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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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Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at NHMA
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Notice of Holiday Hours
NHMA offices will be closed Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Office will reopen on Monday, December 2.
Have a safe and happy holiday!
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NHMA's 78th Annual Conference a Huge Success!
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This year's 78th Annual Conference and Exhibition, NHMA's annual marquee event, brought together over 550 New Hampshire municipal officials from across the state for two days of networking and training in Manchester.
There are so many people who worked to make this year's annual conference such a success, we simply don't have space enough to thank them all.
Thanks to our sponsors and exhibitors who, with their support and participation, help keep expenses affordable for even the smallest New Hampshire towns.
Special thanks to our speakers and presenters who provided valuable information and great ideas for our members to take home with them.
But most importantly, this event would not have been successful without our members traveling
from all over the state to be in Manchester with us, so thanks to everyone who attended.
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Thanks to everyone who participated and made this year's annual conference a truly memorable occasion.
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Christopher Boldt Receives Russ Marcoux Advocate Award
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DTC Attorney and Partner Sharon Cuddy Somers accepts the 2019 Russ Marcoux award on behalf of her partner, Christopher Boldt, from NHMA's Government Affairs Counsel, Cordell Johnston.
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Town of Sandwich Selectman, Christopher Boldt, Receives NHMA's Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year Award
Each year, the Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year award is given by NHMA staff to a municipal member based on their interactions with officials during the legislative session. NHMA established this award in 2011 to recognize an elected or appointed local official for his or her non-partisan contributions toward the advancement of NHMA's legislative policy goals and for the advocacy of municipal interests generally.
In 2011, NHMA staff selected Russ Marcoux, Town Manager in Bedford, as the first-ever recipient of the Municipal Advocate of the Year award because Russ did all the things NHMA wants members to do in support of its legislative policy and to enhance the success of its legislative agenda. Russ passed away just days before the 2011 Annual Conference and he never knew NHMA had created such an award or that he had been selected the first recipient. In his honor, the award was renamed the Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year award.
At its annual conference last week in Manchester, NHMA recognized Christopher Boldt, Selectman in the Town of Sandwich, with its
2019 Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year award. Chris is Attorney and Partner in the law firm of Donahue, Tucker and Ciandella, PLLC (also known as DTC Lawyers), one of the state's leading law firms representing municipalities on a full spectrum of legal services.
In his presentation remarks, NHMA Government Affairs Counsel Cordell Johnston recognized Selectmen Boldt for his multi-year work helping to establish a statutory formula for the valuation of utility property for local property tax purposes. Boldt served as NHMA's representative on a legislative study commission organized to study utility property valuation and recommend legislation to reform the current system of taxing utility property in New Hampshire. As a result, Chapter 117 (HB 700) was enacted this year which sets forth a formula to be phased-in over a five-year period beginning the tax year April 1, 2020.
Past recipients of this recognition are:
2011 Russell R. Marcoux, Town Manager, Town of Bedford
2012 James Michaud, Assessor, Town of Hudson
2013 Don MacIsaac, Selectman, Town of Jaffrey
2014 Julia N. Griffin, Town Manager, Town of Hanover
2015 Shaun Mulholland, Town Administrator, Town of Allenstown
2016 Portsmouth City Council, City of Portsmouth
2017 Bill Herman, Town Administrator, Town of Auburn
2018 Mark A. Bender, Town Administrator, Town of Milford
Congratulations, Chris, for your recognition and for all your hard work during the most recent legislative session.
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NHMA Elects 2020 Board of Directors
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At its recent annual meeting, NHMA's membership elected five new members to its Board of Directors: Conner MacIver, Town Administrator, Barrington; Pamela LaFlamme, Community Development Director, Berlin; Judie Milner, City Manager, Franklin; Cheryl Linder, Chief of Staff, Nashua; and Meredith Hatfield, City Councilor, Concord.
In addition, three incumbent board members were re-elected, including: David Caron, Town Administrator, Derry; Jim Maggiore, Select Board Member, North Hampton; and Stephen Fournier, Town Administrator, Newmarket.
