Friday Updates - December 2, 2022

Friday, December 2, 2022

UNH SUSTAINABILITY INSTITUTE SPONSERS A COMMUNITY E-WASTE COLLECTION DAY - 12/16/22

Proper electronic waste disposal protects human health as well as the environment. Help the earth and yourself and by dropping off your broken or unused electronics (laptops, computers, phones, tablets, chargers and cables, etc) at the UNH Community E-Waste Collection Day, on Friday December 16, between 11-2 in S Lot (right behind NH Fish and Game, 225 Main St, Durham.) They will be refurbished or recycled responsibly and securely by Northeast Electronics & Recycling.

Contact Jennifer Andrews of the UNH Sustainability Institute at jennifer.andrews@unh.edu with questions.

DURHAM RECEIVES TOP SCORES FOR NH IN HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN'S 2022 MUNICIPAL EQUALITY INDEX (MEI)

As host to the University of New Hampshire, Durham has been included again, this time in the eleventh edition of the Human Rights Campaign's Municipal Equality Index (MEI). The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Americans. The MEI is the first nationwide evaluation of municipal laws, policies, and services affecting the LGBTQ community. This year HRC evaluated the 506 cities rated in last year's publication. These include the 50 state capitals, the 200 largest cities in the country, the five largest cities in each state, the cities home to the state's two largest public universities, 75 cities and census-designated places with high proportions of gay/lesbian couples, and 98 cities selected by HRC and Equality Federation group members and supporters.

In the past ten years, Durham has received the highest score in NH of those communities surveyed.

NH MEI Scores:

Concord - 71

Durham - 94

Nashua - 81

Derry - 64

Keene - 69

Plymouth - 46

Dover - 80

Manchester - 88

Portsmouth - 89

Staff and the Town's Human Rights Commission will continue to evaluate MEI criteria to consider whether it is possible to increase our score. Durham had sought to be the top scoring community in NH eleven years ago, and we have to date succeeded every year since that time, endeavoring to incrementally improve our openness and inclusiveness over time as appropriate.

Learn more by clicking HERE. To see Durham's MEI scorecard, click HERE.

WAGON HILL FARM & PORTSMOUTH WATERMAIN PROJECT - Durham and Portsmouth working together to outline alternative mutually beneficial route across property en route to bay.

The City of Portsmouth owns and maintains a 7 mile long, 24” diameter water main which brings treated drinking water from its Madbury Water Treatment Plant to Portsmouth. This transmission main supplies close to 60% of the potable water and fire protection demands for this regional system. A portion of this line crosses Wagon Hill Farm through a 40’ wide utility easement granted to Portsmouth, before crossing Little Bay and eventually connecting to the Portsmouth Water distribution system at Fox Point in Newington. Due the poor condition of the submerged sections of this water line, Portsmouth is in the process of designing improvements to the water main which crosses Little Bay and expects to commence construction in late 2023. Additional project details can be found HERE.

Due to the major impacts and disruption to the Wagon Hill Farm property, including impacts to the community gardens, trail system, main roadway, fields and wetlands, that would occur if the deeded easement alignment was utilized for construction access, the Town of Durham has been working with Portsmouth to develop an alternate construction access with a temporary gravel roadway, construction fencing, laydown area and temporary trail relocations. The proposed agreement will also contain a provision for the Town to utilize Portsmouth’s watermain for a municipal water connection to serve the farmhouse and surrounding property for domestic water use and fire protection. 

The figure above provides an overview of the alternate construction access.   Any questions can be directed to Durham Public Works at (603) 868-5578.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD OPEN ON DRAFT 2022 DURHAM MULTI-HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN UPDATE

The 2022 Durham Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan is an update to the Town’s 2017 Plan with the goal of reducing the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards before, during, and after an incident or disaster. The draft Plan was developed by Durham’s Hazard Mitigation Steering Committee with assistance from the Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC), as well as input from the New Hampshire Department of Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Planning Section, the Town’s Sustainability Fellow – Rafidah Rahman, UNH Police and Fire, UNH Facilities staff, and other federal and state agencies.

At this time, the Town is inviting all stakeholders, including local and regional agencies, citizens, business, municipal officials, representatives from academia, and interested parties from Durham and other neighboring communities to review and comment on the draft Plan. Please forward any ideas or concerns to Kyle Pimental, Principal Planner, Strafford Regional Planning Commission at 603-994-3500 or kpimental@strafford.org. 

This update of the 2017 Plan is funded from a fiscal year 2020 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), which was awarded to the Department of Safety, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management from the Federal Emergency management Agency and is a collaborative process between the Town and SRPC.

To view the draft plan, please click HERE.

