Friday Updates - February 6, 2026

Friday, February 6, 2026

Morning over the Faculty neighborhood with the moon still in view. Courtesy, Lori Mendelsohn

Between the Olympics and the Superbowl, there will be plenty to watch while we are all huddled inside trying to stay warm this weekend!

Discover Durham's Trails Story Stroll at Jackson's Landing planned for Sunday, February 8, has been canceled due to the projected cold temperatures.

3-6" of snow is possible for tomorrow (Saturday) evening!

DOWNTOWN DURHAM PUBLIC SAFETY PREPARATIONS IN PLACE FOR SUPER BOWL SUNDAY EVENING

The Town of Durham and the Durham Police Department, working closely with Durham Fire, Durham Public Works, the University of New Hampshire and regional partners, have developed a coordinated operations plan to help ensure a safe and orderly environment in Durham following this Sunday’s Super Bowl game. The emphasis of the plan is on safety, prevention, and respecting the constitutional rights of all community members while maintaining public order.

Overall, this joint effort is designed to allow fans to enjoy the game and any celebrations that follow, while prioritizing the safety of residents, students, visitors, businesses, and first responders throughout the evening.

In recent weeks, Town staff have received questions about rising property taxes and what options exist to help long‑time residents remain in their homes. The Town recognizes these concerns and has been working to outline what is driving current tax bills, what tools are available under state law, and where local discretion begins and ends.

First, a large share of what residents are seeing this past year reflects the state‑required 2025 statistical revaluation and real estate market changes over the last several years, not a new Town policy decision to shift taxes onto any particular group of residents. Waterfront and other high‑demand residential properties have experienced especially strong appreciation based on verified sales, with many waterfront assessments increasing in the roughly 20–60% range, which in turn increases the share of the overall tax burden carried by those properties. At the same time, the student‑housing market has softened as UNH enrollment and demand for some off‑campus units have moderated, shifting a portion of the tax burden off certain commercial multi‑unit/student properties and back toward owner‑occupied residential properties through the revaluation process. A revaluation does not raise new tax dollars; it redistributes who pays how much based on current market conditions and adopted town, school, and county budgets. Residents who believe their new assessment does not reasonably reflect what their property would sell for on the open market are encouraged to pursue an abatement so the valuation can be reviewed on its individual merits. Learn more about the abatement process at HERE. 

Second, under current New Hampshire law, municipalities do not have the authority to create local income‑based property tax relief programs of the sort some residents have suggested. Such programs can only be authorized and designed by the New Hampshire Legislature. The primary targeted relief tools available today are those established at the state level, such as the Low and Moderate Income Homeowners Property Tax Relief program, along with locally administered exemptions and credits for qualifying elderly, disabled, blind, and veteran residents as enabled by statute. These programs can provide meaningful help for some households, but they are limited in scope and will not apply to every homeowner in Durham given local income levels and property values. Recent statewide debates over education funding and open‑enrollment proposals, including recent commentary by Somersworth Superintendent John Shea on how such changes could affect public education and local tax burdens, illustrate how decisions made in Concord can significantly influence local property taxes. Residents interested in this broader context may wish to review Shea’s recent Community Commentary, “Open enrollment threatens to destroy public education in NH,” available through Seacoast Media Group/Foster’s Daily Democrat. Learn more about Exemptions and Credits at HERE.

Third, within the areas the Town can influence directly, the Town Council and staff continue to focus on efficiency and cost control, while maintaining core municipal services (police, fire, public works, library, recreation, town hall services, water, wastewater, stormwater, etc.) This includes careful management of operating and capital budgets, targeted use of unassigned fund balance to pay cash for one-time capital projects or to moderate large year‑to‑year swings when feasible, aggressive pursuit of grants and outside funding, and ongoing efforts to expand non‑tax revenues (such as the new overnight downtown parking permit program at Dennison Rd & 66 Main St., which will generate around $100,000 in new revenue in 2026). The Town has also actively opposed recent proposals to further reduce or reallocate state Meals and Rooms Tax distributions to municipalities, which would strip away shared revenue for communities and functionally downshift additional costs - potentially in excess of $1 million over time to Durham in particular - onto local property taxpayers. At the same time, the Town maintains extensive collaborative agreements with the University of New Hampshire, including shared arrangements for water and wastewater, public safety and fire protection, transportation, stormwater and climate initiatives, and other joint services, reflecting a long‑standing commitment to partnerships that benefit both the community and the university. It is also important to note that the School District and County portions of the tax bill together account for roughly 73% of the total and are governed by separate elected bodies outside the Town’s direct control. The Town will continue to advocate for fairer, more sustainable approaches to education funding, revenue sharing, and property tax relief at the state level wherever there is an opportunity to do so.