Returning board members include: Laura Buono, Town Administrator, Hillsborough; Butch Burbank, Town Manager, Lincoln; Shelagh Connelly, Conservation Commission, Holderness; Phil D'Avanza, Planning Board, Goffstown; Lisa Drabik, Assistant Town Manager, Londonderry; Jeanie Forrester, Selectman, Meredith; Elizabeth Fox, Assistant City Manager/HR Director, Keene; Bill Herman, Town Administrator, Auburn; Rick Hiland, Selectman, Albany; Neil Irvine, Selectman, New Hampton; Hal Lynde, Selectman, Pelham; Shaun Mulholland, City Manager, Lebanon and NHMA Board Chair; Donna Nashawaty, Town Manager, Sunapee; David Stack, Town Manager, Bow; Eric Stohl, Selectman, Columbia; and Swens Swenson, Selectman, New Durham.
NHMA would like to give special thanks and recognition to our outgoing board members, Chris Dwyer, Councilor, Portsmouth; Katie Gargano, Clerk/Tax Collector, Franklin;
Chris Herbert, Alderman, Manchester; Brent Lemire, Selectman, Litchfield; and Scott Myers, City Manager, Laconia.
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Congratulations to our conference winners:
Door Prize/$25 Irving Gas Gift Cards
Tamra Ham (Lincoln) and Deb Shepard (Thornton)
Mobile App "Engage"
Naomi Bolton (Weare)
Grand Prize Winner
Linda McIntyre (Lincoln)
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Are you missing anything? |
These reading glasses were found at NHMA's Registration Kiosk.
If you believe one of these glasses is yours, please contact NHMA's Tim Fortier at 603.226.1305 or via email at [email protected].
Also, we are looking for a black bomber jacket that was last seen in the vicinity of Oak Street (Booth #312). If you inadvertently picked up this jacket in error, please give Tim Fortier a call so that we may reacquaint this item with its original owner. Thanks!
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Gold Level Sponsor
Maguire Equipment, Inc.
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New Final Overtime Rule Workshop for Cities and Towns
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
(Registration at 1:00 pm)
Friday, December 13, 2019
Cost is $35.00.
On September 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) announced a final rule issued under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to allow 1.3 million workers to become newly entitled to overtime by updating the earnings thresholds necessary to exempt executive, administrative or professional employees from the FLSA's minimum wage and overtime pay requirements. The new final rule becomes effective January 1, 2020, about one month away!
Join Steven McKinney, the Community Outreach Specialist for the Northern New England District Office of the United States Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (USDOL) who will discuss, among other requirements, the salary and compensation levels needed for workers to be exempt and review how nondiscretionary bonuses and incentive payments factor into the new rule.
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NHMA Webinar: What Municipal Officials Need to Know About Cable TV Franchising Today!
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
This summer the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to make dramatic changes to cable franchise agreements, many of which are managed by municipal governments. These changes may have serious negative impacts on cities and towns that collect franchise fees from cable operators.
This webinar will cover the basics of what you need to know for negotiating a franchise agreement with your local cable TV company. This includes a review of key features of cable television franchise agreement, how your cable television franchise may affect broadband in your community, as well as how the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) recent order on cable television franchising may reduce franchise fees and formerly "free" services in New Hampshire communities.
Join
DTC Lawyers Katharine B. Miller and Brendan A. O'Donnell
who will review these and other key issues including guidance on legal considerations when negotiating cable franchise agreements or renewals.
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CDFA to Hold Workshops on Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) Funding
The
Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA) will be conducting workshops for organizations interested in applying for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds or learning more about the program. The workshop is
encouraged for grant administrators, grantees and any projects that intend to apply for the following programs: Housing, Public Facilities, Economic Development, Emergency or Feasibility.
Interested applicants should register for only one of the following events as space is limited and the same content will be covered at each workshop:
If you have any questions, please contact Shelley Hadfield, Director of Housing and Community Development, at 603.226.2170 or
[email protected].
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2019 Current Use Public Forums
The Current Use Board (CUB) recently set the dates and locations for the 2019 Current Use Public Forums. These public forums, required under RSA 79-A:4 and are held to receive general comment through verbal and written testimony on the current use law. After the public forums, the CUB may recommend changes to the administrative rules governing this program, including changes to the current use assessment ranges.
The CUB is proposing the following ranges for the per acre assessment of current use land for tax year 2020:
Forest Land Category
Forest Land with Documented Stewardship
White Pine $122 - $183 White Pine $73 - $110
Hardwood $61 - $91 Hardwood $36 - $55
All other $39 - $59 All other $24 - $35
Farmland Wetland and Unproductive Land
$25 - $425 $24
The dates, times and locations of the CUB Public Forums are as follows:
- Wednesday, November 20, 2019, at 6:00 p.m.