STRAFFORD COUNTY LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION TO MEET ON DECEMBER 5th TO REVIEW COUNTY MATTERS INCLUDING NEW NURSING HOME PROPOSAL

A Public Hearing and Meeting of the Strafford County Legislative Delegation is scheduled to be held Monday, December 5, 2022, 7:00 p.m. This meeting will require a physical quorum but will provide remote access for the public and will be held in Superior Courtroom II, Upper Level of the William A. Grimes Justice and Administration Building, 259 County Farm Road, Dover, New Hampshire, to conduct the following business: 

• Presentation of New Nursing Home Construction Plans
• Public Hearing for Comments and Questions on:

        a. Proposed New Nursing Home Construction

        b. Issuance of $150,000,000 in Bonds to Fund New Nursing Home Construction

• Questions and Comments from Public
• Close Public Hearing
• Open Delegation Meeting
• Approve Minutes of August 24, 2022 Public Hearing and Meeting
• Review and Approve Construction Plans for a New Nursing Home
• Motion to Approve Proposed New Nursing Home Construction
• Motion to Approve the Issuance of $150,000,000 in Bonds to Fund New Nursing Home Construction (2/3 vote)
• Any Other Business Which May Legally Come Before the Committee

Information and directions may be obtained in advance of the meeting by contacting the Strafford County Commissioners office at 603-516-7100.

Public access via Zoom is available by clicking HERE. 

DURHAM POLICE OFFICERS GRADUATE FROM NH POLICE ACADEMY

Officer Travis Bach, Officer Jasdeep Kaur and Officer Sean Malonson graduated from the 190th NH Police Academy in Concord on November 18, 2022. Officer Bach is a University of New Hampshire student and was recently employed at the Durham Rite Aid as a Certified Pharmacy Technician. Officer Kaur graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. While in school, she was a police cadet with the UMass Boston Police Department. Officer Malonson is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and recently worked for the Middlesex Massachusetts Sheriff’s Office.

All three are currently in Field Training to acclimate themselves to the nuances of Durham. Not only is the style of guardian policing instilled, but also roadways, critical locations, radio and report writing, and all things unique to Durham, are familiarized as they begin their career serving Durham.

DURHAM POLICE OFFERING CAR SEAT CHECKS

According to Safe Kids Worldwide, correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71%. Unfortunately, more than half of car seats are not used or installed correctly. In an effort to keep children safe in vehicles, Officer Emily Festa attended training and became a Certified Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The training provided knowledge about car seats, booster seats, and seat-belt systems, as well as how to educate caregivers on best practices when installing car seats and transporting children.

Car seat inspection/instillation services are offered to community members at no charge. To schedule a car seat instillation or car seat safety check, please call the Durham Police Department at (603) 868-2324.

PLANNING BOARD UPDATES

The Planning Board held a public hearing on Wednesday, November 30, on extensive proposed changes to the Zoning Ordinance affecting housing. The amendments were prepared by the Durham Housing Task Force pursuant to its mission to explore ways of expanding housing opportunities in town. A number of people spoke at the hearing, mostly in opposition to the changes, stating that they are sweeping and would significantly impact the zoning arrangement now in the community. Several people spoke generally in favor of the changes, noting the housing shortage that the state is grappling with. There were many thoughtful comments made and questions that were raised: What is Durham’s responsibility with the statewide housing shortage? Has Durham contributed its fair share already with the huge amount of multi-unit residential that has been built here for UNH students, drawing them from Dover, Rochester, and Newmarket thereby opening up apartments there? Is Durham in a unique situation given the presence of UNH and limited available land such that addressing some of the housing challenges would be particularly vexing resulting inadvertent negative consequences? What kinds of additional housing are actually desirable? Where (what location(s) could/should this housing be built? What level of density, if different from the current allowed density, would be appropriate and acceptable for Durham? And most significantly what is the next step for the Planning Board and the community in thinking about this issue? Some people suggested holding some kind of community forum with an independent facilitator. The public hearing has been continued to the December 14 Planning Board meeting. Review pertinent documents HERE.  

The Planning Board is also engaged in a Zoning Rewrite involving a deep examination of the current ordinance and many likely proposed changes. This process will take a number of years given the size of the project and other demands on the board’s time. The board has already made tentative changes to the administrative section (put aside for now) and the Conservation Commission has set up a subcommittee to review the wetland and shoreland overlay sections. You can see extensive changes to definitions suggested by staff HERE. The length of this article alone gives a sense of the scale of the overall undertaking!

COLONIAL DURHAM REQUESTS REHEARING RELATIVE TO MILL PLAZA REDEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL BEFORE NH HOUSING APPEALS BOARD 

After many years of review, this past May the Planning Board denied the application for the redevelopment of Mill Plaza. Colonial Durham Associates, owner of the property, appealed the decision to the New Hampshire Housing Appeals Board. (Parties appealing Planning Board decisions pertinent to residential development have the option of appealing to Superior Court or the Housing Appeals Board.) 

