Select Board - Regular Meeting

I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. All right. I'll make a motion to approve the non-public and public meeting minutes of January 22nd, 2026 and February 5, 2026.

Can I just clarify by Sean, second by Don to approve the minutes of the meetings he said. Can I just clarify um the sorry um they both got put on there but it's only public minutes on January 22nd and then it's non-public and public for February 5th. Okay. Okay. Okay. Thank you for the clarification. Any discussion on said minutes? All those in favor? Opposed? Consent agenda.

Okay. I'll make a motion to approve the consent agenda for 21926 consisting of accounts payable manifest 2025 dated 21226 accounts payable manifest 2026 dated 21226 accounts payable manifest AC Harper's WEX dated 21226 payroll payment manifest dated 21226 resignation of Cheryl Suinsky Suzuki. What's that? Suzuki.

Suzuki. Sorry, my apologies, Cheryl. From the community events committee effective February 9th, 2026. Appointment of Jeremy Fiser as planning board alternate for three-year term through February 19th, 2029. Appointment of Brett Dunn as planning board alternate for three-year term through February 19th, 2029. Appointment of Mark Barrosa the as a planning board alternate for a three-year term through February 19th, 2029. Appointment of Mark Barrosa as energy committee member for a three-year term through February 19th, 2029. Release of community revital revitalization incentive for map lot 114-107 and 114-121. I'll second. Okay. Motion by Don, second by Sean to approve the consent agenda. Any discussion on set agenda.

Hearing none. All those in favor? I opposed. Consent agenda. Make a motion to seal the non-public meeting minutes from tonight's earlier session. uh because it is determined that dulgence of the information likely would affect adversely the reputation of any other person uh other than a member of this board. Second motion by Scott, second by Sean to seal the minutes of tonight's non-public session. All those in favor? I opposed.

And are sealed. Uh at this point we will open the uh public hearing relative to the social districts in the town of Bristol in accordance with RSA 178 colon 34. Um I don't know if any of you folks are here for that but we'll open it up if anybody has any concerns.

Can I just point out something for you to Mr. Chair? So um we have to hold this hearing um not necessarily to discuss whether you're voting on this tonight. what you're setting tonight or whether it goes on the ballot. This is just to take public input for on the social district itself. You've already made the decision to put it on the ballot, but this was a requirement that we um that we allow the public input. Okay. Ma'am, uh if you could when uh you folks do talk, just state your name and we go. Just me? Yep. Yep. Okay. Okay. So, I wrote up some comments here. Can you tell us who you are?

Yeah, I'm getting um I'm Cheryl Suzki from River Road, Bristol. Here to offer input about social districts. People might assume that they can bring a six-ack of beer or a bottle of wine to drink in a social district. That's not what New Hampshire social district law allows. New Hampshire Chapter 178 section 37 requirements for possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages. States the possession and consumption of an alcoholic beverage in a social district subject to the following requirements. Only alcoholic beverages purchased from a licency located in or contiguous to the social district may uh may be possessed and consumed. They shall be in containers that meet the requirements and consumed during the days and hours set by the town. A person shall dispose of any alcoholic beverage before exiting the social district. Containers that meet requirements are detailed in section 36 requirements for sale of alcoholic beverages. Those requirements are um

ma'am, do do you have a comment on the actual motion? We we understand what the Well, I want to make sure that that that other people Yes, we do. But I just didn't know if you had specific input relative to the to the proposal, not what the proposal actually is. So, I do have concerns. Is that what you're saying? Yes, exactly.

Okay. Okay. Well, I had I wrote them up in in the context of the law, but if you don't want me to read the law, uh, so restaurants and bars will have to design, purchase, and provide a separate inventory of cups for any of their alcohol to be taken into the social district. Who will be designing the social district logo? Who will be manufacturing these cups? Is the town going to incur a cost to provide these containers? Um, then also, okay, you don't want me to read the law s the law says signs posted in a conspicuous location. Bristol does not enable the posting of any events or meetings in a conspicuous location downtown. Do people in Bristol really want to see signage about days, hours, and rules about a social district instead of events? Downtown Bristol has few, if any, public garbage cans. So how would the requirement that the h off alcohol be disposed of before the person exits the social district be fulfilled? Who is responsibility will it be to ensure that the requirement that alcohol is only consumed in the social district and during the posted days and hours? What plans does the select board have to ensure the requirement that the social district shall be maintained in a manner that protects the health and safety of the general public? If alcohol will be allowed at Kelly Park, how will children using the playground there and the children at the Tapley Center across the street be protected? Is the police department on board for their role? Whose responsibility will it be to provide oversight and to regulate all of this? To provide the requirement of quote management and maintenance of the

social district, a select board member, the police, is this a new employee? And at what cost to the town? Where is the money coming from to pay for all of this? Lastly, does this make sense for Bristol? Unlike conquered, Bristol does not have a long main street for strolling down. Bristol does not have multiple small amphitheater parks surrounded by small restaurants where the town hosts music events and where people can hang out sitting on publicly provided seating such as the amphitheater steps, granite blocks, and permanent benches. Nor does Bristol provide permanent public waste disposal bins. If Bristol had public amenities such as these, then declaring a public social district could make sense. Bristol's downtown square already enjoys restaurants that already offer their own legal outdoor seating. There are few other places to go other than into the road or the parking lot. Also, the square is surrounded by businesses with large, tall glass windows. Encouraging people to leave a lency and to walk in a confined area with alcohol in their hands encourages mischief and the town incurs potential liability. Do social districts make sense for Bristol? The establishment of social districts incurs liability. There are risks with little benefit. It will cost money to create, manage, and maintain these areas. According to law, large cities often have the infrastructure and can absorb these costs. A small rural town like Bristol has other financial priorities. Social districts do not make sense for Bristol.

Thank you, comment on the social district. Okay. Anybody else have any comments on the social districts? I I just want to point some things out to you that are in your folders. There is a um the statutes that were being referred to are in your um the folders. The final version, chapter 158. That one there is the directions on how to establish it and what has to be taken into consideration. And then there's a briefing memo I kind of drew up so you knew the steps. Um we don't Is that available for the public to view somewhere?

I haven't yet. wanted you guys to see it first before I put that out to the public. But yes, I can get that out. It talks about so that briefing me memo can't talk. Um does talk about the requirements under the law, the public hearing. It talks about you do have to do the district boundaries and signage, but that does not have to be defined before the vote on the ballot is only to say Bristol can do this. and then the select board and whoever you feel needs to be on these committees um to establish these rules and regulations probably police chief but um then you they establish the rules and regulations and have to write up maybe

so the vote on the ballot is the enabling just allowing it yeah right I mean you you could talk to people and let people know what your intent what this board's intent has been you know the two locations but so I I was going address a couple of the things if everybody's okay with that.

Um, so first and foremost, I think this document is going to answer a lot of your questions as far as what the town ultimately the select board is going to have to be responsible for is, you know, where what are the actual districts, where is it appropriate, where is it not appropriate, um where uh you you mentioned the the cops specifically, you know, who's going to bear that expense. I would say likely that's probably going to be an expense on the business because that ultimately they're the ones profiting from the sale of the alcohol. So I wouldn't imagine the town would be providing that. As far as waste disposal is concerned, I I I don't foresee that being an issue at all. Um I'd like to say that I think it's a great opportunity for the town of Bristol. Um particularly uh we have businesses in town that have very limited seating. We've got a great outdoor green space on the common that could be enjoyed by folks in that uh coming from those businesses which which could u you know bring some more revenue into the town. Um you know at the end of the day any soccer mom with one of these you know you know can be walking around with a a drink in their hand at any time. Um this is just saying yeah you're all adults it's okay. Um it's not encouraging people to drink more. It's not this is people are going to do what they're already doing. Um, so I I think it's an excellent opportunity for the businesses. It's a good idea for us to bring, you know, we discussed at some point, you know, you might have, and this is just an example, um, something like a food truck festival that could come in. Um, and, you know, there could be, you know, people could enjoy a drink if they'd like to there. You know, we we have businesses in town. We have, uh, one micro brewery in town or Nano Brewery, I guess you would call it. Um, you know, we previously had a um a wine business in town. Um, it's and those are the those are the kind of businesses we're we're trying to attract. Um, and we previously had another brewery up on

Piket Hill Road which, you know, which didn't have a lot of opportunity to um be able to do a lot at their location, but if they we had some type of festival or something at Kelly Park or down at the lake, it gives them an opportunity as a local business to come in and profit from that as well. And I don't I read the law. Yeah. Okay. Yes. I wasn't quoting the law state. I think some of the assumptions that you're making are not consistent with the law. Okay. Okay. That's it's your opinion. You're free to have your opinion. So yeah, anybody else have any

I have a question Brett on Bead Hill. Um has there been any uh data collected or studies done in terms of any increased arrests or traffic uh traffic incidents um of these towns that have these social districts. Um, and that's what's one of the questions there if someone can find that data to see like no, there's no increase in um, drunk driving. Um, and two, um, has the police chief had input into what he his opinion because he's going to be the one that has to enforce the bad eggs. Yeah. Is that correct,

Christine? I was going to um I did do some research today because I was trying to find an existing ordinance or regulations and there are none um the towns that have adopted it have adopted it this year. So they haven't gone through the steps yet to establish the regulations. So there will be you're not going to find this is a new law. So there's no you're not going to find metrics inside of the state of New Hampshire for that. Yeah.