New London Town Hall - 2nd Floor, 375 Main Street, New London
- Thursday, November 21, 2019, at 1:00 p.m.
NH Department of Revenue Administration - Training Room, 109 Pleasant Street, Concord
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Recorded Future Podcast:
Cybersecurity Challenges Facing Municipalities
Check out this
Recorded Future Podcast
featuring NHMA's Executive Director, Margaret Brynes, and Joe Howland, Chief Information Security Officer for VC3, discussing the unique cybersecurity challenges facing municipalities today.
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Grants Training:
Special Rate for NHMA Members
December 2 and 3, 2019
Hannah Grimes Center
25 Roxbury Street, Keene, NH
Hannah Grimes Center and Grant Writing USA will present a two-day grants workshop in Keene, December 2-3, 2019. This training is applicable to grant seekers across all disciplines. Attend this class and you'll learn how to find grants and write winning grant proposals.
Beginning and experienced grant writers from city, county and state agencies as well as nonprofits, K-12, colleges and universities are encouraged to attend.
Grant Writing USA is excited to offer New Hampshire Municipal Association members and their staff a special tuition rate of $425 which includes
everything: two days of instruction, workbook, and access to our Alumni Forum that's packed full of tools, helpful discussions and more than 200 sample grant proposals. Please use discount code "NHASSN" to receive this $30 discount off full price at registration.
Multi-enrollment discounts and discounts for Grant Writing USA returning alumni are also available. Tuition payment is not required at the time of enrollment.
More information including learning objectives, class location, graduate testimonials and online registration is
available here.
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LeadersLink Tommy Longo Disaster Leadership Award
Nominations Dues by December 31, 2019
LeadersLink is establishing an annual nationwide award to recognize an elected official at the city or county level whose efforts have enabled his or her community to recover successfully from a disaster. It is named in honor of LeadersLink's first disaster mentor, former Waveland, Mississippi Mayor Tommy Longo, who passed away in March and spent years coaching communities around the country through the disaster recovery process.
Who is eligible to be nominated for this award?
Any individual elected to office at the city or county level of a community that suffered physical damage following a disaster sometime in the past 10 years.
Who may submit nominations for this award?
Any individual or organization interested or involved in city/county governance, community emergency preparedness or disaster recovery. Individuals may self-nominate for this award.
Where are the nominations to be sent?
Completed nomination forms should be emailed to
[email protected]
by December 31, 2019.
What are the evaluation/selection criteria for this award?
1) Recent disaster - Disaster must have occurred after January 1, 2010.
2) Resilience - The city or county is thriving and has successfully recovered.
3) Extent of damage - The community suffered at least 40 percent physical damage.
4) Staying Power - The community was able to maintain at least 90% of its pre-disaster population
5) Speed of recovery.
6) Initiative and innovation displayed during recovery.
7) Efforts made by the official to protect the community from future disaster losses.
When will the winner be announced?
The winner will be announced in the spring of 2020 and the award will be presented in a ceremony in the winner's community.
For more information, contact Kathleen Koch, Founder & Executive Director, LeadersLink, via phone at 202.841.2710 or via website www.leaderslink.org
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NHDOS to Readopt Rules Regarding Law Enforcement Substance Abuse Reduction Initiative
The New Hampshire Department of Safety (NHDOS) is proposing to readopt without changes administrative rule Saf-C 2900 regarding the law enforcement substance abuse reduction initiative. Saf-C 2900 is currently an emergency rule that is scheduled to expire on 3-21-20. The FY20/21 budget provided funding for local law enforcement to engage in additional drug enforcement efforts. The vehicle used for this was a grant program that previously targeted opioid enforcement. Statutory changes to this program enacted in section 316 of
HB 4
resulted in the Department adopting emergency rules to ensure that local governments had sufficient time to mount a substance abuse reduction effort during this fiscal year. This proposed rule is the follow-up regular rule making proposal for the same emergency rule which became effective 10-3-19.
A copy of Saf-C 2900 is available by contacting Keith Lohmann at 223-3852 or [email protected]. A public hearing on the proposed rule is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 12, 2019 in the 2nd floor conference room at the Department of Safety, 33 Hazen Drive, Concord. The deadline for submission of written comments is 4:15 p.m. Thursday, December 19, 2019.
