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NewsLink
is a bi-weekly newsletter of the New Hampshire Municipal Association.
Its purpose is to keep you up-to-date on the latest information
of interest to municipal officials.
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Registration Now Open for 2019 Moderator's Workshops
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2019 Moderators Workshop for SB 2 Town Meeting
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Saturday, January 12
(Snow date: Saturday, January 19)
Cost: $60
Registration and continental breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m.
Attendees will receive a copy of NHMA's 2018-2019 edition
Town Meeting and School Meeting Handbook.
The Basic Law of Town, Village District and School District Meeting
Statutes governing the moderator's duties at town, village district and school district meetings will be discussed along with issues related to warrant articles, the operating budget, secret ballot voting and other town meeting issues. This topic will be offered in two concurrent sessions tailored for new and experienced moderators. Ample time will be devoted to questions and answers.
Strategies for Running a Smooth Meeting
Moderators are faced with a challenging task: keeping meetings focused and fair to all participants, while effectively facilitating the flow of debate. This session will highlight suggested strategies for running respectful and efficient meetings.
Sample Scenarios
A series of sample scenarios will help attendees prepare for a wide range of meeting challenges.
Customized Training for Beginner and Advanced Officials
This year the workshop will be divided into beginner and advanced sections catering to the specific needs of newly-elected officials as well as seasoned veterans.
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Join Us for RTK Law for Law Enforcement Workshop
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Right-to-Know Law Workshop for Law Enforcement
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
NHMA Offices, 25 Triangle Park Drive, Concord
Costs $75 and includes breakfast and publication
Join NHMA's Executive Director Margaret Byrnes and Legal Services Counsel Stephen Buckley who will share insights and strategies to assist law enforcement agencies in handling governmental record matters arising under the Right-to-Know Law.
The disclosure of police records is governed in part by the Right-to-Know Law and in part by rules imported from federal law under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This workshop will answer many questions about withholding records compiled for law enforcement purposes when disclosure would interfere with enforcement proceedings or based on other FOIA factors. Attention will also be paid to disclosure exemptions found in other New Hampshire statutes governing Body Worn Cameras, motor vehicle records, gun licenses, police personnel records, and the retention of police records.
Attendees receive the NHMA publication,
A Guide to Open Government: New Hampshire's Right-to-Know Law.
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Upcoming Webinars -
Training Without Leaving Your Office!
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NHMA Webinar: How We Fund Public Services in New Hampshire
12:00 noon - 1:00 pm
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
How are the programs and services provided by different levels of New Hampshire government funded?
What role does the state have in funding these programs and services?
Many people think of the property tax as a primary funding source, but there are a range of other revenue streams that we rely on to fund public services such as education, child care and protection, public safety and health, roads and bridges, and environmental programs. Public services at the state level are funded through
a collection of tax, fee, and enterprise revenue sources, with different degrees of variation due to economic cycles. Federal funds also support a broad range of programs and services at the state and local levels.
Join New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute's Policy Analyst Phil Sletten and NHMA's Government Finance Advisor Barbara Reid for this presentation, which will explain the primary revenue sources we rely on to fund public services in New Hampshire and some key policy decisions that have had effects on state and local revenues. It will also review the interplay with federal funds and the impact potential federal budget decisions could have on public services here in New Hampshire. There will be ample time for audience question and answer session.
This webinar is open to members of the New Hampshire Municipal Association.
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NHMA Webinar: Conservation Fund Best Practices
12:00 noon - 1:00 pm
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
There are over 200 Conservation Commissions in New Hampshire for the declared purpose of ensuring the proper use and protection of the natural resources in our cities and towns. Conservation Commissions are authorized to accept gifts which are held in the Conservation Fund, along with municipal appropriations for conservation purposes.
What are the fiduciary obligations of a Conservation Commission over the receipt and disbursement of Conservation Fund assets? What duties are imposed on your Commission to adhere to the wishes of donors? What can the Conservation Fund be spent on? What financial reporting obligation does the Conservation Committee have and who does the committee report to?