Um, you could look at, you know, for instance, if you might find a similar town and, you know, another state that has that allowable and say, you know, what's their percentage of incidents? Um, you know, it's I this town is not going to allow vagrancy downtown as a result of of a social district of being a somebody being able to to bring their beer outside of, you know, the downtown brewery and walk across the common and sit down and enjoy a band playing at the common. Um, that that's not going to be allowed. And, you know, nor are the local business owners going to support that either. Um, this this isn't the idea of this isn't for somebody to go grab a 12-pack at Cumbland Farms and sit down on the bench all day drinking beers and throwing the empty cans over their shoulder. Um, this we're looking at this as a benefit for for the citizens and and the businesses of the town. Um, not as a this isn't we're not looking for a hippie hill if I don't know if you're familiar with Danberry at all. Uh well I mean look I

New Orleans I think for Bristol the end it ends up being a simple like our economy is based in tourism. Yeah. That's the economy of the town. You look at where all of the

the the funding pieces come from when we swell in in people in the town. It's during the summertime and some of these pieces. So it's a matter of how do we structure things which is attractive and helpful to the businesses. Um, but step one of all this is is the town in favor of us going taking it to the next step to figure out we need x number of signs that end up getting placed here. Just some of those pieces that are back and forth. You're absolutely right. Like here's how the the law lays out. Okay, these are the things that you're possible to do. We need to be able to take that next step. But in order to get to there, we have to first go before the town and say, are you open to having to social districts yes or no? And again, I think from a business perspective, we're trying to figure out how do we capture where the town's trying to go as a community. What is our economic driver? And then how do we support that in a proper way?

I I understand what what you're saying and and that was my first assumption. Yeah. And and then I um as I tend to do, pulled up the law and looked at the law and and the law and that's why I wanted to read the law and unfortunately I couldn't. law. There's a lot lot in the law is highly restrictive to to the point of the kind of cup you into the social district.

Yeah. And and the the intent of that obviously is to be able to make it easily identifiable so you can understand when you when something is legitimately participating in the social district versus it isn't. But from a from a Bristol perspective right now, we haven't even gotten to the point of okay, how do we put the finer points on this is how you're going to get it. And then and then yes, the businesses, it' be my expectation that the business if you want to participate, you're going to cups. The cups are designed and you know, the towns are going to take on that expense. We're trying to do this to enable business growth and to enable more visitors when they come to the come to town, especially in the summertime, that there's an experience that they're going, "Okay, yeah, this makes a lot of sense. This is fun, right?" So,

it's going to be the select board and the town's responsibility to manage the you can't I don't see that you're going to be putting that on the restaurant owners at the at the end of the day. the town may this could get voted in and that this group may come together and say this is too much. We're not taking it on. Christina was

I want to add to that too. Um you can't you cannot even open the social district until you filed all of these things with the liquor commission. Correct. Like you have to have the management plan spelled out. So it could be that it may be voted and we may take a year before we can actually do anything to get it go off the ground. Um I also wanted to make um the police chief has been involved in this process. Um I know you'd asked that question. Um police chief has been involved. Um he has not raised any concerns right now. However, as we go through the process and establish the regulations, there could be concerns that he might raise that would have to be addressed. Um, I just looked up New Hampshire is the ninth state to start social districts and there's no data right now even in those other states that you can actually refer to um because it's new for them as well. And then um I just wanted to add one more thing on expense. Um we would have to pay for signage. we would have to pay um for signage and if there's any need for any garbage barrels, but garbage barrels are out in the downtown area in multiple places and they are taken in in the winter. That would have to be something we'd have to decide if those would stay out

or if the social district or if the social district is only from Xate, right? So, or do we even have our own ordinance that requires a business to have a refuge container outside of their business as well? So, it's not all on the town to take care of that, right? Um, Scott, you had a comment. I was just going to say I I believe is the intent of the board to this wouldn't be a 24/7, you know, freefor-all. It's we were I think our mindset was if we have special events a couple events throughout the summer then we're allowed to have like when we at fireworks you know for example we close the strip down already

then now we can allow vendors to come in and have food trucks or sell alcohol they can they can partake in that. It just adds to the mix. the the the biggest from what I see is that the biggest benefactors are going to be uh immediately are those local businesses in the downtown area um and possibly at the lake, whatever the board or committee decides to do that when those businesses get so busy in the summer that people walk in and there's so many people they turn around and walk back out. It's going to allow those folks to go out and enjoy a a beer and sit on the bench in the common um rather than stay in a crowded restaurant. Um cuz I I can I can speak to all three of those businesses in the downtown area and as well as I speak to the big catch. um you go in there and you can barely stand in there on a Saturday night. But, you know, somebody can walk across the street and you know sit on sit on the beach and you know enjoy a beverage uh rather than sit at a table in a crowded restaurant. I that's that is the intent of this. It's not to encourage alcoholism or anything like that. uh you know in my my personal experience having spent time in other states uh Florida in particular where you know you if you haven't finished your beverage and you want to go outside and you know go watch the waves crash on the beach you walk up to the door you pour your beverage in a cup and you you you go about your business. So, uh, but as far as any other state laws regarding, you know, the sale or distribution of alcohol, all of that is still intact and and has to be followed by the state. I mean, that's, you know, I I I don't want it to seem like we're trying to create a free referral zone. It's not going to be, you know, Amsterdam downtown. So,

well, under the law, it couldn't be a free-for-all anyway. Yeah. But, and also the social districts are not temporary. It's not like you you can say it wasn't the impression I had that that you can say, well, it's the Fourth of July, so now we're going to have a social district at the bottom of the lake or or whatever because a social district but both the delineation of where it is and the days and hours has to be sent to the um liquor commission. Right. So, so, um,

I can't I can't tell you for sure, but my my assumption is this is probably going to be like a it's going to be a good weather thing, so it's probably going to be like a Memorial Day to Columbus Day kind of thing or, you know, something like that or maybe a May 1st to November 1st. Uh, but, you know, certainly not like like we're saying this time of year, we don't even have waste containers out. We don't do trash collection around town this time of year. So, it just it it wouldn't work this time of year unless there was some kind of special exception that was made in and and things were put in place to take care of those issues.

I just want to be clear, I'm not opposed to social districts. I think it's a great idea for conquered and conquered has a kind of layout and a and a flow that makes it appropriate. I don't think Bristol has that kind of infrastructure.

It's different. Yeah, it's it's definitely different. And you know, clearly you need to vote your conscience when it's time to vote and and but at the end of the day, I think the I'll speak for me specifically. I'm looking at this and saying the reason why I support making sure that it's out on the ballot right now is to give us the opportunity to to work on the business community and go, okay, what are some things that make sense? Is the town willing to say, "Okay, we will establish a social district." But then we still, to the point that you just made, we still have to work out all of the details, but we can't go through that process until the town says we're either open to it or we're not. Because if we're not, then there's no need to waste anybody's time. No need to waste the police chief's time or anybody's time trying to figure any of that out. Right? So, step one is get the town to understand, all right, we want to go work on this. If the answer is yes, then we establish the right folks. We start to go figure out the process. We file all the paperwork. As Christina said, it could take us a while to do that. You know, when you look at the economy here for this community, right, and we're trying to figure out how do we work on housing and all these other pieces, you talk about some of the priorities that we have, a lot of that is going to be based specifically in what what is our business climate. So for us it's like that balancing act of how do you how do you work on things with it also help the business climate which then has the carry-on effect that makes sense hopefully

I think the social district might be appropriate in a future year when Bristol has some infrastructure you know more permanent benches the garbage cans like other towns have but this year in Bristol I don't think Bristol's set up for this and I think it will a waste of select board time to work on this. Well, I think that's our prerogative to decide that.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I just I mean, you know, listen, I appreciate hearing the different perspective, right? At the end of the day, one of the best things is that we make sure that we're all having a conversation. Hey, here's the things that I'm thinking about, right? Because maybe you pick up on something that we missed. But again, right now, I think we're literally at the stage of is the community opening to having a social district? Yes or no? And if the answer's yes, then we work on all of those details. If the answer's no, then we don't work on those details. But again, I think that that start personal opinion for me is it hampers the business community around how we get them to maybe operate together. And then to the point that the guys made about all the different events that we could try to work on in particular, like when we have the fireworks in Fort the Lake, right? There's other opportunities that that allow us to bring in uh revenue. So that's

and just and just to be clear, this this isn't just this board saying, "Hey, look what we can do now. We should put this on the ballot." This is a lot of there's a lot of public info input and a lot of public interest in favor of this that is looking forward to this on the ballot.