The appeal was based on two issues: the Town’s requirement for a supermajority of five out of seven members for approval of a conditional use application and the procedure the board followed in seating alternates for the project. 

On October 31, the three-person board ruled unanimously in favor of the Town of Durham. The Town received a copy of the applicant’s motion for a rehearing with the NH Housing Appeals Board this past Tuesday. 

You can read the nine-page request HERE.  Town Attorney Laura Spector will submit the Town’s objection to the motion on Monday.

If the NH Housing Appeals Board denies the request, the next level of appeal would be to the NH Supreme Court.

DURHAM FIRE DEPARTMENT ANNUAL TOY DRIVE UNDER WAY - Several drop off locations available.

The Durham Fire Department's Annual Toy Drive has begun! Drop new, unwrapped toys and books in the boxes located at the Durham Town Hall, Durham Public Library, Hannafords in the Mill Plaza, and M&T Bank on Main Street. The deadline for drop off is December 21.  As always, donations are also welcome at the Durham Fire Department building. However, due to construction and road closure, it may be best to call (603-862-1426) to set up a time for donation drop off or to arrange donation pick-up.  Thank you for supporting this great cause!

OYSTER RIVER SCHOOL BOARD NEWS

Congratulations to Oyster River HS Bobcat fall sports teams! The Volleyball team and Boys’ Soccer won State Championships! The Unified Soccer and Girls Cross Country teams were state runners up, and both Girls and Boys Cross Country competed at the New England Championships, with the Girls team placing 20th in the region. Go Bobcats!

DEIJ Coordinator Rachael Blansett, senior Paige Burt, teachers Val Wolfson and Kyra Dulmage, and assistant superintendent Suzanne Filippone presented to the New Hampshire School Administrators Association about building capacity for diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice at the NHSAA Equity Conference. Several school districts across New Hampshire are in the process of adding DEIJ-specific roles.

State financial support through Adequate Education Aid for 2023-2024 was announced on November 15. While Oyster River is a cooperative school district, state funding is computed on a town-by-town basis. Combined, Durham, Lee, and Madbury are expected to receive about $847,000 less in state aid than they are receiving for 2022-2023. The school board and administration are taking this into account in formulating a proposed budget for the next school year. The school board is expected to select a proposed budget on December 7.  A public budget hearing will be held January 11, 2023 (weather permitting). Then at the deliberative session in February, voters can accept or change the proposed budget leading to a vote to approve or reject the budget at local elections in March.

Middle School Principal Jay Richard and ORMS Digital Learning Specialist Janet Martel presented an update on middle school report card improvements put in place this fall. While ORMS first-quarter progress reports were sent home on paper this year, parents can also access progress reports and more detailed assignment and standards via the PowerSchool links for parents from orms.orcsd.org.

PUBLIC WORKS UPDATES

Madbury Road Complete Streets Project Reviewed by NH Division of Historic Resources – Durham Public Works and Project Engineering consultant VHB Engineers met with the New Hampshire Division of Natural Resources Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, Nadine Miller, for a site walk of the entire project area extending from Main Street to Route 4. The Division of Historic Resources (DHR) is New Hampshire’s State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Under state and federal laws, the DHR works with other governmental agencies to review publicly assisted projects that may affect historical or archeological resources. Historic preservation "Review & Compliance" (R&C) is a consultation process to identify significant historic properties in the planning stage of a project, so that any harm to them can be avoided, minimized, or mitigated. The DHR will issue a notice of findings following the completion of their review of the project.

Fall Street Sweeping Program Under Way - Durham Public Works began its annual Fall Street Sweeping program this week. This program targets curbed roadways which contain stormwater catch basin structures prone to clogging from organic debris. The street sweeper collects everything from organic and aggregate materials to litter. This program is an integral component to the Department’s efforts to mitigate the amount of pollution from stormwater runoff, while also providing an aesthetically pleasing roadway surface and curb line. 

Contamination of Used Oil Collection at the Transfer Station has Prompted Procedural Changes - Durham Public Works and its hazardous waste remediation contractor, Clean Harbors, recently completed the remediation and disposal of 500 gallons of contaminated used motor oil from the storage tank at the Raymond A. LaRoche, Sr. Transfer Station and Recycling Center.

The tank was contaminated with products such as antifreeze, gasoline, diesel, and cleaning solvents which resulted in a very costly tank draining and cleaning for the second time this year.

For this reason, Durham Public Works will now require residents to sign a registration form when disposing of used motor oil certifying that no unacceptable materials are present. Additionally, used motor oil will only be accepted in clear containers and may be subject to random contaminant testing. Durham Public Works would like to thank residents for their cooperation in ensuring the waste oil drop off program can continue in a cost-effective manner.

WINTER MAINTENANCE PREPARATION UNDER WAY AT DPW!