Join NHMA's Legal Services Counsel Stephen C. Buckley and the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commission's Executive Director Barbara Richter who will cover these important topics to aid Conservation Commissions in fulfilling their statutory duties to manage conservation funds properly.
This webinar is open to members of the New Hampshire Municipal Association and members of the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions.
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NHMA Webinar: Electronic Reporting for Trustees of Trust Funds
12:00 noon - 1:00 pm
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
The New Hampshire Department of Justice, Charitable Trustee of the Trust Fund Portal (NHTTF) is an electronic reporting system for the MS-9 and MS-10 forms. NHTPP streamlines the annual submission process by enabling municipal officials to enter trust fund information through a user-friendly interface through a direct data upload.
Join David Salzer, Principal, Axiomatic, who will provide an overview of the system, including its features and functions.
This webinar is open to members of the New Hampshire Municipal Association, the New Hampshire Library Trustees Association, Trustees of Trust Funds, and the New Hampshire Cemetery Association.
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NHMA Webinar:
2019 Legislative Preview
12:00 noon - 1:00 pm
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
As the New Hampshire General Court begins to wrestle with hundreds of bills, legislators need to hear from both appointed and elected government officials regarding the concerns of municipalities.
To help you connect better with legislators, this webinar will:
* Include a preview of legislation filed;
* Outline the messages legislators need to hear from you;
* Recommend grassroots action to get the municipal voice heard.
Join Government Affairs Counsel Cordell Johnston and Government Finance Advisor Barbara Reid for a look at what the 2019 legislative session has in store for municipalities.
This webinar is open to NHMA member and is of interest to all municipal officials and employees.
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| Now is good time to discuss state aid over coffee! |
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NHRS Issues Notice to Employers Regarding New "Grandfathering" Laws
The New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS) recently issued a notice to employers regarding legislation passed in 2018 that change the laws governing NHRS retirees working in a part-time position for retirement system participating employers. This will impact how employers report retiree data to NHRS beginning in 2019. There is a "grandfathering" provision contained in the law that allows retirees who are working part-time for NHRS-participating employers on the effective date of the law - January 1, 2019 - to work a maximum of 1,664 hours per calendar year for as long as they remain with the employer in the position they held on the effective date of the bill. To meet the definition of employed on the effective date, a retiree would have had to work at least one day for the employer in calendar year 2018 and remain employed on the effective date of the law.
For NHRS to effectively administer this provision, employers are required by law to provide the names and position titles of retirees in their employment to NHRS no later than February 15, 2019. The names and positions provided in 2019 will be used annually to verify that these retirees remain in the same position as of January 1 each calendar year, beginning in 2020. NHRS is in the process of creating an online format to document grandfathered retirees. The grandfathering portal will not be available until after January 1, 2019. Once the programming is finalized in December, the retirement system will provide instructions to employers. Note: The new law will eliminate the current monthly retiree reporting requirement. The final monthly reporting - for retiree hours worked and compensation paid in November 2018 - is due no later than December 31, 2018.
For more information about this new law, click here. Employers with questions regarding eligibility or other administrative issues regarding the law can email [email protected] or call (603) 410-3592.
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Current Use Public Forums
The Current Use Board is required by law to hold a series of public forums throughout the state to receive comments from landowners, foresters, municipal officials and other stakeholders regarding administration and proposed rule changes to the Current Use program.
The 2018 Current Use Board Public Forums will be held on the following dates and locations:
Monday, December 10, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. at Lancaster Town Hall Auditorium
Wednesday, December 12, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. at Keene Parks and Recreation, 2nd Floor - Room 21
Friday, December 14, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. at Department of Revenue Administration (Concord)
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Applications Period Now Open for 2018 Public Spaces Recycling Bin Grant Program
Coca-Cola and Keep America Beautiful recently announced the opening of the application period for the 2018 Public Spaces Recycling Bin Grant Program.
In its 12th year, the initiative is designed to increase access to recycling in community public spaces across America. Grant applications will be available online through Dec. 20 (11:59 p.m. EST), 2018.