So it's it's it's you know, we're we're not this isn't our opinion or our prerogative. This is us trying to represent the voters and you as well. And that's why I appreciate you bringing in your concerns. I'm I'm just I wanted to be able to read the law because I think a lot of people I mean at first impression I was you know I you know sure what's you know what's the problem and and then I like I said I went and looked at the law and it's just seems I don't think people really would I don't think the mass of Bristol voters understand and I I'm not aware that there's been any kind of an educational ational effort on the part of the town to educate people about the law and and what does this mean uh the social district. It's not like you're going to go downtown and be able like I said bring a six-pack or a bottle

and don't don't take this the wrong way and with all due respect it's the responsibility of every individual voter to do their own research and that law is readily available for everyone to read just like you have. It's no different than voting for a candidate. And if I was running against Christina in in a election, you'd lose lose. I'd lose for one thing, but um you know, you'd want to do your research on Christina and you'd want to do your research on me to find out what exactly you're voting for. You know, unfortunately, we all know that's not the case. Um and that's I I'm not trying to be disrespectful by not allowing you to read that. I'm just saying it it is out there for anyone to look up on Google or we will certainly make it available on the town website and even the Facebook page K

um and put out, you know, any information that and if you think there's applicable information that you don't see out there, you know, please let us know. Um you can contact us through the town website and say, "Hey, I think maybe this should be on there." I can't guarantee it's going to um but if it is something relevant, we'll certainly we don't have it there, then we'll certainly put it up there for you and you'll certainly have the opportunity to speak at town meeting. Yeah, that's very Oh, well, no, it's on the ballot. Yeah, it's on the ballot. No, it's going to be a ballot vote at town meeting, but um God willing, I'm planning to be there.

We know you will. the we are we have set up um a website pa uh on our town website there's a page we haven't pro put this information totally out there because we're working on a voters's guide and and wanted to make sure that what you wanted me to put out um as well so we'll make sure we add stuff so and I imagine we'll probably we should have the some of that information available at town meeting as well yes so well if I get the voters's guide done that'll be at town and really at the end of the day that's that is this is more of aformational thing to you know there somebody might come in and say something that oh maybe we shouldn't have that on the ballot and I don't even know if we can pull it off the ballot at this point in time if we wanted to

you can skip it sure but at the at the end of the day I mean it's always been kind of the spirit of I I think I speak for the board and the spirit of these kind of things that

these are the kind of things we want to bring forth to the voters and we don't want to decide this we we want the vote we want the body decide. I mean, that's why I mean, town town meeting is the greatest form of democracy you'll ever see. I mean, everybody has their every all 3,000 something residents have their opportunity to come to town meeting and, you know, say their peace and debate this and and and have a vote and how this town runs and um and I know you've been there, but unfortunately we it's only about 150 people there, but hopefully we'll get a better turnout this year, you know. So, anybody else like to speak on the hearing?

Well, want to comment on that? I I suppose it seems to make sense to me. I'm not real familiar with it, but I know in the summer at least there's way more customers than there are places that have to go. Yep. So, I think at least exploring, which is all you're really doing at this point, that option seems to make sense. And as far as the infrastructure goes, I think that's a chicken or or an egg thing. Yep. You know, I think it'll evolve into that. You know, I'm sure there'll be problems, but it's this growing pain of their living. Yeah. Can I'm sorry, we didn't have the two the two gentlemen that spoke to us. Can they say their names for the minutes for the minute? Who she listens to this after? So, I'm sorry I didn't say my name. Michael Direct on holidays 89 Holiday. Brett Don 1222. I think Brett actually did.

I didn't know if you did or not. Sorry, Brett. You did. Uh if there unless there's any other comments on the hearing itself, I will go ahead and close the hearing. 6:41 641 um elections in town meeting prep part one. Part there's two parts.

Yeah, there'll be you'll do your other stuff at the next meeting. um like who we usually decide who does what. So this um let's start with elections. If the under number 5A in your folders, there's like a little bullet list um of election stuff. I went back through the last couple of election closeouts. Granted, we are holding elections at a new place for anybody who's listening. It's at the New Found Regional High School um on Tuesday, March 10th, and it will be from 8 I don't know why that says 2 p.m. ignore that on your your says 7 p.m. Mine says 2.

Says 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Isn't that weird? Mine says two. Look, there's something going on with this computer. I can't Oh, it does. This says two in the top line. Seven down there. This is three down.

Sorry. So, it's 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and it's New Regional High School. Um, Tuesday, March 10th. We will be in the gymnasium. Um, so arrival times for find um we are going to be setting up on Monday. They have early release. So, we were able to get in there to set up the voting booths um and um the lines for the voting, etc. Um highway school staff is actually going to be putting out the cover on the floor. um the highway department and town clerk tax collector's office will be setting up the rest. The only thing we won't be able to set up that at Monday is the um electronic the handicap assistance. Um we won't be able to do that. Um there is a group of children that'll be in the gymnasium on a separate part of the gymnasium on Monday night. Um so we're not going to set up anything that's electronic, but we will go in on Tuesday morning. Um, so for finalizing setup that's at 6:30 a.m. None of you have to be there that early. Um, select board

and supervisors where Cheryl I asked Cheryl what time for you. She said would be good if you could. Um, food. Uh, Cheryl's getting breakfast, lunch. Everybody's bringing their own lunch. Um, dinner. Um, pizza. Um, do you want the town to do that instead? Yeah, because we did do it last time. Yeah. Yeah. Shouldn't be that. Okay. Well, um so my next one was a question mark and I only put it out there because um it is the high school um and people used to be able to walk here um to go to voting if there's any um are we off do we want to offer a shuttle service from here to the high school?

I'm hoping you say no, but I'm just making sure. I guess I'm people that would normally walk would normally walk to the store on South Main Street or can't get a ride or I don't know they most of them can get an absentee ballot if you can't make it and they should be doing that through the town clerk's office but I wanted to put this out here if we open our any closer. So go ahead. Unless you contract with a company to do it. Otherwise, I think there's a liability liability on the golf cart, right?

Well, we were driving the town car before, but it's not it's a former police vehicle, so it doesn't have a seat in the back. So, you're sitting behind cage. So, but I know uh in other communities and in the past even in this community, there have been community organizations out there if anyone's listening that have said, "Hey, if anybody needs a ride to the polls, we'll come pick you up." So, yeah, things like that. Yeah. Yeah. Um Wi-Fi is all set. We're having the supervisors go in on Monday because our concern is the public Wi-Fi at the school isn't always a great it's non-existent. Yeah,

let's call to space. So, I've talked to them about that. Um, and they're so they're supposed to I'm supposed to have supervisors meet somebody at 1:00 on Monday there. So, um, police coverage. Yes. All day. Yes. Yes. Um, one. Mhm. Okay. Yeah, that's all we need.

Um, we are going to put signage at the historic town hall here and at the high school. Um, signage pretty much to tell people who might show up here. Voting is at the high school if they don't know that. Um, and then we will have signage at the high school to direct people where the voting access is. Um, parking, the teachers are in in service that day. Um, no school, but the teachers are there. So the first parking lot will be teachers. The second parking lot over will be um election workers and voters. So we are going to make sure that there's signage directing people that way. And which one's the first and which one's the second? So as you pull into the parking lot, the first one from which way?

There's only one entrance. I'm going to make a map. There's only one entrance. This is something that you guys can make. You're not supposed to get in from the other side. You're not supposed to from the other side anymore. is do not enter. So there no through traffic. Yeah. So we're going to do a map. Um but anything else? Everybody can figure it out. Front 104. How's that? Is it possible to ask the school if the teachers can park like by the softball field or in the honors parking lot? They they chose this parking lot. They did. Okay. And part of it does make sense because your entrance to the gymnasium on that side. Your entrance to the gymnasium is over here and that's where people will park. So

maybe we ask the election voters or the election workers to park by the soft. There you go. Problem solved. Parking is also okay. Anything else on elections? I think we're pretty much covered it. Um clarification. He's on the ballot. I will not be there. And I'm on the ballot. You're on the ballot for you can be there. You just can't touch ballots and you can't Yeah, you can be there. You just can't touch anything. Okay. You can't be behind the line basically. So you could run and pick pizza up. Sure. You know, I'll be your errand boy. How's that? Yeah. When I need coffee. Exactly. You could I think you could probably help direct people.

Yeah. To I don't I You just can't election and you can't touch the ballots. I'll sit out I'll sit out in the parking lot in a lawn chair by coffee. You're not gonna stand out in front of the door with a sign. I can test it. Oh, and probably Ned needs to define where that is. Yeah, to ask. Where the area? That's fine. That's something we can do that.

Um, okay. town meeting Saturday, March 14th, is also at the high school beginning at 9:00 a.m. and it's at the auditorium. Um, which is a different the opposite entrance this time. Um, we are working on getting Cade set up with an IT consult. Um, they've done some renov renovate. They're telling me they did the renovations before town meeting last year. I said, "No, you didn't." Because it was the old This is much nicer um auditorium now. So, um, arrival times, um, finalizing for setup. I believe it we can't set up on Friday. So, Kade and I might be there at 7:30, depending on why he has to set up for his equipment. 7:30, 8:00, but you guys would have to be there till 8:30, 8:45. Food. Is there any thoughts of I We're not going to probably get anybody to sell food there. I'm going to say probably no

hasn't worked out for but no um police coverage the police chief will be there for I believe um department heads are all there anyway but if he's not you want to make sure you have police coverage yes yep um and then sign and someone who could actually speak preferably someone who could speak to I think he I think he will be there um slideshow So, what type of slideshow do you want for the beginning of the meeting or what are your thoughts? Good one. Are you saying that they haven't been good that I've done already? You're asking us you're asking us for input on stuff that you're good at and we're not. So,

all right. Good. Um, on the regular side slideshow, Warren articles. What else do you want with the Warren articles? Well, right. Like that's the whole thing we talked about. Like we can get get a copy of the budget. I want to do one slide that so it tries to summarize it so we can actually break it out by department because you can there's a almost a nice straight line you can get from the total to what the average person pays you have to work with work with Paul on that because he actually presents it. Yeah, 100%. I understand. Yeah. And in to in the spirit of tonight's discussion, information on the social district question. Yeah.

