Meredith selectboard candidates answer questions ranging from climate change to Main Street parking

MEREDITH — Addressing everything from pandemic recovery to Main Street, the four candidates vying for two seats on the town selectboard discussed their positions and differentiated themselves from one another at a March 2 forum sponsored by the N.H. League of Women Voters.

Incumbent Jonathan James described himself as the “common-sense” member of the board with knowledge of “buildings and trucks and so forth.” He spoke proudly of his service as a library trustee and treasurer, having served on the building committee that was able to expand the Benjamin M. Smith Memorial Library downtown instead of relocating it.

Dara McCue touted her abilities in problem-solving as the town faces the need for more affordable housing. With a tourist-based economy, many of the jobs are low-paying, making it difficult for families to own their own homes. McCue said she would like to see Meredith open up other jobs, beyond the hospitality industry.

Steve Aiken, who works in the wealth management division of Meredith Village Savings Bank, said he wants to “help move this town along into a better and better place for our children.” As a fourth-generation Meredith resident, he said, “I’ve grown up in this town and I love this community.”

Liz Rohdenburg is a more recent resident after having lived at locations all across the country. She said that experience can prove helpful in providing fresh eyes and objectivity to Meredith’s problems, which she listed as heavy traffic and the rise in short-term rentals. She also wants to focus on keeping property taxes low.

The candidates agreed that Meredith did relatively well during the pandemic, but said COVID-19 also exacerbated the town’s housing problem. With so many people moving in from the cities, the median price of a house reached $400,000, according to Aiken.

“That’s a $2,500-a-month mortgage payment,” he said, “and it’s tough for anybody, if you have two younger working-full-time people.”

James noted that, at a recent open house, one house sold for $700,000 and another for $900,000.

“We don’t have enough high-paying jobs to make up for what houses are now going for,” James said.

McCue said she wants to see the town grow, but she wants to maintain Meredith’s small-town feel. She said the town needs multiple housing projects to build things that people can afford.

Rohdenburg suggested that updating zoning laws and seeking grants could help to develop affordable housing. She said the state is trying to incentivize the building of such structures.

James noted that the town has worked with the Laconia Housing Authority to create new housing at Deer Run and make sure the property is kept up, “but we’ve created a tourist town and not a work factory town that has that kind of housing.” There are few properties still available to build upon, he said.

Aiken said Meredith’s incentive for growth is that “we’re in a great location,” but he added, “The difficult part is how do we afford that and find a location to build that type of housing options?”

McCue said the lack of affordable housing is a statewide problem that is “bigger than us” but that the town might be able to provide tax incentives to attract builders.

Another problem they addressed was the proliferation of short-term rentals. Most candidates agreed that it is a thorny issue because people have a right to purchase what they can afford to buy. Better regulations on how the property is used is the best bet to make sure residential properties are not degraded, they said.

Rohdenburg said she is generally opposed to regulations “but I understand that sometimes there’s not a better way.” She suggested looking at what other communities are doing to see what works and what does not work.

Asked about the safety concerns surrounding 5G mobile networks, the candidates noted that 5G service to Meredith is at least 24 months away, giving the town time to learn the pros and cons.

“I’m always willing to listen to anything anybody wants to debate,” said Rohdenburg, adding, “Personally, I don’t think there’s a safety issue with 5G.”

McCue said, “I wouldn’t mind having an investigation, as long as it didn’t take 10 years … until 10G was ready to come out.”

Asked about Meredith’s role in the face of climate change, Rohdenburg noted that the town already designed its public works building and the library upgrades to make them energy-efficient. “We could do better as far as recycling,” she said.

Aiken said he does not see much of a role for Meredith in addressing climate change, but that the town should be concerned about the degradation of its lakes. Waukewan serves as the town’s water supply, and there are concerns about pollution in Winnipesaukee.

James agreed about the lakes, citing the problem of “all these beautiful homes with manicured lawns sloping right to the lake, saturated with fertilizer.”

McCue said Meredith needs more charging stations for electric vehicles and that it should be encouraging the adoption of solar panels. An article on the town warrant would allow the selectmen to purchase green power generated by solar arrays on town property.

Discussing Meredith’s Main Street, the candidates spoke of incentives to bring in new businesses. Rohdenburg said the library is already a great resource, and she would like to see its programs expand into the downtown area.

Aiken said that parking has become a problem downtown, and that the cost of renting or owning a building on Main Street makes it difficult for some businesses. “How many t-shirts do you need to sell in order to have a successful business?” he asked.

James observed, “Box stores and Prime and all those have destroyed the average Main Street USA. Meredith’s uptown is either a bar or a knick-knack shop, but you can’t buy a thing that you need... To change that is almost impossible because everybody sits home today and gets on their computer and orders what they need.”