Finally, one of the most constructive local strategies for easing long‑term pressure on existing homeowners is to broaden the tax base over time so that the overall burden is shared more widely. To that end, the Town Council and Planning Board are advancing targeted zoning changes in limited commercial areas, including a proposal now headed to public hearing before the Town Council on February 16th at 7 PM that would allow up to 50 feet of building height in certain Central Business District 1 locations, with the goal of encouraging well‑planned redevelopment and adding non‑residential value to the tax base. Some have expressed support for the 50’ height limit while others have expressed concern that 50' is too high. Thoughtful economic development, paired with continued attention to spending discipline and state‑level advocacy, remains a central part of the Town’s ongoing response to residents’ concerns about property taxes.

MORE GUNS ON CAMPUS? DURHAM COUNCIL SAYS NO TO HB 1793

This week the NH House of Representatives voted to advance HB 1793, the Campus Carry bill. The bill now advances to the NH Senate. 

The Durham Town Council has formally opposed HB 1793, which can be accessed HERE, because it would:

• Inject more firearms into a compact residential UNH campus of roughly 16,000 students, faculty, and staff, characterized by close quarters, large events, and significant mental‑health and substance‑use challenges, where ready access to guns increases the risk of suicide and other harm.
• Heighten fear and anxiety for students, families (as your email clearly demonstrates), faculty, staff, visitors, and local residents, and complicate law‑enforcement response when officers must quickly distinguish between perpetrators and armed bystanders.
• Undercut the long‑standing partnership between UNH, the Town of Durham, and regional public‑safety agencies that depends on UNH retaining basic tools, such as weapons regulations, to prevent violence and manage emergencies. 
• Impose a one‑size‑fits‑all “campus carry” mandate despite recent high‑profile campus shootings elsewhere, which demonstrate the need for multi‑layered prevention strategies, rather than more guns in crowded campus settings. 
• Override long‑standing state policy in RSA 187‑A that the University System operate with a high degree of autonomy and self‑governance, by stripping UNH of the ability to set its own firearms policies for its unique campus environment.
• Disrupt a proven safety framework: UNH currently prohibits firearms on campus but provides secure 24/7 police‑station storage for hunting and sport weapons, a system that works and respects both safety and gun ownership.
• Invite private lawsuits, damages, and attorney’s fees against universities that try to maintain basic safety rules, diverting limited resources from education and student support to legal defense.

The Town Council’s view is that those closest to campus life - UNH leadership, local law enforcement, host communities, and mental‑health professionals - must retain the authority to adopt policies that keep students safe. HB 1793 would strip that authority away and make campuses like UNH less safe, not more. This week Admin. Selig wrote to UNH leadership and all members of the NH General Court, the Governor’s Office, and local municipal leadership in Keene, Plymouth, and Manchester, NH, expressing concern about the measure. 

It is hoped that members of the NH Senate will consider these practical concerns as they carefully evaluate the merits of HB 1793. To view the text of the bill, click HERE.

CANDIDATE FORUM FOR TOWN COUNCIL CANDIDATES TO BE HELD ON FEBRUARY 18

A Candidate Forum for those running for Town Council will be held on February 18 starting at 7:00 p.m in the Town Council Chambers of the Town Hall. Town Moderator, Chris Regan, will be moderating the Forum. The Forum will be broadcast live on the Town's DCAT webpage, YouTube, Breezeline TV and Comcast TV. (There will be no Zoom option available.) The Forum will be recorded and available to re-watch on the DCAT website.

To learn more about the Town candidates, click HERE.

Town staff were disappointed to see how much dog waste has recently been left behind at Wagon Hill Farm.

The Town provides bag dispensers, trash cans, and signage throughout the property to make it easy for dog owners to do the right thing and clean up after their pets. Despite these efforts and the ongoing cost to maintain them, uncollected waste is still being found on and off the trails.