Uh maybe not even necessarily so much for the slideshow as if we could have some type of brochure available to explain it. I I don't know. I had I have every intention to get the a voters's guide done on all of the articles. Yeah. Well, the thing is, I guess, at least my thought is is Yeah. We'll have a voter's guide that way. It's it's it's about education, right? I mean, even the thing of uh Joanne and um Steve, you know, they did their video on the zoning stuff, right?

Um you know, maybe we have one slide on on the social districts and literally just a few bullet points from us in summary tonight of like, okay, it's step one, but there's still these things coming, right? That way we delineate for people. It's not like you're deciding all of the parameters of that today. This is whether you're okay with us going after this. You're cheating. You were looking at my list. I wasn't. And you said bulleted list. Oh, all right. Sorry. And then I thought draft map. Maybe I may have presented one.

And that that's one of those one I mean and and at the end of the day, we're going to be explaining each Warren article as they're presented. Yep. Um, and that's one that, you know, that's going to have some some Q&A involved. Um, there are going to be two good videos attached um to this um site as well. One from Ben um Ben's done one on one of the articles and then Joanne and like an interview video. No, he No, he did an art he did a video on um the Warren article. Oh, yeah. Yeah. on the reserve.

So we that'll be linked up here by tomorrow. They're on there. There's YouTube article for curing appointment. So um the just for anybody who's listening to um there is um we won't say who but there is a town dedication um ceremony at the next select board meeting. Anybody's welcome to come to that. Um, do you 32? What? 32? I thought the answer was 42. 32. Oh, cuz that's I'm glad you said that. Thank you. Neither one of us can count.

Perfect. I'm not I can't tell anybody what that's about until town meeting. It's a surprise. Um so do we last year there was a uh something provided to the child court dedication that was a gift from the person botonist. Do we want to do the same thing? Yeah. And then um special recognition. Can you read that? I don't want to um I feel we should do that.

Yeah. And um it's hard to say, but it's a surprise because I don't want this person to hear this. And so um I feel we should do that. And I wondered if you agreed with that. Um yes, I agree with that. The other thing is um that plus years. Yes, that's what I was just talking about. Yeah, you just saw me. Yep. No, no, no. Like the total. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Kevin McCale 32. Yeah, there you go. Um, and then the swearing in for all newly appointed or elected usually happens at the end of the meeting. Yeah. Other than that, anything else for town meeting? That's going to be my one year mark. Yeah.

Wow. Seems like it's been Oh, no. Count the rings. It's very painful. Um, anything else for town meeting? You good? Okay. We beat that county machine approval letter. Um I need you to So the new machine that we've received um requires a letter of approval to use. We could not find an actual vote in the minutes. So they've allowed um Cheryl drew up a letter letter Cheryl drew up a letter. Um if the board could vote and sign tonight, then we can send it to the Secretary of State's office to be ready to go for elections. That's the letter. Um, if you want to

is what's what number is the letter under? Uh, the next one down. Next one down. Oh, I found it. 5C. Y

that's not much of a letter. Yeah, they they gave us the wording. So,

yeah. You said we needed to take a vote on it or someone want to move it since it's in my hand. And I will make a motion that the town of Bristol will be using the state approved image cast precinct 2 per 65640 adoption RSA. We took delivery of the ballot counting machine on January 11th, 2026. The town will be using the state credit for the machine. We only have one ballot counting machine for the entire town. Second motion by Doug, second by Milrin, second by Lu.

There you go. Any discussion? All those in favor? All right. Oh, we would like going off the rails. TA report.

Um, you you want to look at TA report info only folder first? See if there's anything that you're you can look at the um the print out. It's up to date. It's the word document if you want. Um I can't open mine. Those are those items are just to make sure that you know what um what's going on. If there's anything specific that you want to have questions on, they're in the folder. And I guess there is one that I think would be nice to point out. People who um 70 Marramac Street that the town sold last year and 85 Lake Street, the to town sold last year, are both going to be on the tax warrant this year um and receiving tax bills. So,

very cool. We need to sign I committed to sign the MS737. You didn't have to. Oh, okay. No, it just the budget committee. Oh, that's right. I always get that wrong. The budget committee sign. I always do that wrong. Never mind. It's been posted here. We just posted it at the high school because you have to post it at your polling place. Yeah. So, it went out to be posted today and then it's posted with the Department of Revenue.

Okay. Got it. Yeah. I always forget that it's the budget committee that signs that. You think just making sure I'm not on the tax list. You think after 14 years of doing this, you'd know better. All right. I can go to Okay. So, anybody you have any questions on the info section? No. Discussion items. Um the first one is kudo. We received kudos from um for land use and transfer station which I thought would be good to share. Um and actually I think it came in one of the one of the meetings commission. Yeah.

Um so um one of the members of the conservation commission Richard Metaf submitted these comments. Um the land use team was applauded for all the systems and application deadlines established that allow for preliminary comment by the conservation commission before planning board review and decision. Um they have done a lot of trying to make sure wetlands permits are handled appropriately and the conservation commission has time to get um comments back. So um and then the transfer station is applauded for all the systems and assistance now provided to towns people. Um so Mr. Lu was going to pass it along to the transfer station um uh attendance but I can also share these feedback. So

uh report sorry

um number two Buzz and I met with Tia from the Army Corps this week. Um we reviewed the proposed challenge partnership which was presented um we presented it to Army Corp gave it to us. We went back to them negotiating and they've come back to us negotiating again. Um we are down to only a few minor um items um over the agreement and we're working to set up a meeting between um Buzz and Ways, the Army Court Council member to finalize. So, we feel we're really close to having a final challenge partnership agreement agreement for construction to present to the board and that will be um that's the whatever we're going to call it that Pemy's have. So, so we're we are getting very close so to final challenge agreement. Um, number three, Saturday, March 7th at 11:00 a.m. the group along with the group Hemi path group along with the Pasquani snowshoe club will be hosting a guided snowshoe hike. Participants will meet at Bristol Falls Park off Central Street. The hike is a wooded fourmile roundtrip along Hemi I cannot talk heet river primarily on the old rail bed. There will be cars offering return shuttle from Profile Falls for those who wish to do a one-way trip only hike. So, everybody's welcome to attend. Um, a reminder for I don't think that you two can do it though. The training you said you were going to go to the training. I don't think you should.

Okay. Because you can't touch the bot machine and you can't touch the balls. If you wanted to go watch, that's your choice, but you can't do the machine. show us how to do it after. Right. So, the county machine training is February 25th at 11:00 a.m. for the select board moderator and town clerk's office. They will be here in this meeting room. I did send you all invites. Um so, if hopefully that's next Wednesday, right? Yep. Okay. Yep. Because um the concern is somebody needs to know how to run it in case Ned has to step away.

Yep. So, um, emergency exit at the library, we finally addressed it. Um, we do not, we're not using the side entrance any longer. Um, the front end, the old front entrance is the new emergency exit for the meeting space. Um, they've cleaned the storage space out. They've in we've gotten the exit sign installed. Um, and so we will you will no longer see that side entrance being shoveled during the winter. Um, and it will no longer be used as emergency exit. Okay, I'm throwing you under the bus on the next one. Sorry. Franchise fee. Um, we have received the franchise fee. It is lower. There's a document in there that shows how they calculated it.

Yeah. So, can I send them questions? We estimated we estimated 50,000 and we got 43,204. Um, and that was booked in 2025's revenues. Um, so they pro they did provide the payment detail. Here's my question. We haven't renewed the franchise agreement.

Um, I've contacted Breezeline and um, we've contacted Breezeline and they want to renew it. So, we've had it reviewed by the attorney and we've had some questions from John. I would like to, if the rest of the board agrees, meet with John to finalize it. meet with Breezeline and John to finalize the franchise agreement and get the actual agreement before the board ready to go if you're okay with that. I'm throwing him. I don't think anybody else wants to be there.

So, I mean, so here's what it comes down to like for me. So, like why? So, we have the the questions about the infrastructure when you look at the breakdown of this, the things that come up. So, they got $3,598 in wire maintenance. So, from a capital perspective, what's their plan? Because that's not a lot of money. And then how many users make up this $864,000? Like like what's that number?

Just so we can kind of figure because it's we're getting 5% of what that total is of and that's basically revenues and how they broke them out. But at 3,500 bucks, they're not going to be replacing a lot of repeaters or things on polls in town. Now that doesn't mean that that folks don't have other options because we have hub 66 that's done a lot of things. I mean there's there's other ways to get to the internet and some of these pieces. But anyways, so if John's willing and you guys are okay. Okay. Um I did want to update um the concern about the advertising flags. Yeah.

Um I did bring it to the land use manager's attention. What we're waiting on because it provides more clear definitions and regulations on signage is the zoning amendment. It will be enforced either way, but I think the clearer definitions give them a little bit more when they go to do the enforcement. Um, short-term rental update. Joanne has put together a packet based upon the recommendations of the town's attorney, which is, um, based on Conway. Um,

I would like to push this out to the first meeting in April with the new board, which will give us a little more time to, um, review what she's got together, her and I. Um, so I just wanted you to know that energy committee. Um, in your folders under TA9 is a memo, um, and an email from Paul Feimis, the energy committee chair. Um, he had asked to be if he for five minutes tonight. So I said I could do it under the TA report. So I'm if you're okay, I'd like to turn that over to him. You okay?

