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December 1st Select Board Newsletter

Posted on: December 1, 2023 - 2:55pm

town seal

Dear Stratham Residents,
Please read below for news and notes from the Town of Stratham.  In this edition:

  • Budget Season is Coming!
  • Regional School Board Vacancy
  • Annual Tree Lighting & Toy Drive
  • DPW News and Tax Collector & Town Clerk's Corner
  • State Grant Will Help Support Stratham Land Protection
  • Meet & Greet Luncheon for Retirees and Senior Citizens
  • Wiggin Memorial Library News & Historical Society Program

To sign-up for these updates and other notifications, please visit this section on our website and check the "Select Board" box under News and Announcements.

The Select Board
Michael Houghton, Chair                   Allison Knab, Vice-Chair                   Joe Anderson

BUDGET & TOWN MEETING SEASON IS COMING!
The end of the year marks the start of meetings and public hearings for local and regional school districts, town and county budget processes.  As residents know, all taxes raised through the property tax are based on approved spending across the taxing jurisdictions.  In Stratham, the property tax collected is raised as a result of spending approved via 

  • The Town Meeting for Town of Stratham (appears on your bill as “municipal rate”) for more information about the Town’s budget process, please see here);
  • The Stratham School District Town Meeting for the Local School District (appears as “Local Education” on your tax bill) please see here for key upcoming dates 
  • The SB2 ballot for the Exeter Region Cooperative School District (is combined with Local and appears as “Local Education” on your tax bill); please see here for information about upcoming dates;
  • A state law creating the Statewide Education Property Tax (appears on your bill as “State Education”), see here for more information, and
  • A vote of approval by the County legislative delegation (appears on your bill as “county tax”).  The county’s website can be found here, no dates announced yet for their budget process.

For information about understanding your tax bill please click here.

REGIONAL SCHOOL BOARD VACANCY
The Exeter Region Cooperative School District has notified the Select Board of an upcoming vacancy on the ERCSD Board.  The Select Board is intending to appoint a Stratham resident to this seat on December 4th, who will serve until March 2024.  Residents who are interested should submit a Boards and Commission application by Friday, December 1st to Executive Assistant Karen Richard at krichard@strathamnh.gov. 
lights
ANNUAL TREE LIGHTING EVENT
Join us on Sunday, December 3rd promptly at 5pm at the Stratham Fire Station for our annual tree lighting event.  Dress for the weather as this event is outdoors.  Refreshments will be served!  Great way to kick off the holiday season.  All are welcome! 

 

    Ross site walkSTATE GRANT WILL HELP SUPPORT STRATHAM LAND PROTECTION
    The NH Drinking Water Groundwater Trust Fund has authorized a grant award to the Town of Stratham in the amount of $91,750 to support the acquisition and permanent protection of a 17.6-acre parcel of undeveloped land (known as Tax Map 18, Lot 41) adjacent to the Stratham Memorial School and Stratham Hill Park. The Conservation Commission has been working with the property owners, the Ross Revocable Trust of 2006, through most of the year to complete the acquisition of the property appraised at $150,000.  The remaining funding will come from the Conservation Fund, no local tax dollars will be needed for this acquisition.  The acquisition will help protect the drinking water source for Stratham Memorial School, the largest public water system in the Town of Stratham, as approximately 85 percent of the parcel falls within the school’s Wellhead Protection Area.  The property also includes a significant portion of the Stratham Hill Park trail system and provides an important connection between Stratham Hill Park, Barker Town Forest, Stratham Memorial School, and protected town land off of High Street. “This acquisition will help protect important drinking water and recreation resources in Stratham for generations to come,” said Conservation Commission Chair Bill Kenny.   
    Photo Caption: Representatives of the Conservation Commission, Planning Board, Stratham Memorial School, Southeast Land Trust, NH Department of Environmental Services, and Town staff participated in a site walk of the property on November 3, 2023.

    DPW NEWS
    town center
    DPW crews have been busy hanging lights and wreaths for the holidays and making the town bright and cheery!

