Jeanie Forrester: Meredith Selectboard focused on town recreation, short-term rentals

The July 27 Meredith Selectboard meeting included presentations on repairs to the Lake Waukewan Dam, funding options for completion of the Prescott Park Playground and a new recreational amenity. The board approved a storage agreement and two tax abatements, and scheduled a public hearing for amendments to our short-term rental program.

The selectboard received an update from representatives of Hampshire Hospitality Holdings (HHH), owners of the Lake Waukewan Dam. The NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) classified the dam as a high hazard dam requiring urgent repairs and HHH has been working collaboratively with the town and NHDES to address the necessary repairs with a goal of minimizing disruption to Main Street businesses when the three-phase project begins this fall.

The bulk of the project will be funded by HHH with assistance of a $5M FEMA grant. Meredith will be making relatively small repairs within the canal by the public parking lot, funded from existing expendable trust funds. For more detailed information, visit Meredithnh.gov to view the presentation.

The parks and recreation director provided an update to the selectboard on funding options for the remainder of the Prescott Park Playground project. Funding for the project came from three sources: a warrant article for $150,000, $150,820 from the William Andrews Fund and $50,000 from The Friends of Meredith Parks and Recreation. Of the total $387,660 project cost, $277,570 has been expended from the various sources leaving a balance of $110,090 remaining to be paid. Four options were presented, with the recommended option taking $96,343 from the Parks and Recreation ETF (current balance is $225,968) and $13,747 from the remaining cash balance of the William Andrews Fund to avoid selling any donated stock allowing those investments to remain intact. The board will take action at a future meeting.

The parks and recreation director presented a proposed 18-hole disc golf course at Waukewan Highlands Park. Disc golf (aka frisbee golf) is a flying disc sport where players throw a disc at a target using rules similar to golf. The sport is usually played on a course with 9 or 18 holes, each consisting of a teeing area and a target. Currently, Meredith has one existing disc golf course with the next nearest public courses approximately 20-40 minutes away (Sandwich, Plymouth and Franklin).

The proposed 1.8 mile-course would be designed to minimize impacts to existing park users by incorporating a 50-foot buffer from the walking trails to help ensure that residents and visitors using the trails can continue to enjoy the park safely without interference from disc golf activities. The estimated cost is $1,000 per hole for materials plus labor, with a rough project cost estimate of $30,000-$60,000. Funding for the project is intended to come from grants and sponsorships, minimizing the impact on the town’s operating budget. The long-term fiscal impact is expected to be limited primarily to routine maintenance of the tee platforms and periodic tree trimming to maintain course conditions.

The selectboard signed the right of entry and storage agreement for the Lake Waukewan Dam Outlet Works Repair project and approved two administrative interest abatements. The board also set a public hearing on Aug. 10, to act on recommended changes to the short-term rental regulations which include streamlining the application process and reducing the annual registration fee for owners in residence.

The selectboard also voted to halt any future expenditures relative to the economic development consultant until the board and the town manager come to agreement on a plan.

The next selectboard meeting is at 4:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 10, at the Meredith Community Center.

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Jeanie Forrester serves on the Meredith Selectboard.