Yeah. So this um this is a letter that towns are signing to allow for uh support of a Senate Bill 538. So, Senate Bill 538 is coming out of uh New Hampshire Senate and is focused on solar net metering and the basic point is to extend solar net metering uh for 20 years. This allows investments that have been made in community solar or large-scale solar to be amvertised over that period of time and to be assured that net metering will still be in effect. Um, this all came because originally before CO they did some changes to the law and there is a 40-year limit on it that uh will cause it to end without statutory control. This bill corrects that and allows uh net metering to continue to exist for another 20 years. So investments today would still be secure. And the letter simply states that the select board of Bristol support that bill SB538. Uh over 50 towns have signed up for this already, have written a letter, and it's no implication to us in terms of any kind of liability or tax or cost. It's just a way to show our support for solar net metering specific to solar. We already have this in effect uh at our wastewater treatment facility and we also have this in effect at the poverty

planes uh metering net metering group net metering site that we're participants in. So, uh, it is in our best interest to support it from that point of view. So, that's all it is, just a letter. If the bill doesn't pass, what's what happens? Yes. Well, it has the potential to expire, you know, that net metering could expire and that's going to reduce the potential for investment because you build your investment plan based on some kind of revenue projection over a period. How is it determined now? I mean,

well, right now it is determined by assuming that it's going to be in place. This would extend the length of time. That's all. So, it would extend it another 20 years. It looks like it would expire in 2040. No. Well, is it is going to expire next year if we don't do this or what's No, not next year. 2040. Or is it just a year-to-year thing that that this would extend it to 2046 if it passes if I understand correctly. Okay. So when does it run out 2040? Okay. So it essentially extends it for six years not from 20. Right. 20 out from today.

20 out from 2026. Okay. So um yeah. Oh there yeah. Sorry I missed that. It's guaranteed through 2040 now. Yeah. So, you you made a comment about 50 communities supporting it. Yeah. Where would I find that?

Uh, you didn't. I was in a webinar today at noon and that's what was reported. So, I sat in on some more information about this today at noon and that was a that was a statement that was made at noon. Is it? So I guess the question I have on this is is it within the purview of the town to support or not support a Senate bill or House bill or any Sure. Yes. Sure. Not unusual or or unreasonable. We've done it in the past. I testified. Yeah. When I was Yeah. No, I was just curious. And

And I hated it. All right. Um, I'll make a motion to uh approve a support letter. Um, do you want to give me permission to sign it for you? Yes. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. With permission to sign. Second. So, I have a motion by Sean, uh, second by Dawn to draft a letter in support of Senate Bill in support. Correct.

Yeah. Okay. Support of Senate Bill 538. Um authorizing the town administrator to sign said letter. Discussion any I don't feel like I know enough about this to even vote one way or the other to be honest with you. Yeah. Any other discussion? Those in favor? Opposed? I'll abstain. Was that 401? Thank you. So, I'll prepare this on letterhead um and get it ready.

Do you want me to Paul? I while you're here this Can I just um I just want to ask a question on this before you go on. That's okay. Do you do you want me to send this direct to them or do you for you and take care of it or do you want it back to you so I know what I'm doing? If you could send it and CC me that would Okay, perfect. Thank you. Sorry, Mr. Chair. Uh, so I saw this today first of all. Great. Very good information on everything. I didn't see it, Rob. What is it? Oh, the C. It's you in the right editorial. It's great information. you know, I read through it and everything. Good.

We weren't aware it was being put out there. Um, so just in the future, please at least let Christina know that it's going to be okay. Coming out. Sure. Cuz it it it's kind of vague like it it says says that you're the chair of the energy committee. Um, and it says it's, you know, in conjunction with community power. So, it's kind of like a gray area that it's your is it your opinion or is this the town of Bristol putting it out? So, I think that in the future just run at least run it by us and say, "Hey, you know, got to put this in the paper." And I don't think any would have had a problem with that whatsoever. Okay, that's that's fair comment. Um, it was the same article, I believe, that was in the Bristol Buzz.

Is that I haven't seen that article, so I don't know. I haven't seen it either. Please don't take it as a negative thing. I just happened to to ask Christina about it. I don't know anything about it. Quite frankly, I didn't either. So, it was another member of it was Nick. Nick is on my energy committee and it came up because I asked him to try to publish a couple different places. So, comments well taken. I can come back. It just goes back to um it just goes back to whether and thank you.

Sometimes we don't have any issue with it. Sometimes we would have an issue with it, but the policy should be across the board of whether you're representing a town or you're representing it. It's more the way that like it's kind of like it's almost like that's a featured editorial. Um cuz if it was one of the other ones on the other side and it was, you know, written as Paul Be citizen of Bristol, well, great. That's, you know, no, I understand your question. Yeah, I get it. That just looks like it's officially kind of looks like it's officially endorsed by the town. Uh, which I mean that's basically our standpoint on I was just going to say that, you know, we did talk about making sure we support that. I think the ultimate point is really around

regardless of the public um uh publication we're going to go into, we just want to make sure there's at least a notification. Hey, we're going here and here and here. We all go, yeah, that makes sense. said, you know, town was famous. Christina, I just I kind of want to clarify what John was saying. We re not that you didn't support Cacaser itself, but you voted you agreed to support putting it on the warrant. Yes. But um I don't know if you all came out with a decision to support it or not individually, but you put it on the warrant so the voters could make a decision. Yeah.

Yep. And this question of advocacy versus position of the town, I think, is a fair one. We have to be careful with that. What we do with articles generally is I run them through her and she has them, you know, she would have the board look at it if they think there's anything in it. We should have done that here. Um, this got a little away from me. Nick did this. He did pop up and say, you know, we've got an opportunity and I went seems reasonable. So, I should have caught it. But good. Yeah. You end the day everybody's rolling for the same point. Sure. Sure. Yeah. Thank you. I look young in that picture, too. Look good, buddy. We use these old pictures, you know.

AI will do to your photo. It's a dating profile. I'm sure Karen would love to hear that right now. He's going to get like come here. Um, any other questions about net metering? Do you want any detail about it or what it is? I think he No, no, I have my stomach full of net metering. Yeah. Anybody here questions about net metering? Okay, I had enough of solar panels at the uh deliberative session. So, all right, very see you. Um, what else you got?

Uh, number 10 is pops code. There's a PowerPoint presentation and notes from the conservation commission meeting in the folder under number 10. Um the gist is there's a group that spent um time hiring an engineer working with NLR and New Hampshire dees regarding concerns on the loss of the beach and the impacts to wildlife and water activities including swimming and so on. Um for the Pikes Point residents um they are looking into solutions such as dredging um funding sources and they are asking for support from the town. Um, this was what was in the minute, Sean. Um, to maintain drainage systems and manage steep slopes and wetlands ordinances. They are asking if Bristol will engage in the process of dealing with the state to improve the cove. My I put this stuff in your folders. I'm going to email it to you because I don't think that you're going to have a decision tonight. This first time you're seeing this. Um I think I was at would ask that you could review and um maybe we can discuss at the next meeting. I did ask the group to come in um and they had didn't um they after their presentation conservation commission and the time they spent they didn't um they felt it would be too costly for them to come in to present again to the select board. So but Sean did attend the conservation commission meeting. Yeah, they were they were at the weren't they previously at the here?

Not with me. Okay. Well, yeah. I mean, the the concern is um the concern is the filling of that cove over over the years. Um mainly it's I think it's hemlock. Yeah, it's that dumps in there. Hemlock does dump in there. Yeah. Um, and you see it every summer when the

the hill starts to uh melt. Uh, sorry, every spring when the when the hill starts to melt, you see dirt and everything come out on the ice before the ice breaks up. So, it shows you what's happened over time. And you know, uh, anecdotically, people were talking about, you know, they used to be able to get a boat, you know, everywhere in that cove and now you can't. Um, and so really, I I really don't know what they expect from us. We at the conservation commission, we talked about supporting um zoning uh language that would increase buffers on Brooks, increase the requirements for um crossing the Brooks. There's a couple of culverts on Heblock Brook uphill of that that can strip the flow uh and I would say wash out pretty frequently.

Yeah. uh they're just not big enough. Um so they're they're I mean really they should probably take that to the planning board. Um yeah, at the at the conservation commission we talked about that and just having an education around, you know, what happens with u what happens with residential development, you know, on the upper slopes on some highly erodable soils and how that affects the, you know, the the water quality there in the in the cove. Um they're getting all uh they're getting allergy. they're getting um you know blooms there in the summertime, algae blooms and

um it's just um it's a much different con that used to be there. I mean the only real solution is dredging. No one wants to, you know, no one wants to talk about because it's a lot of money, but really that's that's, you know, anything sealed into the lake, right? Anything that can be done upstream will protect future. Yeah. But in the end um no matter what

I'm not sure exactly what we can do for them except encourage the education on you know continue to encourage the education on you know building on the upper slopes and making sure everything is appropriately engineered and you know if you can do a bridge instead of a culvert do a bridge instead of a culvert you know if you um it's pretty easy these days with waste blocks and bridge panels um but yeah So that's what they were that's what they were talking about. it. There is a couple of steps that were in the conservation commission meeting um like maintain road ditches and keep covers clear of debris, clearing and development on which that wouldn't fall under select board but right

um some of this is going would be something that should have been brought to the planning board, right? Um but some of it would be uh what's weird is the email says our direct question to the town of Bristol is simple. Will the town of Bristol engage in the process of dealing with the state to improve the code? I'm not sure. We would be happy to recommend they sign they do what you know wetlands permit for dredging that. Yeah. I don't know. The minutes don't say anything about don't say what exactly they're looking for. It's that the email that came asking me to talk to the board. So, right. Um, I can go back to her and clarify exactly what she's looking for,

but I wanted to make sure you had these materials. It seems like something that should be involved in. They are. They are. Yeah, they were here. Uh, they had an engineer that looked at the how much it had had filled in. Um, NL was here. uh and and yeah, we're all working together to try to educate and um and get get people to do the appropriate steps upstream. Right. Yeah. Just like what we did at Common Beach, you know, they got they got grants and money to do that just right those kind of projects are probably but at the end of the day I don't know if they're expecting the town to you know pay for a dredging of

or do you help them get through the application process? We're happy to, you know, write it something in favor, but that's about all we can. Well, that was my feeling, general support of the project. But if I I need to clarify exactly what they I don't see where the burden on the town would be to pay for that though. Right. Right. Of course, that whole road was filled in, you know, over I'm sure at some point. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. We could we could make a big big arch bridge there. Yeah. And it would allow sediment to move through.

