Each session is open to all residents in
|
|
Date |
Time |
Location |
|
|
Mon, Dec
14 |
9:30
AM |
ORHS Multipurpose
Room |
|
Lee |
Mon, Dec
14 |
7:00
PM |
|
|
Madbury |
Tue, Dec
15 |
7:00
PM |
|
Solar
Panel Installation
On Saturday, December 5, 2009 from
8:00 AM – 1:00 PM, there will be a solar-panel installation at the
Fire
Station Location & Design Analysis
On
A Reminder to Off Campus UNH Students to be Good
Neighbors
Residents may find the
following editorial submission of interest from UNH Dean of Students Anne
Lawing reminding students to be good neighbors when living within
PSNH Home Energy Audit Program
This information may be of
interest to some of the residents in your community. Public Service of
2008
Members of the Town Council have
been provided with copies of the Independent Auditor’s Report for the year
ending December 31, 2008 submitted by Plodzik & Sanderson. Greg Colby,
Partner, will be present at Monday evening’s meeting to provide a brief
presentation and to answer any questions Councilors may have relative to the
audit report.
One item to be noted is the decrease
in the unreserved, undesignated fund balance from $1,408,445 to $952,075. The
reasons for this decrease are:
o
$114,000 in
funds used to reduce 2008 tax rate
o
$116,727 revenue
shortfall
o
$225,643
overdraft of appropriations
The revenue shortfall is largely due
to a decrease in motor vehicle permit fees, interest on investments and court
fines.
Several factors contributed to the
overdraft of appropriations including the ice storm of December 2008 where over
$80,000 was expended in overtime hours, opening of a shelter and removal of
debris. In addition, there were increased wage and benefits costs associated
with the three unforeseen retirements at the Fire Department, costs relating to
the transition to the Strafford County dispatch center, increased costs for
heating fuel and gasoline and approximately $80,000 applied to the closing out
of capital related projects.
With Sergeant Ed Lévesque’s
retirement effective in November, a vacancy existed in the staff of 18 police
officers comprising the Durham Police. Sergeant Levesque gave ample notice of
his pending retirement to allow Chief Kurz and his staff to begin the process of
hiring a replacement several months ago. The selection process for the Durham
Police is extensive and lengthy. Beginning with written examinations,
applications, and resumes, qualified candidates are invited to participate in a
physical agility process that requires a variety of performance measures; all of
which are necessary to gain entrance into the
The applicant pool was been reduced
from 171 to 4 candidates. The remaining four applicants were subjected to
extensive medical, psychological, and background examinations with a concluding
polygraph examination used to verify the findings. At the conclusion of
this process, Chief Kurz recommended to Administrator Selig hiring Matthew F.
Brown of Stratham for appointment as a new Durham Police Officer. Mr. Brown is
scheduled to attend the NH Police Academy commencing January 4th
which will graduate April 9, 2010. Upon graduation, he will enter the
Field Training phase of his instruction and anticipate that he will be fully
trained by September.
Work
schedule adjusted at the police department
With staff shortages at the Durham
Police, Chief Kurz has readjusted patrol work schedules from a 4:00 PM to 2:00
AM and work shift to 5:00 PM to 3:00 AM. While one hour may not seem
significant, that one hour from 2:00 to 3:00 AM is very challenging for the
police as they attempt to respond to noise complaints, fights in progress, and
other disorderly actions. With more staff retained during this one hour,
police may be able to be more proactive in patrolling the community.
Police work schedules are critical
to providing services where the work force is required 24-hours per day, seven
days a week. While work schedules vary in appearance to meet a community’s
needs, a universally-implemented schedule is comprised of three shifts:
7:00 AM to 3:00 PM; 3:00 to 11:00 PM; and 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM. While there are a
host of variables that comprise an eight-hour schedule, the common theme is that
when those on a shift come to work, others are leaving. In
PUBLIC
MEETING SCHEDULE
The following public meetings are
scheduled for the coming week in the Town Council chambers at the Durham Town
Office and will begin at 7:00 PM unless otherwise indicated below. To view the
agenda for the meetings listed below, please click HERE.
All meetings recorded on DCAT are available on DVD at the Durham Public Library
for checkout and viewing.
Town Council– Monday, December 7,
2009
Integrated Waste Management Advisory
Committee – Tuesday, December 8, 2009 (7:30
AM)
Rental Housing Commission – Tuesday,
December 8, 2009 (4:00
PM)
Zoning Board of Adjustment –
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Planning Board – Wednesday, December
9, 2009
DCAT Governance Committee –
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 (ORHS, 7:00
PM)
Conservation Commission – Thursday,
December 10, 2009
Oyster
River School Board meeting schedule, please click HERE.