Thursday (Dec 1st) marked the first day of meteorological winter and Durham Public Works staff have completed the transition from construction and maintenance operations to winter operations. The Department recently held a winter operations meeting for its snow fighting team which included a calibration of de-icing material spreaders, reviewing policies and performing a dry run of routes with assigned equipment. De-icing and abrasive material sheds are fully stocked and the entire fleet of snow fighting equipment is assembled and on stand-by. The photo above captures Fleet Maintenance Supervisor, Mike McCrillis, and Public Works Operations Manager, Shane Bickford, using the new ESRI GIS based field application to efficiently calibrate a spreader unit.

The DPW team has created an interactive public viewing dashboard HERE outlining its policies for snow and ice control operations. Residents and other interested parties are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the content as it describes the roadway and sidewalk conditions that one might expect to encounter before, during, and after a winter storm event.

PARK COURT WATER SERVICE BREAK THIS WEEK CAUSED SOME CHALLENGES

Durham Public Works Water Division staff assisted a property owner on Park Court this week in the identification and isolation of a private water service distribution pipe failure. The 2” galvanized iron pipe which feeds a large apartment complex became compromised after suffering a full radial crack. The property owner coordinated repairs with a private contractor after the service line was isolated and water shut off.

DPW COMPLETES ADDITIONAL SUBSURFACE EXPLORATIONS ON BENNETT ROAD

Durham Public Works and subsurface exploration contractor, Miller Engineering and Testing, Inc. recently completed an additional four (4) individual subsurface borings on Bennett Road surrounding the Woodman, and Corsey Brook culverts to gain additional information regarding the composition of the materials beneath the roadway and their suitability for construction and loading. Data collected during the first round of explorations in June revealed that an additional round of sampling would be required to accurately capture a representative snapshot of the materials beneath the roadway. Previously, the Town of Durham, working with Engineering consultant CMA Engineers, completed conceptual designs and cost estimates for the three culverts on Bennett Road, which include LaRoche, Woodman and Corsey Brooks. Each of these structures exhibited several substantial deficiencies including a preliminary finding that the existing roadway is below the mapped FEMA 100-year flood Elevation for the Corset and Woodman structures and highly susceptible to roadway flooding. In addition, the Woodman Brook crossing includes dry-laid stone retaining wall structures at the culvert and along the adjacent roadway approach which is in poor condition and requires attention prior to failure.  

Durham Public Works has included a request for $2.5 million dollars in funding within a Congressionally Directed Spending Request through United States Senator Shaheen’s office and is pleased to report that the project has been viewed favorably and has been submitted by Senator Shaheen for the FY2023 appropriations process. The design and permitting phase work is now underway which includes ground survey, wetland delineation and subsurface geotechnical exploration. 

DURHAM PUBLIC WORKS SEEKS PART-TIME TRANSFER STATION ATTENDANT

The Town of Durham in New Hampshire’s seacoast region is one of the most beautiful and desired locations in the State and is home to the University of New Hampshire. The Durham Public Works Department, a recognized leader in the Public Works field, is fully integrated and progressive using modern equipment and facilities to achieve its goals. The Department is seeking a highly qualified team member to join an exceptional team of Public Works professionals to serve in the role of Transfer Station Attendant.

The successful candidate will assist in the operation of the Raymond A. LaRoche, Sr. Transfer Station and Recycling Center during public open hours on Saturdays. The Transfer Station Attendant will frequently interact with residents to ensure that materials are placed in the proper receptacles and answers questions regarding solid waste and recycling. Additionally, the Attendant will perform general facility maintenance and cleaning as well as operates a skid steer and backhoe to transport/consolidate materials.

The salary for this part-time position is $17/hr. The successful candidate will possess an NHDES Solid Waste Operator License or the ability to obtain within (6) months of hire. Applications are available at the Department of Public Works Main office or online at www.ci.durham.nh.us/jobs.

Please send resume and completed application to Town of Durham, Department of Public Works, Attn: Shannon Shaw, Assistant to the Public Works Director, 100 Stone Quarry Drive, Durham, NH 03824 or by email to sshaw@ci.durham.nh.us by 4:30 PM on December 6th, 2022.  

FREE 1-HOUR PARKING REMINDER IN IDENTIFIED AREAS WITHIN DOWNTOWN DURHAM (with ticket)

A friendly reminder that the following parking areas have the first hour free parking in downtown Durham with a meter receipt displayed. * 

• Main Street (in front of the stores and restaurants)
• The downtown parking lot located at the Southwest corner of the Madbury Road and Pettee Brook Lane Intersection (University Market Lot)
• Madbury Road (Westerly side, between Main Street and Pettee Brook Lane)
• Jenkins Court 

*Durham residents/taxpayers displaying a valid Durham Resident/Taxpayer sticker on their front windshield receive a second hour free.