Okay. Next. Um there's a letter in your folders under number 11 um regarding the Wamit Road dumpster matter. Um and this is totally against it. Um, so um, my concerns are no. Um, I don't think I don't think we talked about it enough to be ready to make that a decision. Um, but I thought about bringing the parties back in both sides. Yeah.

Having a conversation. If there's any kind of easement or boundary line change, there's a whole step that you have to go through which is five or six steps. Um I before we need to make sure that's what you're going for, but if you read this letter from this other person, um which is excellent. Yeah, it is. Um and just for the record, if I'm no longer on the board on that meeting takes place, I heavily oppose allowing that on the end of L Road. Well, are I going to say uh because they can use the dump just like the rest of us do.

Are you all are you ready? I mean you've most of you were here for that meeting. Are you ready to say no or Well, but the the conversation led to an alternative. Yeah. Correct. Which would not have it in the circle would have it further up onto what's now town property, but it would be a swap basically boundary line agreement which this person indicates for various reasons should not be allowed. But it's a boundary. But we're still two different things. So boundary line agreements are one thing. Boundary line adjustments are another. Exactly. So yeah, adjustment is what I meant. Sorry.

So e even making that adjustment is still making a concession to some residents over others. Yeah. So it's still setting a precedent. I can well this person did point out the environmental concerns to doing to putting the in that location. Let's um I don't know. You you call it. Are we in I'm 100% opposed to it and have no problem saying no. Okay. Um I was That's me though. That's not the looking for an alternative. I don't really have Yeah. I mean, I think if I remember correctly, that night, that's really what ended up being a little bit of problem solving because I think

the place that they were originally trying to go to is where there's water runoff and drainage now. And we would kind of go, well, these are some of the options. Um, I just I don't think it's fair to make concessions for one group of residents when clearly there's a group of residents that are essentially at Butters that already have an issue with it. Have have we taken had have any steps been taken? Okay.

No, I've emailed both parties and just let them know I was going to talk to the board again. Um I did get confirmation from the town's attorney. Um if you did a boundary line agreement that would in essence say you agree this is where the boundary would be. Not it's not saying you did a survey or swap anything that you agree. I don't suggest that obviously, but if you do the boundary line adjustment, then we have to go to the conservation commission. They have to vote on it, right? And my suggestion would be a survey. Y they provide the survey if that Yeah, they'd have to they'd have to provide.

Well, so but I I guess what I would say is um the the in light of Sorry, Rob. No, but in light of um further discussion and noted objection, we will be taking a close look at how and if this proceeds. Here's how I look at this. This is a benefit to a very small group of residents. If there was no detriment to anyone else, I would be willing to look into it further. However, there is detriment to other residents and this is just one voice.

Um, and there's an easy solution to this, and that's take your trash to the dump like the rest of us. It's fair. Yeah. But dumps open 3 days a week. We all the rest of us do it. put a crash in our car, drive to the dump, say hi to the guys at the very friendly group of guys down there that will help you take the trash out of your car. All covered by our taxes. See, previous memo about how good they are. Yeah, just saying having your own dumpster is a convenience for you. So, right. You know, and if you and if it's going to be a convenience to you, then you put it

if you can afford that convenience and have that convenience and and do it on your property. Fantastic. Exactly. Yeah.

Okay. Is that the general consensus or or do or is there more we want to do? I got one, two, three. speaking. Do we need to have them commit again or not? I was going to say we may have to because I think we left it where we felt like that was a reasonable way to try to solve the problem, but at the same time, there was still some other work to be done, right? So, I just I don't want to leave I don't want to just leave the ultimate tell them we'll talk to them after the election. But Well, here's the thing. Hold on a second. We're still here.

I know. I know. Here's the here's the thing. If you were to go through the proper process for this, there's going to be a public hearing. We have to hold two public through the conservation commission. They have to vote on it. Planning board has to vote on it. Then two public hearings of this and those are the ones I have to have specific. So if you want to waste everybody's time and go through all that, but there's an easy solution to this and the answer is no. I mean, I seriously think things are going to be a little cut and dry here. No, listen. I'm good with it. I just I was going to say, do you just want to take a vote and see where you're at?

Yeah. I'll make a motion that we don't allow the dumpster at the end of Alam Road. I hate negative motions. Motion to deny. How is that? Period. Yes. Okay. Motion to deny the use of a dumpster at the end of a llama road. Thank you. That's my cottage association. I will second that one. I will be the bad guy. So motion by myself and second by Don. Discussion. We just did. Yeah. I don't know. I I still feel like I'm not saying I disagree with your ultimate sentiment, but I feel like we've now had two different conversations with two different perspectives at two completely different times.

But you didn't have a conversation with the second reading it. That's true. which is true. So anyways, I'm just It just feels disjointed to me. So I kind of want to make sure that they get represented in that regard. They can always appeal to the decision. It's all good. Yeah. I take it up with the next take it up with the next. Okay. Back here. I'm looking out for the town. Not 100%. No. No. No. I don't think you're No one assigns any Yeah. any um they're very nice people. I feel bad not being able to help out, but at the end of the day, it doesn't work for everyone, right?

It's true, but I guess I guess the point that only point that I'm making is is is uh we had one conversation and now we have one letter in it. It just it's very segment that I kind of want to either either tell them to go through the process or not. So I, you know, anyways, would you feel better if we brought them back in and see if they had a change in plans? Well, I um or just sort of an understanding that would whatever. This is why government gets nothing done, right? Call Call or No, go ahead. Call your vote. All those in favor of denying deny the dumpster. Two, three, four. Okay. All those in favor of allowing it.

No. extensions. No, no. So, no. So, I'm a no vote. All those opposed to allowing it. Yes. Right now, I'm saying I'm voting no to your deny just because I want the process. So, I have four people voting their deny. Who votes against the denial? I just want the process to do what the process so the denial pass. And I can offer that they can certainly appeal. Now, I know why you hate negative motions. And by the way, I agree with you. I don't think we should be there, but I just I felt like we went down one time. Yep. No, that's it. It's okay. Disagree. We have way too many way too many. It's all good. Uh uncontested motions. So,

all right. Uh Central Square update. Uh parking on the green has been eliminated. Um it's take we've got we've been communicating back and forth. Excuse me. Um parking for the for I'm not calling it that yet. Former parsonage law. Um I I've explained the rules to it. Um she we're going to meet when she gets back from her maternity leave. Um and we're going to just make sure she understands all of the rules with that parking lot. Can we go back to the parking on the green? Yeah. Did we formally ask them to remove the snow that they plowed up on? Not done yet. Oh, okay.

Okay. Um snow snow will not be pushed back from from their parking areas onto the green anymore. She did not know that the maintenance man was doing that. Um here's where she did say um snow in the driveway will be they will need to be pushed back somewhere. Um and so what they've if you've seen it, they pushed it back on like the corner which is away from the tree which is on the corner by right by the sidewalk. And I said I'd have to talk to the highway department and I'd have to talk to the board. So there's whose property is in what? ours that it can't be done. So they we can suggest that they plow in

and they have to put it on their own property. They can put it wherever they want as long as it's not on town property. Okay. Um smoking on town property. Um she will share that information out to the tenants that um she can't her comp she couldn't enforce it and I said I'm not asking you to enforce it. I just need you to share the information. Um, and then there was one other thing that came up about decorations. I'll address that with the decoration committee. So, um, but I still will meet with her at the beginning of March, but I will let them know I may not have this completely corrected for the storm that's coming this weekend. Um, but after that, it should be taken care of. So,

so Rob, just a question for you. Uh, particularly in this instance, I agree with you that we can't be pushing snow up there. I guess when you say okay it's on town property no you know you can't push this thing people all over town and like the right away is is generally town property and so a lot of times people have to push in many different places. Yeah. That is definitely a scenario where it's like it starts to be detrimental to the way we're trying to decorate in the trees and stuff like that. So I'm I'm putting a distinction to what you're saying. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not saying like I mean there's plenty of people that have to pl push up the corners of the driveway or blow snow on, you know, just and they end up in the right away with all those piles.