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"NHRS QuickPay" for Employers
Secure, No-cost ACH Portal Now Available to Remit Monthly Contributions
The New Hampshire Retirement System (
NHRS) has partnered with Citizens Bank to create "NHRS QuickPay," an online bill pay service to facilitate the submission of employer contributions via ACH (Automated Clearing House) at no cost to participating employers. ACH, an electronic network for financial transactions, is the quickest, safest, and most cost-effective way to send payments to the retirement system. Step-by-step instructions and a link to NHRS QuickPay are available at: https://www.nhrs.org/employers/employer-resources. All employers are invited to try this service beginning with their November contributions, which are due no later than the 25th of the month.
Benefits to the employer include:
* Cost savings by not printing and mailing checks.
* Better cash management - you can set a pre-established effective date when the payment leaves your bank and the funds are remitted to NHRS the same day.
* ACH payments are more secure than checks because bank account and ABA numbers are entered into a secure system and encrypted.
* Eliminate potential mail delivery issues that could result in late payment penalties; payment status can be tracked more efficiently.
* ACH payments do not require humans to read digits and/or OCR software to electronically read handwriting, which results in lower error rates.
Note: If your bank account has a debit block or another similar security feature, please contact your bank to make the necessary arrangements to allow this payment to be processed from your account. For additional information on this process, see the
NHRS QuickPay Instructions on the
Employer Resources page.
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New Hampshire Fish & Game Department Proposes Rule Changes Regarding OHRVs and Snowmobiles
The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is proposing to adopt new rules and to readopt with amendments existing rules regulating off highway recreation vehicles (OHRVs) and snowmobiles. These rules are necessary to implement various laws that passed in the 2019 legislative session, including
Chapter 93 (HB 148), Chapter 216 (HB 591)
, and
Chapter 294 (HB 592).
These and other chapters made changes to the requirements for the registration and operation of OHRVs and snowmobiles.
Copies of the proposed rules may be obtained by contacting Paul Sanderson at 603-271-1136 or [email protected]. A public hearing on the proposed rules is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Monday, December 9, 2019 at the Fish and Game Headquarters, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord. The deadline for submission of written comments is 4:00 p.m. on Monday, December 16, 2019.
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The Brookings Institution:
The Bucket List for Involved Citizens
76
Things You Can Do to Boost Civic Engagement
According to The Brookings Institution (authors Rebecca Winthrop and Meg Heubeck, November 12, 2019), civic engagement is the glue that holds self-government together. Yet civic participation and engagement has been on the decline for several decades. Therefore, each and every one of us must be as active and involved in our community and country as possible. Self-government is hard work and requires effort. Action is essential to maintaining the foundations of our democracy, no matter which political party happens to be in power.
To be a truly involved citizen, we must reconnect with our founding documents. We must learn and practice the skills of civic participation beginning with voting and moving onto legislating, speaking out, and building coalitions to solve problems on the local, state, and federal levels.
While by no means comprehensive, the "Democracy 76" list below provides specific and practical actions that we all can take to be an involved citizen. The list is broken into five actions that are essential components for engagement. It is expressly free from politics and partisanship and should be undertaken by all Americans-regardless of political perspectives or affiliation.
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Before you act on an employment or labor issue,
call the
Drummond Woodsum
EMPLOYMENT LAW HOTLINE
@ 623.2500
The Employment Law Hotline is an NHMA Member Benefit
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Benefit Plans for the Public Sector
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OMNIA Partners is the largest and most experienced organization for public and private sector procurement.
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November 20th TRIVIA QUESTION:
Name the New Hampshire city or town that was named in commemoration of one of the most decisive battles of the American Revolution, fought August 12-16, 1777. It emerged from the non-corporated land that was combined with a portion of land along the Contoocook River known informally as Factory Village, and finally incorporated in 1842.
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 6th TRIVIA QUESTION:
Name the New Hampshire city or town
that was originally known as Addison. First granted in 1753 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth, the town is named after a town in England located on the River Thames. The wood working industry was once a central part of it's heritage. It houses Honey Brook State Forest.
Correct Response: Town of Marlow
November 6th Winner: Linda Dupont, Assistant to Selectmen, Town of Randolph
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New Hampshire Municipal Association, 25 Triangle Park Drive, Concord, NH 03301
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