July 19th Select Board Newsletter
July 19, 2019
Dear Stratham Residents,
See you at the Fair!
In this edition – a thank you to employees and Planning Board volunteers, distribution of preliminary assessment notices from the town-wide revaluation of property, Master Plan update, more opportunities on Boards and Commissions and a highlight of the Board of Adjustment, heat wave safety, transfer station reminders and more.
The Select Board
Michael Houghton, Chairman Joe Lovejoy, Vice Chair Allison Knab, Selectwoman
REMINDERS ABOUT AVAILABLE COMMUNICATION TOOLS
Please advise your neighbors about this Newsletter resource for keeping on top of information from the Town of Stratham. To sign-up for these updates and other notifications from Town, please visit: https://www.strathamnh.gov/subscribe. Under News & Announcements, click on Select Board.
New: You can now sign up to receive Agendas and/or Minutes from the Curbside Collection Advisory Committee at https://www.strathamnh.gov/subscribe
Do you want to stay connected with Parks & Recreation events…. programs they offer….. sports leagues….. and Community trips? If so, create an account today on Stratham.recdesk.com and you'll receive the P&R email blasts outlining all these events and programs. Be sure to like the Recreation Department on https://www.facebook.com/stratham.recreation/ too.
HOT WEATHER COMING
High temperatures are on the way for the coming days. Stay safe and please look out for neighbors who may need assistance. Safety information about high-heat weather can be found at: https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat
Need a place to cool off? Our Wiggin Memorial Library is open. A reminder of the Library’s hours in the coming days: Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
MASTER PLAN
This week the Planning Board and Master Plan Steering Committee sponsored an “All Boards and Commissions” meeting on the latest draft of the Master Plan. The discussion, which included voices from many of the various Boards & Commissions, focused on the action items in the ten focus areas the Plan has centered on: The Gateway; Viability of our Farms; Town Center; Historic Resource Preservation; Biking, Walking, and Automobiles; Sustaining our Natural Resources; Public Services & Facilities; Open Spaces & Parklands; Stratham’s Industrial Park; and Housing for the Future. The discussion resulted in some clarifications and changes and the plan will be further refined by the Master Plan Steering Committee and Planning Board going forward in upcoming meetings and hearings. This event was videorecorded and will be made available on the web. Stay-tuned to this Newsletter and Strathamplan.com for more information. Please visit Strathamplan.com for the most recent Plan draft. To comment on the draft, please visit: https://www.strathamplan.com/subscribe-comment
POSITIONS FILLED AND OTHER BOARDS & COMMISSION VACANCIES
Thank you to the volunteers who have come forward to serve on the Planning Board and who have come forward to serve on the Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC). We now have a full Planning Board. See more information about the Board of Adjustment in the next section.
The Town of Stratham relies on volunteers to help run the Town through elected positions but also through many Boards and Commissions. Below is a listing of current open positions as well as an application form for interested applicants. If you have any questions concerning the opportunities below, please reach out to Executive Assistant Karen Richard (603) 772-7391 ext. 187) who will ensure you are connected with the Department head or other representative to help answer your questions.
Zoning Board of Adjustment - 1 regular and 2 alternate members
Recreation Commission—1 regular member
Public Works Commission—1 regular & 2 alternate members
Rockingham Planning Commission—1 alternate representative
Southeast Watershed Alliance—1 regular representative
Exeter-Squamscott Rivers Local Advisory Committee—2 regular representatives
Click here to apply for a Town Board or Committee opening: Application
BOARD HIGHLIGHT: BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
What is Stratham’s Zoning Board of Adjustment? According to the State of NH Office of Strategic Initiatives: Zoning boards of adjustment have played a vital, but little-noticed, role in the development of New Hampshire communities. Sometimes praised, sometimes criticized, they have continued to perform their principal role – reviewing applications for zoning variances, special exceptions, equitable waivers of dimensional requirements, and hearing appeals from the decisions made by administrative officials – all without much fanfare. To a large extent, the success or failure of zoning administration rests on the proper exercise of judgment by members of the board of adjustment.
Stratham’s ZBA meets as needed, but generally on the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of the month at 7:00 p.m. There are five members on the Board and they are appointed by the Select Board. For more information about this service opportunity, please contact Building Inspector/Code Enforcement Officer Shanti Wolph at (603) 772-7391 ext. 182.
STRATHAM SCHOOL BOARD VACANCY
The Stratham School Board invites residents who are interested in becoming a member of the School Board to fill a vacancy until the end of the term expiring in 2020.
Residents who are interested should submit a letter of interest by August 31, 2019. The Board will interview applicants on September 11, 2019 and select the candidate who will serve until the term expires.
Residents are asked to submit a letter of interest to:
Dr. Thomas F. Campbell
Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
SAU 16
30 Linden Street
Exeter, NH 03833
PRELMINARY VALUES FROM TOWN-WIDE REVALUATION DISTRIBUTED
As you know, the town-wide revaluation of property has been taking place over the last several months. This week the preliminary assessment notices were mailed to property owners and those should be delivered in the coming days. All property owners who wish to review their assessments in a meeting with the Assessing staff are invited and encouraged to do so. Details are included in the transmittal letter with your Notice. Meetings will be scheduled during the weeks of July 22nd and August 5th.
More information about the Stratham reval can be found here:
https://www.strathamnh.gov/assessing-department/pages/statistical-update...
For an introduction to assessing, please also consider viewing: “Who are the Assessors” https://youtu.be/9PtAuUmIzjU
A Note about Taxes and Assessed Value: Often times, the analogy of a pie is used to explain the relationship between assessments and the amount of taxes paid by a property owner. In the analogy, the entire pie represents the total amount of money a community agrees to raise through the property tax to fund its services. Each slice of pie (the total amount of funds to be raised through property taxation) represents the amount of tax each property owner is responsible for. The size of each slice of pie is determined by how much value each taxpayer owns in the community. The relative size of each slice reflects the difference in value owned from one taxpayer to another. Importantly, during a revaluation if a community’s total value increases, then the tax rate applied to raise the same amount of funds through taxation would decrease. Therefore, when communities experience revaluations and value increases, tax rates go down.
ALL EMPLOYEE MEETING HELD
On July 9th, the Town of Stratham Select Board and Town Administrator held an All-Staff Meeting at the Morgera Room at the Fire Department. The focus was on improving our operations and communication, sharing information, and providing feedback to the Administration. Thank you to all of our employees for making Stratham proud every day and for the community’s patience with the closure of the municipal center for the morning.
TRANSFER STATION PASSES & REMINDERS
Transfer Station Permits can be purchased for $5.00 at the Town Clerk's office or the Transfer Station (please bring the license plate number(s) of the vehicle(s) you intend to attach the permit(s) to. Payments made at the Transfer Station must be by check.
The Transfer Station (25 Union Road) is currently in summer hours (April through November) and is open every Saturday from 9:00am to 4:00pm.
For more information, please visit https://www.strathamnh.gov/transfer-station/pages/transfer-station-fees
FIRST ANNUAL NATIONAL NIGHT OUT HOSTED BY THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
On Tuesday August 6th at 5:00 p.m. the Police Department will host Stratham’s First Annual National Night out. Check out the Police Departments’ Facebook event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2091330744506073/
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH THE TOWN
The Town currently has two open positions: Land Use Project Coordinator (open until July 19th) in our Planning Department and Finance Administrator (open until July 30th) in the Administrative Office. To learn more about these positions, please visit the Town’s website: https://www.strathamnh.gov/town-administration/pages/open-positions.
Please share these position announcements with anyone who may be interested in joining to Town’s staff team and serving the residents of Stratham.