Yeah. At the end of the day, it's green space. And it's it's one of those things if you the more you go down the rabbit hole with it, it's a lot easier to just say no, don't put no property, period. I was just trying to bring it up to see if there's any space I mean, so right now it's right here, just so you know. But I was wondering that that's an area that we attempt to keep, right, clean and well, that block the view. I was going to say it's in their own best interest to not put snow there, right? Yeah. So they don't get cream coming out. I I mean,

but they can push it back in here. there's empire that the only solution with the only solution with that property looking at it and I'm not suggesting this as a I'm just giving an opinion. I'm not suggesting this as a town official is to truck snow out of there. They need to hire a private contractor and have snow trucked out of there x amount of times a year depending on the amount of snowfall. Right. True statement. Okay. How long have they been doing this? Right. For years. Well, they prior prior owners had a different plan. This is the worst it's ever been this year. Um, in the past, it's been minimal.

And they're not removing that, are they? The snow? No. Okay. No. Cuz that could be more impactful than what's already there. They're just not they're not pushing anymore there. So, yeah. Um, I mean, unless Victor has a good way of mean, unless Victor has a good way of doing it, but I think I don't think it's doing it, but I think I don't think it's worth spending the time on or taking the worth spending the time on or taking the chance of damaging anything doing more chance of damaging anything doing more damage than our done. damage than our done. Um, I that's the end of the TA report, Um, I that's the end of the TA report, but I reserve the right to call but I reserve the right to call Columbbo. Columbbo. You remember that joke? You remember that joke? No, I remember the detective. No, I remember the detective. You know, I was going to give you that

You know, I was going to give you that one last thing. Um, I one last thing. You You're going to get into the philosophy in the end anyways. Hey, I reserve a col. We I shared that joke with you guys a while ago, so I keep calling it a colombo because I don't want to hear it. And one more thing. Go for it. No, I'm good right now. All right. I'm good right now. Make sure we're um Don't forget though, we I thought you were saying that you had one more thing. No. Um don't forget we do have a nonpublic meeting to continue at the end of the night. Um, items. Select quote items. Yes.

Processing a thought. Same thing happens at home. Finish processing the thought. Right now, you're looking forward to March 15. John, what would you like to share? Um, I covered for Dawn at the last planning board meeting. It was uh Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. No, it's all good. It was great to see um some of the new businesses coming in and it's it's going to go we're going to try to get connected from an economic opportunity committee perspective. Um but like the tea room that's going to go across the way like uh just a lot of really I think too. Yeah. So this interesting right um uh the building coming down where Norton's is now uh the nurse visit nurse building

there's usually visiting nurses. Yeah, the Norton's uh Jeff was in go um about taking down the Norton's building and what you know what he's trying to do there with some residential apartments above it. Um, so definitely I think a lot of great activity around the square and you know it just starts to feed into all those pieces right like you know what we're trying to do from a potential on the social district all that stuff like I think just there's some great activity so you know that was good economic opportunity I think is something that to um that we'll pick up on again too as well. So anyways I've been working on it I just

No, it's been Listen, it's been Yeah, it's all good. There you go. I'm done. Sean, uh just had uh we talked about briefly just had a resident reach out regarding the advertising signs on uh on 3A heading north. Um various places around sign like the the banner signs, all the feather banners. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. that uh didn't think that they were allowed and told them we'd follow up and uh probably and and talking about the sign ordinance uh will be a better opportunity if and when that happens. Are those allowed? What's the see? I we don't think so. I don't believe so.

Not without sight sight plan. They're wicked tacky. Yeah, that that was the that was the message. But but the cons my concern with them is in one particular instance a business has them and if you're trying to turn out of that business they obstruct a view and there's a lot of kids crossing the road in that area. Yeah. So I and I and that business was very approachable. Yeah. So I don't see what's that no I I don't see why we couldn't or someone couldn't approach them and say hey we have these concerns and I think there's a couple other you know along that but I I think they'd be willing to say hey you know we got a safety concern you know

uh he'd be pretty that's a good point about that specific specific owner. So yeah, um I told him that I would I would look into it and and we did and the answer is we're probably going to be addressing it after the site or Yeah. passes inevitably will. I would think because it really is cleaning it up. It's the sign. So um and that's all I had. Don't you go too far? Um, I'll do a Columbbo on this one.

And Scott, you may remember this. You wait till we talked about police um at the middle school and when the kids were crossing the way, we we talked about the different signs that I was just thinking about this today. Well, cuz the other day I was trying to come through the center of town and there were a bunch of kids that were pulling across the street to try to go to the store and it was like I I don't remember where we ended up. I know we asked for a couple things to be looked at. So, I wanted to make sure not this year. It's not in the budget, but take a look at Yeah, it's one without me having to run the select point again. It's definitely one of those things I'd like to see pursued. I just thought it'd be a very good idea with bringing that forward after that or something.

Okay. And we were supposed to reach out to the state doing it, but so when we're in contact with the 10-year project, we need to contact them and see if there's any grants available for those. Yeah. Yes. I know. Just one more thing. Just one more thing. Yes. Um so after town meeting once um I should be able to have more information on that plus the 10ear plan because we're going to be doing a kickoff on the 10-year plan coming up. Yeah. So that sorry I but if you ask me to do it before town meeting I'm going to fail miserably. No, I think I don't think we had enough time and there was enough going on that we didn't pursue it before this town meeting.

I also thought the school was looking at stuff too and they were going to come back. That was they um I don't think they have in the budget either. So, okay. But I think we can figure something out. Okay. Did you have anything? I did not. Okay. I have something. There's an event taking place in Bristol this weekend. And here's my question. If an event takes place in town, does it require a permit? Depends on the event and where it is. Well, the events on the ice. Oh, is it in Bristol or Wow. Mhm. The shoreline is not, but the ice is.

So, the ice is a ice on the water becomes a sticky wicket. Yeah, but usually if it's an event that require may require police coverage, may require fire coverage, may may in bring a lot of people, um, they're supposed to. So, this is relative to the winter fest at New Found Lake in cutting a hole in the ice and letting people jump in the water. That's not Bristol. The water, the water is Bristol. So, technically they're in Bridgewater, though. We've never permitted it. They've held it before and they've done the same thing because the water is Bristol but the water is under dees. Yeah, technically

it's it's within the town boundaries. Yeah, but we have no authority on on the water. If it was on the water in Bris Yes, the water is Bristol, but if it was on the water with the shoreline in Bristol, I um we've been able to we've been able to require affirm that. Yeah. Anything on the water is the state. My concern is people jumping through a hole in the ice. And I understand it's only 4 ft of water, but if you get under the ice shelf, you're not coming back up there. I know they did. And they do they don't people are untethered. They don't even have they have the Bridgewater Fire Department standing by, but they're not qualified to respond to that situation. If somebody actually goes under the ice,

it might be something that we should as from the town of Bristol send them a letter that in the future we have concerns that we can recommend that you do we may do you just call Bridgewater Bridgetown, right? No, I mean it's going to be us responding when anything happens. Right. Exact. Well, that and that's my concern is it's it's going to be Bristol police and Bristol Fire's problem if anything happens and it's in Bristol, but the standby coverage is from another town. I think which is not equipped to deal with the problem. I do think the people that run the You saying all water in the lake is Bristol? No. 2/3. Two3.

Yeah. Okay. The line goes from a volume has the strange corner. Yeah. So it's got it's got Pquani Bay as well. All right. Yeah. Sorry. Okay.

Yeah. Um Yeah. So we've never permitted it. Yeah. Um it could be I It's our jurisdiction though. What's that? I don't think it's our jurisdiction. No. I don't know if it's Marine Patrol. I maybe marine patrol, right? Yeah. Um something they don't have state police dand Yeah. Marine Marine patrol has been on the lake three times this year now. Yeah. Yeah. They've forgotten about us. Yeah. Which is good. There's a level of care what you wish for. Yeah. Exactly. They were out harassing people for little kids for wearing a blinky

head things on Fourth of July, but they weren't out there when people are, you know, bow riding at 30 miles an hour through no weight zones. You can't do that. You can do that. Yeah, that's all I got. Uh, public comment. I have a public comment. Nope. All right. Right down hill. Um maybe a fishing game there. All right. Um because they're qualified to Yeah, that's to pull out somebody that stuck under there.

They're qualified to pull a dead body out, but they don't have a rescue dive team. The only rescue dive team in the state is National Fire Department. Well, that's And they will be out there for the fishing derby. So, but they won't be monitoring that most likely. Yeah. But so he brings up a good fishing. We don't permit them, but they are some of it is in Bristol. Actual fishing is, but the but the actual headquarters isn't is what you're saying, right? Yeah, cuz the actual headquarters in is in Alexandria. Alexandria. Yeah. It used to be in Bristol. It used to be at Cummings Beach. They used to put trailer coming beach. Yeah. Yeah. The way they do it now.

Yeah. At the beach. Well, with the boat. Yeah. Where they built that complete waste of state money loading ramp there. Nice job. Because Wellington Beach is in Bristol. What's that? Wellington is in Bristol. Part of it. Part of it. So they put it there right at the boat launch. Yeah, it's Bristol. That's actually Bristol still. So they should technically have So we've never perman How many years have they been doing that? We've never The right of the sovereign we call that.

Send him a send him a permit. I'll tell uh any other public comment, sir. Did you Yeah. Uh I have a followup. It's just I was here last summer.