Please help us keep Wagon Hill Farm safe, clean, and enjoyable for all by picking up after your dog every time.

Thank you for doing your part to protect this special place!

The new rate period for New Hampshire public utilities began on February 1, 2026, and runs through July 31, 2026, changing the supply rates for electricity provided by both Eversource and Durham Community Power through CPCNH. Due to increased market prices and the need to rebuild reserves after a record cold winter, current CPCNH supply rates are higher than those offered by Eversource for this period. A summary of the previous and new rates, along with estimated monthly costs based on 650 kWh of usage, is provided in the table above.

Supply Costs vs. Delivery Costs

It is important to remember that your electric bill is made up of two parts: Supply, the cost of purchased electricity, and Delivery, the cost of transmission and distribution of that electricity, including the maintenance of the local and long-distance networks. NH residents can choose their electricity supplier, but their Delivery utility is fixed by their location, and for most of Durham that is Eversource. During the past year, Eversource has received Delivery rate increases of 32% for the fixed Customer charge (From $15 to $19.81) and 18.7% for the Transmission Charge ($24 to $29 for a typical 650 kWh monthly usage).

CPCNH expects to substantially replenish their reserve fund during this year, allowing for reduced prices in future rate periods. 

If residents wish to opt out of Durham Community Power in order to pursue potentially cheaper options with Eversource or other competitive suppliers, or opt UP to a more renewable energy mix, they may do so at any time by visiting the Durham Community Power page HERE.

PUBLIC HEARING SET FOR AMENDING ALLOWABLE BUILDING HEIGHT IN CENTRAL BUSINESS-1 DISTRICT

The Town Council has scheduled a public hearing for February 16, 2026, on a zoning amendment initiated by the Planning Board. There has been much discussion and debate about adjusting maximum allowed building heights in the downtown’s Central Business-1 District with several alternatives being considered. 

Currently, the westerly portion of the district allows four stories with a fifth story by conditional use (i.e., subject to the applicant meeting eight criteria). The easterly portion allows for only three stories. The proposal being presented on February 16 would set the same standard for all of the CB-1 district with a maximum of four stories (with no allowance for a fifth story) and 50 feet. 

The amendment is the second item listed. You can see the related documents HERE. 

The 2025 Town Reports were delivered today. Hard copies are available to pick up in the Town Clerk's Office and at the Durham Public Library. A digital copy is online HERE. A thank you to Bill Doucet for providing the cover photo of the Packers Falls Bridge!

DO YOU NEED TO REGISTER TO VOTE BEFORE THE TOWN ELECTION?

Two more sessions for registration or changes to registration before the Town/School meeting on March 10 have been scheduled:

Monday, February 9, 7:00 – 8:00 PM

Saturday, February 28, TBD

You may also register to vote any time before February 28 in the Town Clerk’s office whenever they are open. February 28 will be the last day registration will be allowed until Election Day on March 10.

Applicants for registration must bring with them proofs of identity, age (18 by the next election), U.S. citizenship, and domicile (in Durham). Affidavits are no longer accepted. The list of proofs currently accepted, especially for domicile, is rather complicated. A NH Driver’s License or Non-Driver’s License with your local address is the easiest thing to bring for identification, age, and proof of domicile in Durham. However, it does not prove citizenship, even if it is a Real ID, so you must bring another document for that.  Passport, birth certificate with your current name, or naturalization papers are the best proofs for citizenship. However, if you have voted before in New Hampshire, that will suffice as long as your name can be found on the Statewide Voter Checklist. If you are unsure of what paperwork is necessary and what will be accepted, please call the Clerk’s office at 603-868-5577 or check the Secretary of State’s website https://www.sos.nh.gov/elections/register-vote and click on the link ‘Registering to Vote in New Hampshire.’ Laws change frequently.

UNH STUDENT SENATE SUPPORTS NEW E-SCOOTER SAFETY SIGNAGE DOWNTOWN

The UNH Undergraduate Student Senate has unanimously passed Resolution R.47.28, “Regarding E-Scooter Signage Downtown,” expressing student support for the Town of Durham’s efforts—led by the Durham Police Department—to improve safety by clarifying where e-scooters may be ridden through enhanced signage and communication, and reaffirming the strong collaborative relationship between the Town, the University, and the Student Senate on this issue. You can read the full resolution HERE.  

