September 27th Select Board Newsletter

September 27, 2019

Dear Stratham Residents,
Please read below for news and notes from the Town of Stratham.  In this edition: senior programming and services brainstorm meeting; energy purchasing cooperation, a fond farewell, FIRE DEPARTMENT PANCAKE BREAKFAST!; a proposed name for a River Road park area, recognizing our public safety professionals, and - did we say - FIRE DEPARTMENT PANCAKE BREAKFAST?

A special welcome to the owners of the nearly 40 new e-mail addresses (collected at our senior brainstorming meeting) which have been added to this Select Board newsletter distribution list!

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: https://www.strathamnh.gov/subscribe.

The Select Board
Michael Houghton, Chairman      Joe Lovejoy, Vice Chair      Allison Knab

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL ANNUAL WALK TO SCHOOL PROGRAM
Safe Routes to School Committee is hosting its annual Walk to School Day on Friday, October 4, 2019 for Stratham Memorial School (SMS) students. If your student loves walking to school, Parks & Recreation offers a 5 week Walk to School Wednesdays program starting in October for SMS 3rd – 5th graders. Pre-registration is required.

SENIOR BRAINSTORMING EVENT HELD
Early this week Parks & Recreation in partnership with the Wiggin Memorial Library and Stratham Fire hosted a Senior Braining Storming session that was attended by more than 40 community members. This session was a follow-up to a survey conducted earlier in the year indicating interest in looking at and expanding opportunities for seniors in Stratham. We feel this meeting was a huge success and gave us a direction to what Stratham seniors are looking for.  A summary of the ideas, questions and conversations will be available in the coming weeks at strathamnh.gov/parks-recreation and via this newsletter.

ENERGY SAVINGS ACHIEVED THROUGH REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP
At its meeting earlier this week, the Select Board at the recommendation of the Stratham Energy Commission voted to enter into an electricity purchasing contract with Constellation Energy. The 3-year contract ensures savings on Stratham’s annual energy bill of about $4,600 or 5.6% of our annual cost of $83,000.  This contract was the result of a regional partnership spearheaded by the Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC) to aggregate the electricity demand loads of multiple municipal entities. The result was to leverage the purchasing power of the entire group and achieve savings for each entity, including the Epping School District, the Town of Kingston, and smaller entities such as the North Hampton Library and others.  This RPC initiative has the potential to grow as other interested municipalities see their current energy contracts expire. In the future, this effort to cooperate regionally has the potential to save Stratham even more tax dollars.  Many thanks to Stratham’s Energy Commission and the RPC for this work.

DEEP APPRECIATION AND A FOND FAREWELL
After 18 years of service to the Town of Stratham, Accounting Supervisor Valerie Kemp will retire from her position on Friday October 4th.  Valerie’s length of service is a testament to her dedication to the Town and the tremendous value of her contribution. During her service, Valerie has performed various accounting-related functions including payroll, accounts payable, general ledger maintenance, and a great many other accounting related tasks as well as benefits administration.  This has all occurred through many changes and added complexities in the world of municipal finance, not to mention significant growth of the Town.  Further she ably assisted, guided, and facilitated the workings of a great number of individual volunteers, boards and elected bodies from the Select Board, to the Trustees of Trust Funds, to the Recreation Commission to the Cemetery Trustees and many more.  We wish her much luck in her future endeavors.  Valerie, thank you very much for all you have done so well for all of our residents and employees. 

UPDATE: PARK AREAS, FACILITIES AND BUILDING NAMING AND DEDICATION POLICY
As previously shared in this newsletter, the Select Board recently adopted a policy for processing requests for naming facilities in Town. The policy, “Park Areas, Facilities and Building Naming and Dedication Policy”, can be found on the Town’s website (policy).  At its most recent meeting, the Board accepted a formal request submitted under that policy to name the small park area at the end of River Road the “Dorothy Clemons River Road Park” (you can find that proposal here).  A public hearing has been set for the Select Board’s regular meeting to be held on October 7, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.  All members of the public are welcome to comment on the proposal. 

FIRE PREVENTION PANCAKE BREAKFAST
The Stratham Fire Department would like to invite you to the annual Fire Prevention Pancake breakfast on Sunday October 6, 2019 from 7:30 am to 11 am.  Come down to the Fire Station, learn some good fire prevention tips for school, work and home, meet the firefighters and EMTs of the Stratham Fire Department, have a good breakfast and get your picture with Sparky!

We are always welcoming and looking for new members who would like to become a firefighter and / or EMT.  If you are interested please come down to the Fire Station on the first or third Tuesday at 7:30pm.

RECOGNITION OF FIRE DEPARTMENT VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF
Congratulations to Leah Richard who is the newest EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) on the Stratham Fire Department.  Leah recently completed the EMT program which is four-months long and concluded with both a written and practical exam.  Thank you to Leah for all her hard work, and make sure you say hi to her on the next ambulance call.

Recently many members of the fire department and police department got together and completed their bi-annual CPR training.  The members of the volunteer fire department and the officers from the police department not only refreshed their skills but spent valuable time together as a team committed to serving Stratham residents and visitors. 

LIEUTENANT PIERCE RECOGNIZED WITH TRILOGY AWARD
The Stratham Police Department is pleased to announce that Lieutenant David “Butch” Pierce will be awarded the FBI/LEEDA Trilogy Award after completing the last of three training seminars recently, at the Hampton, NH Police Department.  These awards are issued to those who successfully attend the FBI-LEEDA’s Supervisor Leadership Institute, Command Leadership Institute and Executive Leadership Institute.  He joins Chief Anthony King, and Detective Sargent Steven Janvrin in completing this training and receiving the award.  Please join us in congratulating Lieutenant Pierce and thanking him for his service.  To read more from the Department about this recognition for Lt. Pierce, please visit:  https://www.facebook.com/Stratham-NH-Police-Department-117077175032773/ 

TOWN EMPLOYMENT: PART-TIME FIREFIGHTER/EMT
The Town of Stratham is seeking applicants for the part-time position of Firefighter/EMT.  Part-time Firefighter/EMTs work 3- 10 hour shifts Mon-Fri between the hours of 07:00-17:00.  The position responsibilities include but are not limited to; firefighting operations, emergency medical care, fire prevention, fire and life safety inspection of businesses, inspection and maintenance of department equipment and other related duties as they apply.  Applicants should be team-oriented professionals. Please visit the Town of Stratham website for more details.

LAST CHANCE: EDIT THE MAP - NHDOT STATEWIDE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLIST TRANSPORTATION
The Town’s Pedestrian & Cyclist Advocacy Committee is encouraging all Stratham residents to participate in data collection effort sponsored by the State of NH.   As the state moves forward with infrastructure projects on the many state–owned roadways in Town, we have the opportunity to better ensure all modes of transport figure in to their designs.  Would you like to see a better connection to Stratham Hill Park from the neighborhoods north of 33?  Do you think Bunker Hill Avenue could better accommodate pedestrians and bikes to access civic uses such as Stevens Park and our Municipal Center, including our Library?  Is the traffic circle configuration an impediment to your consideration of traveling on NH 33 or Rt. 108 via bicycle?  Click on this link for more information.