Jeanie Forrester: Partners plan Halloween activities on Main, Waukewan streets in Meredith

The Sept. 22 selectboard meeting included a public hearing on proposed fee schedule changes, an engineering report on town road conditions, and approvals relative to the new playground at Prescott Park and Halloween activities in downtown.

While the selectboard has reviewed proposed fee schedule changes relative to town services several times, per RSA 41:9-a a public hearing is required when amending fees to offer an opportunity for residents to ask questions and/or voice concerns. There was a brief discussion about the fee increase for leaves and yard waste for commercial haulers. The proposed fee was increased from $45 per load to $75 per load, and a resident felt the increase was excessive. The department of public works director advised there had not been an increase for this service in nearly 20 years, and believed it was an appropriate change. After the public hearing closed the board supported the proposed fee schedule which will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026. Fees assessed for specific purposes help offset taxes. A listing of the fee structure can be found on the town website, meredithnh.gov.

For several years the DPW director urged the town to perform an assessment of our road conditions. With 116 miles of road (approximately 67% paved and 33% gravel) the road system is one of our biggest assets. In August 2024, Underwood Engineers began a year-long assessment at a cost $102,000 to inventory all town-owned roads, evaluate road surface conditions and provide a prioritized schedule of work to adequately maintain the road network.

In-person assessments identified recommended repair strategies for capital project and routine maintenance for each road. Information collected during the survey included length and width to help quantify each road and ratings of surface defects to determine the pavement conditions index (PCI) for each road.

PCI is used to classify each roadway into maintenance categories (routine, preventive and reconstruction). A PCI of 100 is excellent pavement, a PCI of 0 is failed pavement. Meredith had an average PCI of 74, placing us above average compared to other communities (92% of our paved roads are preventive maintenance or better).

In consultation with the town for input on repair strategies, overall priorities and budget, a recommended maintenance schedule was developed using a weighted ranking system considering the PCI, importance, traffic volumes, and drainage conditions for each road section. The recommended budget for this schedule is $1.5M to $1.6M each year for five years to adequately maintain existing roadways. It was recommended the assessment be updated every eight to 10 years. This proposed budget will be considered by the Capital Improvements Program committee for inclusion.

The selectboard approved the use of the William Andrews Fund in the amount of $156,820 for the new playground at Prescott Park. Use of these funds will reduce the impact on the taxpayers of Meredith in the buildout of the new playground.

Last year the town, Greater Meredith Program, Stewart's Ambulance and New Hampshire Electric Cooperative partnered to host Halloween on Main Street for the community. The event was a great success from both safety and community perspectives. With Halloween just around the corner, the town manager asked the board to consider allowing closure of Main Street and Waukewan Street for Halloween again this year and every year going forward unless otherwise directed by the board. This year Halloween on Main Street will be Friday, Oct. 31, with Main and Waukewan streets closed to all traffic from 5 to 8 p.m.

The planning board will host a Housing and Regulatory Workshop at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at the Community Center. There will be a presentation and discussion of potential zoning changes to expand housing options in our community.

The next meeting of the selectboard is on Monday, Oct. 6.

•••

Jeanie Forrester serves on the Meredith Selectboard.