Durham
Public Library Board of Trustees meeting schedule, please click HERE.
DCAT
Programming Schedule, please click HERE
Turkey Trot held at
Wagon Hill Farm on
Thanksgiving
morning.
§
Saturday, December 12, 2009, 7:00 – 8:30 PM,
Churchill Rink: Holiday
Carol Free Skate. Bring the entire family for a free skating
event featuring sounds of favorite holiday carols and free
refreshments.
§
Monday, January 11, 2010: Monday Evening
Yoga. Preregistration is required for this 8-week yoga
session taught by Ruth Abelmann.
§
Thursday, January 14, 2010: Thursday Evening
Yoga. Preregistration is required for this 8-week yoga session
taught by Judy George.
§
Zumba – Pilates –
Bootcamp. Durham Parks & Recreation Department is now
offering classes taught by Kathy Kerrigan.
You can sign up for P&R classes
at the P&R office,
Display Your Art
at Parks & Rec: The new P&R Activities Room has bare
walls! If you would like to display your art work, photography or other
art medium on the walls, please contact P&R Director
COMMUNITY EVENTS
§
Friday, December 4 & Saturday, December 5, 2009:
Annual “Light Up
Durham” events schedule.
§
Friday, December 4, 2009, 4:00 – 5:30 PM:
“Light Up
§
Friday, December 4, 2009, 4:00 – 6:00 PM:
“Light Up
§
Three Chimneys
Inn is collecting new mittens, gloves, or hats for
children and adults that will be donated to local families in
need. Bring in items now until December 22, 2009 and place them on our
Mitten Tree in the Ffrost Sawyer Tavern. Warm up a pair of hands, and we
will warm up yours with a coffee, hot chocolate, or soup as our thank you for
your kind donation!
§
Fresh Cut Local Christmas
Trees.
Durham Boy Scout Troop 154 will again be selling fresh-cut local Christmas
trees. Trees will be on sale each Saturday & Sunday throughout
December until they sell out. All trees come from a farm in
§
Saturday, December 5, 2009, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM:
Annual Christmas Fair Day -
Community Church of Durham, St. Thomas More,
§
Sunday, December 6, 2009, 4:30 PM, Community Church
of Durham: Resources and
Support for Parents Caring for Teens, sponsored by Oyster River
Teen Initiative (ORTI). For more information, contact ORTI Chair, Mary Westfall,
868-1230.
§
Sunday, December 6, 2009, 4:00 – 7:00 PM,
§
Thursday, December 8, 2009, 7:00 – 8:00 PM, Durham
Public Library: Ruth Moore will demonstrate how to
make a beautiful evergreen swag to decorate for the holidays.
§
Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 6:30 PM, Durham Public
Library: Jane Cowen-Fletcher: A Visit
With a Children’s Author/Illustrator.
§
Wednesday, December 9, 2009, 7:00 PM,
Weekly
Police Arrest Report
|
Week –
1 |
1 UNH
(100%) |
0 Other
(0%) |
|
*2009/10 Academic Year –
508 |
318 UNH (63%)
|
190 Other
(37%) |
|
Calendar Year –
1054 |
615 UNH
(58%) |
439 Other
(42%) |
*Commenced September 1, 2009
Historical data
for the same week
This data represents the 2009/10
Academic year report which begins anew each August
when UNH students begin arriving in
Year |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
|
Week |
8 |
7 |
14 |
2 |
1 |
|
Academic
Year |
620 |
441 |
402 |
430 |
508 |
|
Calendar
Year |
1179 |
944 |
973 |
945 |
1054 |
FROM
HISTORY IN AN OYSTERSHELL – 1600 – 1976
“1965 – A 7’ x 6’ topographical map
of the Town made and donated by John Hatch. Encased by Batchelder and Chase, it
is in the Town Office. A work of art, it includes in color all buildings, types
of roads, sewer and electrical lines, woods, streams and swamps. It is
periodically updated.”
Have a good
weekend.
Todd
Todd I. Selig, Administrator
Town of Durham
15 Newmarket Road
Durham, New Hampshire 03824
Tel
(603) 868-5571
Fax (603) 868-5572
tselig@ci.durham.nh.us
www.ci.durham.nh.us
The
Town of