UNH has broken ground on a new 70,500-square-foot Center of Excellence for Operational Ocean and Great Lakes Mapping at The Edge on UNH land, a facility that will house NOAA and university researchers along with their private-sector partners in ocean mapping technologies. This major federal–UNH–NOAA investment underscores how UNH’s nationally recognized ocean mapping programs are drawing industry collaborators that want to be physically close to faculty, students, and cutting-edge labs, and it showcases exactly the kind of university–town–private partner collaboration envisioned in the Edge at West End initiative taking shape in Durham. To learn more, click HERE. 

Town Council Chair Joe Friedman and Amin. Todd Selig have been participating regularly over the course of the last year+ with a UNH steering group working to move ahead The Edge at West End.  

PLANNING BOARD UPDATES

The Planning Board is meeting this coming Wednesday. There are two small projects before the Board - the proposed rezoning of a lot of Cowell Drive, and two zoning amendments. 

The Planning Board is starting its review of a proposal from the now-sunsetted Durham Housing Task Force to make significant changes to the ordinance to accommodate more residential development. You can see the amendment, including a powerpoint presentation, HERE.

Are you looking for a more sustainable way to celebrate Saint Valentine’s Day? Check out these creative ideas to celebrate the holiday while keeping single-use, planet-polluting plastics out of our landfill. 

Give an Experience to your Valentine

Plan a trip, go to a movie, visit a museum, schedule a massage, etc. 

Give a Home-Baked Treat

Be sure to wrap your home-baked treats in paper, pretty cloth, a reusable bag, or a glass storage container.

Make a Home-Cooked Meal To Order

Suggest a menu or let your Valentine choose. 

Give a Subscription

Perhaps it’s a subscription to a streaming music, TV, or movie service, or an online magazine?

Give a Virtual Gift Card

Instead of a PVC plastic gift card, there are plenty of local businesses who offer digital or paper gift cards. 

Chocolate

Choose chocolate that is wrapped in foil and/or paper, rather than in plastic. Fair trade and organic chocolate is ideal.

Source: Beyond Plastics

***Stay tuned for Part 2 of battery recycling in next week’s Friday Update.

Brought to you by the IWMAC Committee 

Questions about recycling or composting? Email us at: DurhamRecycles603@gmail.com

Check us out on Instagram: sustainable.durham.nh

Not sure if an item can be recycled? Check here: www.Recyclesmartma.org

Want to learn more about the Swap Shop? Click HERE.

Durham’s watersheds and surface waters are vulnerable to what occurs on the land, especially during the winter. As snow and ice melt, the resulting runoff carries everything it touches - road salt, sand, oil, fertilizers, and other pollutants - directly into nearby waterways. Impervious surfaces significantly contribute to this problem. 

An impervious surface is any hard surface (with “low permeability”) that water cannot soak into, including asphalt driveways, concrete sidewalks, compacted gravel, parking lots, building rooftops and patios. Instead of penetrating into the ground, where some of the pollutants could be absorbed and treated in the soil, meltwater rushes across these surfaces, picking up pollutants and delivering them directly into storm drains, streams, rivers, wetlands, ponds and ultimately the Great Bay. 

Reducing the amount of impervious surface area can substantially improve water quality. Consider alternatives such as permeable pavers, pathways covered in mulch or crushed stone, and rain gardens (see image). The University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center (https://extension.unh.edu/stormwater-center) is a national leader in developing stormwater strategies to reduce adverse impacts and in promoting use of permeable asphalt which has been used in several UNH and private projects in town (including the parking lot behind the new ATO fraternity on Garrison Avenue).

The Oyster River Folk Series Presents Liz & Dan Faiella in concert on February 7, 2026, at 7:00 pm at the Durham Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 20 Madbury Road, Durham. Tickets are $20 ($5 for students) - Cash Only. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Liz and Dan Faiella bring to life the traditional music of their roots, with crisp vocals, mesmerizing fingerstyle guitar, lyrical fiddling, and exhilarating rhythmic drive. Their music calls to mind the convivial grange hall contradances of their youth in New Hampshire, while conveying a wistfulness for their ancestral Ireland.