For the past 11 years, The Coca-Cola Foundation has supported the program, which has donated recycling bins to more than 1,000 communities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Over the history of the program, more than 36,000 public space recycling bins have been awarded, providing opportunities for recycling on the go to more than 2 million people daily.
The 2018 program will distribute 4,500 recycling bins in public space locations ranging from athletic fields to fairs and festivals to downtown streetscapes and playgrounds and other on-the-go settings. The program is funded through a grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation to Keep America Beautiful, which in turn awards recycling bins through a competitive, merit-based application process. Municipalities are encouraged to apply for this grant as an opportunity to make recycling more convenient and accessible in your community. You can find more information about the grant program
here
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NHDES Proposes Major Overhaul to Administrative Rules Regarding Wetlands
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has been engaged in a significant, multi-year initiative to improve the technical review standards as well as the operation and decision-making processes used by the NHDES Wetlands Bureau. This is referred to as the "Wetlands Program Rule Making and Process Improvement Effort", and addresses a variety of administrative rules including the rules regulating coastal and tidal waters, prime wetlands, stream crossings and the certified culvert maintainer program.
Copies of the proposed rules are available on the Department's website under
Proposed and Recently Adopted Rules (scroll down to PROPOSED WETLAND RULES Env-Wt). The
Wetlands Bureau web page contains extensive background information on the proposed changes including a summary of the status of the rules (as of 11/1/18) and copies of recent presentations to the
New Hampshire Business and Industry Association (BIA) and the New Hampshire Association of Conservation Commissions.
Public hearings on the proposed wetlands rules are listed in the table above.
For a comprehensive overview of the proposed wetlands rulemaking initial proposal,
click here.
The deadline for submission of written comments is
4:00 p.m. on Friday, January 18, 2019. If you have any questions about the proposed wetlands rules or the process, please contact Mary Ann Tilton at (603) 271-2929 or
[email protected].
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New Hampshire's State Transportation Innovation Council
Looking for Municipal Representative
The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) is seeking a municipal representative to serve on New Hampshire's State Transportation Innovation Council (NH STIC), which serves as a forum for initiating and overseeing the rapid deployment of innovation strategies and technologies to accelerate project delivery and to enhance project quality and effectiveness with the goal of making the innovations routine practice.
Typically NH STIC meets twice a year and members are expected to attend meetings and come prepared to those meetings. For more information about roles and responsibilities as outlined in the STIC Charter, click here.
If interested in being considered for this NHMA appointment, please contact us at 800.852.3358 or email us at [email protected].
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USDA- Rural Development Offers Community Facility Loan and Grant Programs for Rural Communities
What does this program do?
This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.
Who may apply for this program?
Eligible borrowers include:
Public bodies,
Community-based non-profit corporations, and
Federally-recognized Tribes.
What is an eligible area?
Rural areas including cities, villages, townships and towns including Federally Recognized Tribal Lands with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest
U.S. Census Data are eligible for this program.
For more information, visit USDA - Rural Development website here:
Click here for a program fact sheet:
2019 New Hampshire Application Cycle
State Pool Deadlines (competitive):
* Loan and grant applications received until -
December 7, 2018
National Pool Deadlines (more competitive):
* Loan and grant applications received until - April 19, 2019
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Be a part of the Resilient Nashua Initiative!
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Rivier University - Dion Center Reception Area
The City of Nashua cordially invites interested stakeholders to discuss community resilience, sustainability and initiatives being undertaken to create a more livable Nashua.
- Projected Climate Impacts to our Region from the Southern New Hampshire Climate Assessment
- Dr. Cameron Wake - Josephine A. Lamprey Professor of Climate and Sustainability - University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute
- Efforts the City of Keene has Taken to Reduce their Greenhouse Gases and Adapt to Future Hazards
- Rhett Lamb - Director of Planning - City of Keene, NH
- Overview of Nashua's Current and Future Resilience and Sustainability Initiatives
- Sarah Marchant - Director of Community Development - City of Nashua, NH
- Kim Lundgren - CEO - Kim Lundgren Associates
- How to Use the New Resilient Nashua Toolkit - Simple Tools and Templates to Prepare Your Business, Organization, or Department
- Making the Case for Resilience as a Competitive Edge
- Dr. Stephen Flynn - Founding Director - Northeastern University Global Resilience Institute
- Findings from the City's Risk Assessment and Path Forward with our Community Resilience Plan
- Justin Kates - Director of Emergency Management - City of Nashua, NH
Breakfast and lunch will be included.
