At a budget review meeting in Ossipee, local nonprofits and service providers presented requests for level funding and provided service metrics; the committee moved to ask the selectmen to require external-audit documentation as part of future outside-agency applications.

Janaye Smallwood, municipal hunts coordinator for Tri-County CAP, told the panel the agency is requesting $9,837 "in allotted funds" for the coming year and listed services to Ossipee residents that include fuel and energy assistance, housing-stability services, 2-1-1 response, USDA TFAP, transportation, Head Start and ServiceLink. "For last year, we served 703 individuals," Smallwood said, adding the agency recorded 3,300 family households served and reported "services equaling $8,860,982." Select Board members asked about population figures and data sources; Smallwood said the agency uses the 2020 census for municipal allocations.

Other applicants requested similar level funding. Jane Ponson requested $22,000 for the Oxford/Austin Children’s Fund to support childcare access, enrichment activities and driver-education scholarships. Janice Andrea, chair of Provisions Food Pantry, said the pantry — reorganized in May 2024 after a prior provider’s receivership — served about 1,600 clients and is seeking municipal support to continue operations. Sharon Jones of Northern Human Services asked for $4,425 to offset care for uninsured or underinsured Ossipee residents and reported the agency provided services to about 91 such residents in calendar year 2024, producing roughly $77,005.92 in uncompensated care. A Granite VNA representative requested level funding of $7,000 and noted the agency provided roughly 1,600 home health and hospice visits in its last fiscal year and more than $2 million in annual charitable care. Zachary Porter, executive director of Kingswood Youth Center, requested $5,000 and reported 114 total participants last year, 30 of whom were from Ossipee.

Members discussed two applicants who did not attend (a weigh-station applicant and another agency) and reviewed a volunteer-based local transportation provider’s request; the committee agreed to include that provider’s request at the same level as last year without requiring the group to appear. A public commenter urged the committee to keep the town’s overall budget increase near the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment.

Concerns about financial oversight surfaced during the hearing. Members noted a prior local embezzlement case and asked whether outside agencies supply audited financial statements or audit certificates when they apply for town funds. The committee moved — and members agreed — to ask the selectmen to amend the outside-agency application packet to include proof of an external audit or an outside financial review (language to be checked against the relevant RSA before finalizing). The committee asked staff to obtain the RSA citation and to return the issue to the next meeting for review.

The panel set follow-up dates to continue budget work: a precinct meeting on the 19th, work sessions beginning Dec. 3 and additional meetings later in December, with public hearings scheduled in February. Committee members requested updated revenue and expenditure statements and a five-year history of the town’s taxable assessment to aid decision-making.

The committee also voted to adjourn at the end of the session.