Jeanie Forrester: Meredith Selectboard reviewing reduced town budget

The Jan. 13 Meredith Selectboard meeting included discussions on the 2025 budget, a proposed warrant article, a public hearing to accept grant funds, a request for increased funding from an outside agency, and a request to allocate funds for upgrading the Meredith Village Cemetery fence.

At a prior meeting, the administrative services director presented a proposed 2025 town budget with an increase of over 10% from the previous year. The selectboard requested revised proposals reducing the budget by 5.5%, 5% and 4.5%. The revised budget scenarios were presented at the meeting and will be reviewed, and decisions made at the next meeting on Monday, Jan. 27.

The water and sewer superintendent asked the selectboard to consider a proposed warrant article for $740,000 to update Meredith’s lead service line inventory. As background, the Environmental Protection Agency’s Lead and Copper Rule Revision required community water systems to develop and submit to the NH Department of Environmental Services a lead service line inventory by October 2024. The inventory identified 997 services that require additional field verification. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, funds are available for lead service line replacements or associated activity directly connected to the replacement of lead service lines. Currently NHDES is offering 71% principal forgiveness for all eligible applicants. This is an eligible project, and it is expected that NHDES will pay $525,400, and the remaining $214,600 will come from the town’s water systems improvement trust.

As required by law, the selectboard held a public hearing to accept a $15,000 grant from the NH Charitable Foundation for the Adaptive Launch Project. Including this grant, the Adaptive Launch Committee has raised $74,076 (they were charged by the board to raise $58,328).

An additional $37,865 will be provided from the Parks and Recreational Facility Expendable Trust Fund, and $23,200 from their operating funds, bringing total funds for the project to $135,141. The preliminary project cost estimate is $120,205. A firm, final cost estimate will be forthcoming, and the committee is confident they have the necessary funding to complete the project.

At a previous meeting of the selectboard, a request was made to create an expendable trust fund to upgrade the Meredith Village Cemetery fence, noting that $20,000 in already pledged donations would help defray the cost to taxpayers. The initial request was for the town to appropriate an additional $50,000, but that was reduced to $30,000 at the Jan. 13 meeting. The presenters believe the donation and town appropriation which total $50,000 will cover the cost of Phase I, which includes replacing the chain link fence facing Route 3 and installing granite posts. The board deferred making a decision until the department of public works director could provide more detailed information about the scope of the entire project and estimates of its cost.

The final presentation was by Interlakes Community Caregivers Inc., which is a volunteer-based nonprofit providing free transportation for local and long-distance medical appointments, grocery shopping, prescriptions and other personal errands to our neighbors in Meredith, Moultonborough, Center Harbor and Sandwich. The estimated cost for services donated to Meredith alone is over $90,000 and the ICCI is asking for an increase in town support of $4,300 (last year’s contribution was $3,800).

The selectboard will hold another budget workshop at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

The board’s next regular meeting will be on Monday, Jan. 27.

Important dates:

The 2025 filing period for the election of town officials opens Wednesday, Jan. 22, and closes at 5 p.m., Friday, Jan. 31. Visit meredithnh.org/town-clerk to learn more about positions. 

Tuesday, Feb. 4 is the deadline for petitioned warrant articles to be submitted.

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Jeanie Forrester is vice chair of the Meredith Selectboard.