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NH Lottery Launches KENO 603 Educational Effort
The New Hampshire Lottery wants to ensure municipalities have the information they need as they consider introducing KENO 603 into their cities or towns. Senate Bill 191 was signed into law in 2017, establishing Keno as a revenue source to fund full-day kindergarten. In response, the New Hampshire Lottery launched KENO 603, which is played exclusively at approved taverns and restaurants across the state.
Senate Bill 191 was written to give individual municipalities the option to allow KENO 603 by putting it on city election ballots or the warrant of annual town meetings. As towns are compiling warrant articles for 2019 town meetings, New Hampshire Lottery officials are meeting with individual municipalities to answer any questions from residents, business owners and elected officials regarding KENO 603 and the implementation process. During town meetings and elections over the past year, 66 communities passed legislation allowing KENO 603 and currently 160 establishments statewide are hosting the game.
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National Civic League Now Accepting Applications for 2019 All-America City Award
Applications Due March 5, 2019
The National Civic League (NCL) is accepting applications
for the 2019 All-America City Award, focused on celebrating examples of civic engagement practices that advance health equity in local communities. NCL is looking for communities that demonstrate inclusive decision-making processes to create better health for all, and particularly for populations currently experiencing poorer health outcomes.
The National Civic League views civic engagement as more than presenting information or having people respond to questionnaires (though both are important); instead, we promote efforts that seek to listen to, and learn from, residents in ongoing conversations and leverage those insights to shape the way programs are administered, designed and executed.
Started in 1949, the All-America City Award program has recognized 500 communities that excel in collaborating to address pressing problems in the community.
In New Hampshire, one community has won the All-America City Award.
Cities interested in applying for the All-America City Award should submit a letter of intent to apply by November 14th, which saves applicants $100 on the application fee. Please note: a letter of intent is not required to apply. The a
pplication can be downloaded here
and is due March 5, 2019.
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National Civic League (NCL) Offers Quarterly Journal (National Civic Review) Free-of-Charge to NHMA Members
The National Civic League, in a partnership with the New Hampshire Municipal Association, is now providing the National Civic Review, a quarterly journal, free-of-charge to NHMA members to share the ideas of some of the nation's leading thinkers and doers on how to make our communities more inclusive, participatory, innovative and successful.
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December 5th TRIVIA QUESTION:
Name the New Hampshire town or city once known as Lanestown or Boston Piscataquog Township. It houses Klondike Corner and the Boston Air Force Station that tracks military satellites.
Please send your response to
[email protected]
. A winner will be recognized in the next
NewsLink
issue and be eligible for a grand prize of no particular value whatsoever at the end of the year.
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November 21st TRIVIA QUESTION:
Name the New Hampshire town or city that has been known as Winnicut, Squamscott, Squamscott Patent or Point of Rocks. It was the sixth town in New Hampshire to be incorporated.
Correct Response: Town of Stratham
November 21st Winner: David Moore, "Future" Town Administrator, Town of Stratham
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Benefit Plans for the Public Sector
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Before you act on an employment or labor issue,
call the
Drummond Woodsum
EMPLOYMENT LAW HOTLINE
The Employment Law Hotline is an NHMA Member Benefit
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SAVE THE DATE - UPCOMING EVENTS!
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At the Congressional City Conference, city officials will learn more about the common challenges affecting cities during workshops and general sessions. Conference delegates will get specialized training to build leadership skills and conduct productive meetings with federal representatives.
Early bird rates good until January 31, 2019.
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NewsLink. It's free. Subscribe today!
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New Hampshire Municipal Association, 25 Triangle Park Drive, Concord, NH 03301
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