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Durham council ratifies firefighter contract, accepts $10,000 donation and backs state net‑metering bill
Summary
At its Feb. 16 meeting, the Durham Town Council ratified two collective‑bargaining agreements, authorized firefighting equipment purchases, accepted a $10,000 private donation for the Bickford‑Chesley House gallery and voted unanimously to support SB 538 on net metering.
The Durham Town Council handled several routine but consequential business items on Feb. 16, approving labor contracts, a capital equipment purchase, committee appointments and asking the town to back state legislation on net metering.
Unanimous Consent and labor agreements: Councilors ratified a collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME Council 93 (Local 863) for Jan. 1, 2026–Dec. 31, 2028 and authorized purchase of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and rescue equipment to be paid from the capital fund. Council then separately ratified the collective bargaining agreement with the Durham Professional Firefighters Association (DPFFA), Local #2253, on a unanimous roll call vote (9-0) after Councilor Curtis Register expressed concern about budget pressures but emphasized the town’s commitment to firefighters.
Donation and appointments: The council held a statutory Public Hearing and unanimously accepted and authorized expenditure of a private $10,000 donation from the Mackey Family Charitable Trust for the Bickford‑Chesley House gallery. The council also confirmed two committee appointments by unanimous votes: David Steinberg was re-nominated to the Lamprey River Local Advisory Committee and Ben Phelps was appointed to the Conservation Commission.
Administrator evaluation and other business: Town Administrator Todd Selig summarized the annual performance-evaluation process and reported a 2025 average score of 4.4 out of 5, which councilors discussed alongside budget pressures and long-term bonding risks. In roundtable items, Councilor Em Friedrichs moved and the council unanimously approved a resolution expressing the town’s support for SB 538 to improve certainty for local net‑metering projects.
Votes at a glance: AFSCME ratified — 9-0 (consent vote); DPFFA ratified — 9-0; SCBA equipment purchase approved — 9-0; Bickford‑Chesley donation accepted — 9-0; Committee appointments (Steinberg, Phelps) — 9-0; Support for SB 538 — 9-0; Motion to keep specified nonpublic minutes sealed — 8-1 (Friedrichs dissent). The meeting adjourned at 11:14 p.m.
