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Selectmen revisit tax abatement after site visit; seek independent arborist for cemetery removals
Summary
The board reconsidered a denied property abatement after a site visit uncovered mismatched assessor descriptions and leaned toward granting it pending a corrected amount; a second abatement was deferred while the assessor reviews lot boundaries. Separately, residents raised concerns about healthy trees marked for removal at the cemetery and the board agreed to seek an independent arborist and likely re-bid the work.
The Board of Selectmen revisited previously denied abatement requests and addressed concerns over tree removals at the town cemetery during its May 26 meeting.
On a property abatement that had been denied previously, a selectman’s site visit found the assessor’s description did not match the actual conditions—specifically noting wetlands and hilly terrain—leading the board to indicate it is inclined to grant the abatement pending the assessor providing a corrected abatement amount. A second abatement was deferred because sheds appear to be located on a different lot than the applicant owns; the assessor, Chad, will review documentation on June 2.
On cemetery tree removal, a resident raised concerns that some trees marked for removal are healthy and that the vendor who bid on the work also identified removals, which could present a conflict of interest. The board agreed to seek an independent arborist—possibly through the University of New Hampshire—to classify trees by urgency (urgent, moderate, long-term) and indicated a re-bid is likely after the arborist review.