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE FORUM SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 17 - Your questions requested

In partnership with the Oyster River Cooperative School District, the Oyster River High School Student Senate is organizing a School Board Candidate Forum on February 17th, 7PM at the Oyster River High School Auditorium. The forum is open to all community members. Our goal is to inform the community about the candidates and their ideas. 

We would love to hear from a variety of community members as we gather questions to ask at the forum. Please provide questions that you would want answered by this year’s school board candidates on the following Google Form HERE.

OYSTER RIVER SCHOOL NEWS

Scheduled February School Closures

February 23-27: All Oyster River schools will be closed for February Break.

Annual Meeting Sessions and FY27 Information

• February 3 Deliberative Session may be watched on the ORCSD Videos YouTube channel HERE.
• March 10: Voting Day at each town's voting location.
• NEW VIDEO SERIES! The district launched a series of videos intended to share information related to the FY27 budget. Watch the videos on the new FY27 Budget Videos page HERE.
• Budget and warrant articles information is available on the District website's Budget Documents page HERE, under the Budget FY 26-27 tab.

Elementary Project Update

• Informational Video Series: Two videos of the District's 2026 Elementary Project capital plan information series are now available HERE. Two additional videos will be released in the coming weeks to provide information about the specific scope of work planned for each school.
• NEW VIDEO COMING SOON! Join Principal Goldsmith and Student Services Director Catherine Plourde for a virtual tour of Moharimet School.
• Frequently Asked Questions are answered on our FAQ webpage HERE.
• Tours & Listening Sessions: The District invites residents to attend one of its upcoming school tours and listening sessions to see firsthand the facility challenges we're addressing. Tour schedule and registration information are available on the district's Elementary Project webpage HERE.

2026 R.E.A.C.H. Summer Camp

R.E.A.C.H. Summer Camp's registration will open on Wednesday, February 18, at 7:00 a.m. Camp registration can be completed through Durham Parks & Rec RecDesk portal HERE and will remain open through April 17 or until full.

School News

2026 Distinguished Service Award - ORHS Team Overdrive #8410 mentor Dan Couture received this year's 2026 Distinguished Service Award for his dedication and lasting impact on students and the school community. To learn more, click HERE.

Madbury Native on Her Way to the Olympics in Italy - Former Moharimet School and ORMS student Grace Henderson has earned a spot on Team USA and will represent the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina. Article HERE courtesy of the Henderson Family and the Town of Durham.

ORHS Students Explore Gratitude Through Music and Art - This winter, Oyster River High School (ORHS) students in Andrea von Oeyen’s string orchestra program embarked on a powerful creative journey through a multidisciplinary “Gratitude Project” that blended music, storytelling, and community connection. The project was centered around the concert’s featured work, “With Gratitude”, composed by award-winning educator, cellist, conductor, and composer Katie O’Hara LaBrie. To learn more, click HERE.

Winter Concerts - What a wonderful season of music we enjoyed this winter! Oyster River students across all grade levels showcased their talents through an impressive series of concerts and performances throughout December and January. Learn more HERE.

Coming Events 

Please consider supporting Oyster River students and staff by attending the following exciting events in our schools! Our full calendar of events is available online HERE.

February 7: ORHS Spring Festival Community Day 10:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. At Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824)

February 13: ORHS Dance Showcase

6:30-8:30 p.m. Auditorium at Oyster River High School (55 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824). No tickets required, donations will be accepted.

February 17: Mast Way 2nd Grade Chorus Concert

6:30-7:30 p.m. Morse Recital Hall at Oyster River Middle School (1 Coe Dr, Durham, NH 03824)

The Bigornia Research Lab at the University of New Hampshire is now recruiting individuals to participate in a research study about what influences seafood and dairy consumption among adults living in New Hampshire. Participants will complete an interviewer-administered survey and/or an online group discussion. They will answer questions about their seafood and dairy eating habits. Individuals who take part in the study will be compensated for their time.

If you are interested in learning more about this study, please visit the Participate page on our website HERE. To learn more about the Bigornia Lab, click HERE.

Please feel free to contact us at any time by sending an email to bigornia.lab@unh.edu, or via telephone at 603-862-2982. We look forward to hearing from you!