Yep. about the storm water drainage situation in Holiday Hills and uh at that time it was spring. Stone water is channeled to a cash basin was on my yard from many cash basins throughout the neighborhood. It's been an issue forever and the pipe that went from that cash basin to an open culvert collapsed and it caused a backup and a lot of people in the neighborhood got flooded. So uh to resolve that I I asked you guys if you guys could participate in uh fixing that pipe and uh I was denied that. So I I contracted a guy to dig out the old pipe. Um the town supplied me 100 ft of pipe which I connected to the existing cache basin and I ran it in the direction of the culvert to my property line. Covered it up. I still have quite a bit of sight work to do. I'm going to wait till the snow melted and dirt all settles. But that's a mess. But anyway, soon thereafter the town came by and cut the road because the completion of the project required that the I deadheaded the pipe basically that it goes from there into the culbert and then from that open culbert under the road into a wetland and eventually I guess it works its way to the lake. So soon after I finished the town came, I cut the road and finished the project. They put a pipe in to the end of my pipe into the culprit and all of that. And 25 ft of that was on my neighbor's private property. And the town did that. Uh dug it out, buried it, uh graded it, seated it, but they wouldn't touch mine. And I'm wondering why.

We if it's where I think it is, we have a right away. We actually own the pipe on the other property and we have a rightway. So we own the pipe from from where your pipe ends and all that in under the road. So that's right. You have an easement on mine as well. We have an easement to flow water. But right, I understand that. Yeah. Yeah. But is that right that you could do my neighbor's private property, but you couldn't on my private private property? If it's if it's based on us owning the pipe and the and the right away

the rightway to maintain not just flow the not just flow the water. So it's a different it's a different set of circumstances just in the last 25 ft you have a different licensing of some sort. So I yeah anything anyone says about this is kind of speculation at this point because we don't really know for sure. Right. I I would say Victor did confirm that we do have right to maintain, right to flowage, right to and the pipe is ours. Um just on that property, just for the right

um the pro the rest of the property, the former owner never conveyed anything to the town except for the flowage rights is what is what we've been able to determine. Um we haven't determined anything further than that. So yeah, uh I I I can assure you as you as you heard my comments uh earlier about what's good for one citizen and what's good for the next is we're certainly not in the business of

um you know taking care of Peter but not Paul. Um, so I without knowing all the true well all the actual facts of that, I guess what I'm saying is I'm not prepared to answer that question right now. I didn't expect anybody um I would I certainly hope it's a different circumstance. Yeah. Um we we'll pull out that because I know we had some of it when you were here last time on your property, but we'll pull the rest of it.

Yeah. And I I one more comment I have is that apparently this it's a big system that covers the whole neighborhood and apparently it's pretty important piece of town infrastructure and uh I was left to contract it, plan it, do it all by myself. No, nobody stopped by to look all the work was done. I informed Christina when it was going to be done. So she knew when Victor knew. Yeah. Nobody ever saw anything. Well, it's working now. I think it's working. You know, I'll know for sure in a few months, but uh I believe everything came out well, but and Victor supplied the pipe though, right? That's it. Left the pipe on my yard.

Okay. So, so Okay. Because I know one of the things that we said was the town would basically we would give you the pipe. So, we we follow through on that. I appreciate that. No, no, no. I'm not looking for I what I'm getting at is it's like I'm just trying to make sure that that I think that when we had the discussion about your stuff before sort of to to the point that Rob was making is we didn't have the easement set up such that it was the town's responsibility, right? So for all we knew and and again this is this goes back to the research it was an open pit before,

right? And then someone at some point before you decided to go, you know what, I want to put a pipe in and cover it over so I have a better yard and not a pit in the middle. Right? Unfortunately, at that time, they would have been better off trying to work through the town process and go, "Okay, hey, we want to do this because the importance of this to your overall infrastructure, right? That is ultimately the way I see it." For me, that's the ultimate difference. Okay? If we have an agreement on the other one, even if it's, you know, 20 ft, whatever it was, that the agreement was we have to maintain it, then that's what we have to do. It becomes sticky for me when I start to look at it and and peel it back that way. As long as we fulfilled what we said, which is, hey, if you're going to do that part, we will at least make sure you get the pipe.

Yep. And then the pipe that then is properly specified, which then allows us to sort of take a look and go, yeah, the pipe is the right size or the wrong size. Cuz Yeah. But then I'm the only one that knows how it was installed and the contractor all that stuff hopefully which I mean I think I did it right well in the end we don't have a code enforcement officer so it's got to be better I think somebody would have I did share it with Victor I just can't confirm it who on his crew went out um I know that they've got did go out around that area I just can't confirm if they did follow instruction I was in that pit the whole I know they came by. Exactly. Yeah.

Yeah. I I guess we probably need a little more information on our end. Y um and maybe follow up with Christina. Okay. Um I I think it's reasonable to say that when the snow goes and everything settles, we could we could ask Victor to head out there and and make sure that water is flowing sufficiently. The water flows out. Yeah. the the cash basin went down to nothing right away and water is coming out of the other. So, I'm fairly certain that it's correct. Yeah.

But, you know, wouldn't you guys want to be certain? And uh just one last comment is um it still goes into a big open pit. That culprit is six, seven feet deep, usually obscured by a Japanese knotweed that grows around it. And it's just an open hole and it doesn't seem like the safest thing in the world. at the end of the 25 ft on the on the neighbor just before it goes under the road. It's just a big wet open pit. Yeah, I know where you're and you would think that maybe another catch basin would have been appropriate and that one apparently you do own. Yeah, it's and that has nothing to do with me. That's off my Yep. No, and I didn't appreciate the

Yeah, I haven't seen that in the pipe. Um, the reason the highway department didn't have the capability of doing that, we would have had to contract that out, right? And I don't think that was in the budget, but something we can take a look at that. Yeah. Um, well, that has a little bit of crossover with the road. Yeah. You know, the road committee looking at proper drainage. Yeah. All that stuff. So, okay. And then we'd have to attach probably to the state cert. No, it go No, there's some area between it filters through a wet area. So, yeah,

it goes under a road and it filters another marsh basically and then eventually comes back together stream. So, you're not suggesting attaching just putting a catch basin at the end. Yeah. Just replacing a big open hole with a catch basin so kids don't fall in there or people don't fall in. It's before it goes on. You're talking on your side of the road or on the other side? On my side of the road? on your side. On the other side of the road, at least it's open enough that we would if anybody fell, we would sort of tumble in and just walk out. Yeah. But the the cover is kind of difficult. I was in it, so I know it's kind of tough to get out of if you're getting in there. Yeah. Okay. I mean, I think the hard part generally is, you know, when you look at just general drainage for this part of New Hampshire, right? You've got

we've got trenches everywhere and, you know, especially the older developments, right? once cuz I think we had somebody else come in was that 65 roughly thereabouts, right? So the stringency on how those things are put together wasn't necessarily the same today as it was then when they did it right. So I think it's just a balancing act. Yeah, I will uh I I'll head out there in the spring when things are running off and take a look at that area and and uh if you I'll reach out. Okay. Yeah, just getting your nose. Yep. Yeah. Yep. Okay. All right. So, I I guess I'm still not going to get any help from the town as far as uh site work.

I got to try. Not as of tonight, but but like I said, we might that catch base might be needed. I know Victor, you said Victor talked about it, but Yeah. But we didn't have the ability to put it in ourselves. No, I think originally when we first started talking with um when Victor first started talking, not me, but they were talking about if you had hired JP Morrison that we would hire them to do the catch basin in the cover road, but

but then um what came out of the board was different. So, they replaced the pipes, but I don't think they have the ability to do the catch base. Okay, I'll touch base with Victor and then we'll get Yeah, I put it on my list of Thank you. Just one more comment. The quote I got from JP Morrison was 10 grand. Yeah. 15 15 grand. Uh I got it done for 1,600. Yeah. So for what that's worth to you, thank you folks. Does anybody else have anything in there? Shocked. Shocked.

On the matter of culverts, thinking about it, um I have a piece of property on River Road, another piece of property that has um a wetland area and it goes into a culvert under the road, which is um a state road.

State maintained. Yes. So, the the culvert last winter and I haven't looked this year um was blocked and I who and there were some guys that came and worked on it. I don't know where they were from. Worked on it a bit and then they left and it's not fixed and so who would I contact or notify about that? Is that state? Yeah, it' be the state. It's the district supervisor. You could probably call the state shut over here. Yeah. No, that's New Hampton. It's a different district. New Hampton handles district, the interstate shed uh district uh two district two. So,

it's behind the parking ride. We have to if you turn up where the parking ride is and continue past. It's where the state shed is that handles that parking lot. The parking ride right off exit 23 before New Hampton is a shed. Yeah. So they Yes. If you if you go online and you look up um New Hampshire DOT districts, you'll see it it'll show you what district you're in. You just call the office for that district. Okay. Yeah. Even if it's not going to do you much good going to the shed cuz that that's that's basically the foreman for the area there. Uh but you'd want to actually talk to somebody in the district office. Yeah. Okay. We're looking for the district engineer. The district engineer.

Okay. Search for it real quick. Yeah, I'm going to let me see if I can find it here. Just pulled it up. It wasn't on this list. So,

all right. And we have anything else while uh make a motion to go into nonpublic under 91 A3 C. No, A, B, and C. A, B, and C. Yes. Second. I have a second. I just did. Oh, I thought you said say it again. Hold on one second. Motion by Sean, second by Scott to go into non public session. Thank you. It's nice having people in attendance as usually. Thanks, guys.