    Transfer Station reminder:
    Winter operations begin on Saturday, December 2, 2023.  The Transfer Station will be open the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month from 9:00am - 4:00 pm until March 31, 2023.
    leaves
    Leaf clean up:
    Tired of looking at those pesky leaves that keep falling from the trees in your yard…..Did you know you can bring them to transfer station for FREE?  They may be in paper bags or loose and twigs are welcome too, just nothing over 6” in diameter. 

    clerks
    TAX COLLECTOR & TOWN CLERK'S CORNER

    • Property tax bills have been mailed with a due date of December 13th.  If you have not received your tax bill, please contact the Tax Collector’s Office for a copy, (603) 772-4741.  All property owners were mailed a bill.
    • The Supervisors of the Checklist will be in session on Friday, December 8th from 9:00-9:30 am in the Land Use Room at the Municipal Center for voter registration.  Party affiliations changes closed on October 6th and will resume the day after the Presidential Primary.
    • The Presidential Primary date has been set for January 23, 2024.  Elections take place at the Stratham Memorial School located at 39 Gifford Farm Road and polls will be open from 7 am-7 pm.
    • We have the decals in stock for the 2024 boating season at the Clerk’s Office for renewals.

    SEACOAST AREA FIREFIGHTERS TOY BANK
    Once again, the Stratham Police Department has partnered with the Seacoast Area Firefighters Toy Bank to collect toys for children in need.  These gifts impact the seacoast area directly, going to families in need throughout our area.  The Police Department is collecting new, unwrapped toys or gift cards now through December 16th.  You can find a donation box in the lobby of the police department, wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper, as well as throughout town at local area businesses.  On December 16, the Police Department will host its Toy Drive event, where officers will collect the boxes from the local businesses and send all the collected toys to the Rye Fire Department, where they distribute them to the families in need.  Find more information here.  If you have any questions, please call the Police Department directly at 603-778-9691.

    parks and rec
    Yummy Yoga 
    Come join us for Yummy Yoga with Diane Smith, certified Yoga teacher and new Program Assistant for Stratham Parks & Recreation.  
    Enjoy gentle flow yoga geared specifically for those new to yoga or those who are interested in a gentle practice.  This class incorporates simple flowing sequences to warm up the body, as well as slower paced movements focusing on alignment, strength, balance, and flexibility. 
    When:  Thursday afternoons from 12:00-1:00 pm. Starts on Thursday, December 7th 
    Where:  Meeting Room A at the Stratham Municipal Center 
    Please register here    

    Meet & Greet Luncheon for Retirees and Senior Citizens  
    Please join us on Tuesday, December 5th from 11:30 am-1:30 pm at the Stratham Municipal Center to welcome Diane Smith, our newest member of the Stratham Parks & Recreation Department as our Program Assistant.

    Diane is a Stratham resident who recently retired from 16 years of a Marketing Career at RiverWoods in Exeter.  She understands the value of community and looks forward to meeting you to hear your thoughts and suggestions on how we can grow our Retired/Senior Programs.  A lunch of sandwiches, salads and cookies will be provided.  

    We hope you will mark your calendars!!  Please RSVP by December 1st to Zach Cherry via email zcherry@strathamnh.gov 

    Wiggin memorial library
    Library News You Can Use:
    There is no chair yoga Saturday, Dec. 2.  However, our guests from Seacoast Modern Quilt Guild will be visiting in our meeting room and are always welcoming new quilters.

    Get in the holiday spirit on Monday, Dec. 4, with a special craft class at 1 pm.  You'll make lovely, multilayered paper greeting cards and a cute snowman ornament!  No fee.  Registration is required on our website: https://www.library.strathamnh.gov/library-info/pages/calendar

    And on Tuesday, Dec. 5, hop on Zoom to take a Virtual Tour of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.  Learn about its famed founder and the famous art heist of 1990.  Note: Registration is required to receive the Zoom link.


    HISTORICAL SOCIETY - OLD MAN IN THE MOUNTAINHISTORICAL SOCIETY PROGRAM
    Zoom Program co-sponsored by the Wiggin Memorial Library and SHS and made possible by NH Humanities
    This program presents the "story" of the Old Man and examines the ways that public perceptions of the profile played a role in shaping and establishing New Hampshire's identity, both symbolically and physically.  Read more about this fascinating program here.  Participation in this online program requires advance registration.  You may register at the Wiggin Memorial Library's website Events Calendar.