Meredith Selectboard to review warrant articles Monday, ahead of public hearing

MEREDITH — The Meredith Selectboard will meet on Monday to hear from SMP Architecture, as well as discuss potential 2026 warrant articles.

The town sent out a request for proposal for architectural firms to conduct a space needs analysis of the administrative offices, and the town hired SMP Architecture, of Concord, for the study. Town staff requested recommendations on housing offices in one space to better serve the public.

On Nov. 6, SMP Architecture discussed measurements they took of the existing spaces, and discussed needs, constraints and positives and negatives of potential solutions. Meetings were held with employees between November and this month to gather input.

Jason LaCombe and Anthony Mento from SMP Architecture will present the conceptual designs and initial findings Monday.

Director of Administrative Services Robert Carpenter is also expected to meet with the board with a recommendation to create a warrant article that puts $960,000 of unassigned fund balance into the Community Infrastructure Expendable Trust Fund.

This year, there is about $500,000 of unexpended appropriations, with some due to unfilled positions, and variances from insurance and benefits from those positions. Some is also due to a spending freeze from arbitration involving the union, and about $460,000 came from the sale of deeded properties.

The recommendation is to use $360,000 for the final engineering for the Main Street Project, as well as up to $600,000 for engineering for the Town Hall Project. These have been goals identified by town leaders since 2023.

A grant application is currently pending review, which could provide funding for the engineering portion for Main Street, but there is no expected timeline. The information provided in the meeting packet states putting the funds in the Community Infrastructure Expendable Trust will help with financial flexibility.

The board is expected to vote on whether to add the warrant article at this meeting.

The board will also discuss warrant articles that will be presented at the upcoming Feb. 9 public hearing.

The operating budget of $22 million is the big ticket article on the warrant, as well as for the town to approve $900,000 for a Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund.

The town will be asked to raise and appropriate $900,000 for water plant treatment filter upgrades, and authorize issuing not more than $900,000 of bonds or notes. This pertains to four filters at the treatment plant at the end of their useful life and need to be rehabilitated. This project is expected to run through 2027.

There are also warrant articles asking approval for $535,000 for the fire department expendable trust; $182,000 for the fire department equipment expendable trust; $200,000 for the parks & rec expandable trust; $337,000 for the public works expendable trust; and $75,000 for expendable trust funds for both waterfront infrastructure and Main Street.

A games of chance article is also proposed to be on the warrant. State law now requires a municipality to opt out of Keno by June 1, 2027, or it will be automatically become permitted. The article would ask if the town should prohibit the operation of games of chance within the town, and a majority vote would be required.

Another proposed article is for a veteran tax credit adjustment, increasing the current credit amount by $500. The article would ask the town to vote to modify provisions of state law for an optional tax credit of $4,500 for a Service-Connected Total and Permanent Disability Tax Credit on residential property. The initial tax credit was for $4,000.

The article proposal states the reason is to make up for the loss of the Optional Veterans Tax Credit for disabled veterans.

Also proposed is an article to see if the town will vote to change the previously approved amount of $50,000 of the Land Use Change Tax to $100,000, which would be deposited into the existing Conservation Fund. The initial amount was established 40 years ago, and increasing to $100,000 ups the capacity to offset impacts of development. This would have no tax impact if passed.

The selectboard will meet at 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, at the Meredith Community Center.