May 10th Select Board Newsletter
May 10, 2019
Dear Stratham Residents,
Please read below for news and notes from the Town of Stratham. In this edition…. Municipal Clerks Week Recognized, Bartlett Cushman House Closing, Annual Roadside Clean-up Day, Recreation Department Survey, Master Plan Public Forum, Dog License Reminders and more. Please advise your neighbors about this 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.
The Select Board
Michael Houghton, Chairman Joe Lovejoy, Vice Chair Allison Knab, Selectwoman
Town Clerks Office will be closed on Wednesday May 15th so they may attend a State of NH workshop for Town Clerks.
Conservation Commission Annual Roadside Clean-Up Day
The Annual Roadside Clean-up Day is Saturday, May 18th from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m. We will gather at the Front Pavilion at Stratham Hill Park in the morning to get instructions, trash bags, gloves and safety vests. The Stratham Conservation Commission will provide coffee, cocoa and a morning snack. All who participate are invited to lunch at the pavilion at noon and will receive a special treat from Lindt Chocolate.
Thank you: Chief King and Officer Callahan Swearing-In
Thank you to all of the Town residents and employees as well as friends and family of Chief King and Officer Callahan who attended the swearing-in ceremony on Monday of this week. The ceremony was “standing room only” due to the wonderful turnout and outpouring of support for our newest public servants and our Police Department. Congratulations once again to the Chief and Officer Callahan. Thank you for your service. For photos of the occasion, please visit the Stratham Police Department Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Stratham-NH-Police-Department-117077175032773/
Closing for the Bartlett-Cushman House
On Tuesday April 16th, the Town closed on the sale of the Bartlett Cushman House (82 Portsmouth Avenue). The home was sold to Ellen Falk and Bob Daros who were present at the closing along with representatives of the Town and the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance. The buyers are planning a restoration of the home and to maintain it as their primary residence. Please join us in welcoming them to Stratham.
The original purchase of the property authorized at Town meeting in 2013 was to ensure adequate room for future expansion of the Municipal Center. In addition to retaining the option for expansion, the purchase was seen as critical to ensuring protection of a stately and historically-significant cultural asset along Portsmouth Avenue. Subsequent to the purchase, the Town effected a lot line revision in order to enlarge the existing Municipal Center lot and prepare the remaining land and building for sale under a preservation easement. The preservation easement negotiated between the Town, Preservation Alliance and eventual buyers has ensured the historic integrity of the interior and exterior in perpetuity. Special recognition and thanks is due to the Heritage Commission for its work on the transaction and preservation easement.
Recreation Department Survey - May 10th- May 17th
The Town of Stratham is in the process of updating our master plan. As part of this effort and in order to better inform the Plan’s components which relate to parks and recreation, the Parks and Recreation department is sponsoring a new survey. This survey is available to Stratham residents in both paper and electronic formats. The link to the survey can be found at, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RecNeeds
The survey will be open from May 10th- May 17th.
The information collected will be provided to the Master Plan Committee and elements of the survey that are deemed relevant will be incorporated into the planning for the future of the Department.
Municipal Clerk’s Week
At its meeting on May 9th, the Select Board formally recognized Municipal Clerks Week in Stratham. This is a week recognized internationally and is an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the contributions of our own Municipal Clerk’s office and the role it plays as a link between the citizens, our mechanisms of Town government and government at other levels. Our Clerks’ Office especially demonstrates the qualities of neutrality and impartiality, professional service and equal treatment of all. Thank you Joyce, Deb and Melanie for all you do. Happy Clerks’ Week.
Master Plan Committee—Public Forum on Master Plan Monday, May 13th
The Master Plan Committee, composed of representatives from all Town Boards, Committees, and Commissions is now prepared to hold their Second Public Forum. At 6:30 PM, Monday, May 13, 2019, in the Municipal Center’s Room A/B, the Master Plan Committee along with representatives from the consulting firm of Horsley Witten Group will be presenting the data collected to date in the form of a conceptual draft of the Town’s new Master Plan.
The Committee and Consultants have held numerous outreach meetings to hear from you - Stratham residents - to hear what you think about development in the town, your thoughts on agricultural, recreational, and historical resources, what investments you think the Town should make with respect to housing opportunities, and community services, and how you believe the Town can support business development in Town. The May 13 Forum is being designed to present how your thoughts and ideas culminate in a working Master Plan that will shape the direction of Stratham—please plan on attending and take an active role in our Town’s future!
In the meantime, please visit www.strathamplan.com to revisit some of the steps taken so far.
Dog License Reminder
The Town Clerk’s Office would like to let the residents know that dog licenses were due by April 30th. May is a grace month (no extra fees if you come in by May 31st.) June will start the penalty and civil forfeiture fees. Please come in and license your dog(s)
by the end of this month if you haven’t already. If you no longer have your dog(s), please let the Town Clerk’s Office know, as they have no other way of knowing this. Thank you!