March 24th Select Board Newsletter

Dear Stratham Residents,

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

• Open Space and Connectivity Meeting - March 27
• Clerk's Corner
• Motor Vehicle Fee Effective May 1st
• Kindergarten Registration Opens
• Stratham Historical Society - Annual Appraisal Day - April 16
• Route 33 Heritage District to be Featured at Planning & Zoning Conference   
• Heritage Commission - Townwide Inventory
• In Case You Missed It - June Sawyer Town Report Dedication

Please remind your neighbors about this resource for keeping on top of information from the Town.  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, Chairman                    Allison Knab, Vice-Chair                   Joe Anderson


OPEN SPACE & CONNECTIVITY PLAN STEERING COMMITTEE
The Open Space & Connectivity Plan Steering Committee will hold its next meeting on Monday, March 27 at 2 pm. For more information, click here.

HERITAGE COMMISSION - TOWNWIDE INVENTORY
As part of its mission to assist the Town in recognizing the historical and cultural assets as well as the patterns of development that help to define our community, the Heritage Commission hired a preservation consultant, Lisa Mausolf, to complete a comprehensive townwide survey of historic resources in Stratham.  Her research led to the creation of a narrative of Stratham’s development and evolving neighborhoods, its prevalent architectural features, and critical data about each property in town that is over 50 years old.  Property owners, genealogists, and all those interested in town history will find the survey to be of great use.  Click here for more information about this fascinating report.


CLERK'S CORNER

• Beginning Monday, April 3rd the Town Clerk/Tax Collector’s Office will be closed Monday-Thursday from 12:00-12:30.  Thank you for your understanding.
• The Town Clerk/Tax Collector’s Office will be closed on Wednesday, April 12th for a Regional Tax Collector’s Workshop.
• You still have time to get your dog entered into the 2nd Annual Top Dog of Stratham Contest!  Please register your dog not later than 4/30/23 to avoid any late fees.
• Starting on April 1st, 2023, our card processing company will be adjusting their citizen-sponsored fees as follows:
  • Online transaction fees: $1.75 per item (previously $1.50)
  • Credit card processing fees: 2.99% (previously 2.79%)
  • Minimum credit card fee & flat ACH fees: $2.50
  • E-Check payments: $1.50 per payment

MOTOR VEHICLE FEE 
At the Town Meeting on Saturday, the residents passed Article 18 implementing an additional motor vehicle registration fee of $5.00 per vehicle for the purpose of supporting a Municipal Transportation Improvement Fund and establishing  a capital reserve fund to support eligible local transportation projects as permitted under RSA 261:153 such as public transportation, roadway improvements, signal upgrades, and development of new bicycle and pedestrian paths.  The additional fee shall be collected from all vehicles, both passenger and commercial, with the exception of all-terrain vehicles as defined in RSA 215-A:1, I-b and antique motor vehicles or motorcycles as defined in RSA 259:4.  

The adoption of the fee will be applied to all MV registrations beginning May 1st excluding boats, trailers and motorcycles.


KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION OPENS
Register for Fall Kindergarten now!  Registration Packets can be picked up in the Stratham Memorial School front office Monday thru Friday 7:30 - 3:30. Click here for a printable packet. Online registration is currently unavailable.

Also required is a copy of Birth Certificate, Immunization Records & Proof of Residence.  Kindergarten students must be 5yrs old by Sept 30, 2023.  We will host a Kindergarten Orientation in June.  We can't wait to meet the new students!

Registration is the same for any grade students registering for the fall or the current school year new.  Please call or email with any questions (603)772-5413.

“STRATHAM ANTIQUES ROAD SHOW”………Sunday, April 16, 2023
Have you ever wondered what your family heirlooms and treasures are worth?  On Sunday, April 16 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 pm, the Stratham Historical Society will hold their Annual Spring Appraisal Day, affectionately known as the “Stratham Antiques Road Show”.  Click here for more information.

ROUTE 33 HERITAGE DISTRICT TO BE FEATURED AT PLANNING & ZONING CONFERENCE
Stratham’s Route 33 Heritage District, enacted in March 2022 after its approval by town voters, will be featured at the New Hampshire Spring 2023 Planning & Zoning Conference scheduled for April 29, 2023. Believed to be the first Neighborhood Heritage District implemented in New Hampshire, the Heritage District includes innovative tools and protections to preserve historic buildings and promote context-sensitive redevelopment efforts.  Borne from many volunteer efforts and recommendations, Town Planner Mark Connors will share Stratham’s efforts and experiences with the District and if the tool may be appropriate for other New Hampshire communities.  Click here for more information regarding the Route 33 Heritage District.  



IN CASE YOU MISSED IT - JUNE SAWYER TOWN REPORT DEDICATION
This year's Town Report was dedicated to June Elizabeth Scamman Sawyer.  In 1972, June joined the Stratham Fire Department and continues to serve the town and department as an EMT/Firefighter.  She was the first female in NH to obtain her NREMT-Ambulance license and the first female to join the Stratham Fire Dept.  She earned her firefighter certification in 1974, her intermediate EMT certification in 1991 and her advanced EMT certification in 2015.  She is now the oldest living active responder to retain her certifications in NH.  Over the years, June has served on many boards and commissions, including Emergency Management, the Budget Advisory Committee and Conservation Commission, to name a few.  Read more about this remarkable woman here.