Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Selectboard Decisions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sanbornton Selectboard approves prosecutor contract, new permit fees, firefighter hire and $160,500 CRF transfer
Summary
At its May 20 meeting, the Sanbornton Selectboard approved a $20,000 mutual prosecutor services contract, a $125 RV permit fee (with a 14‑day exemption), a $25 Home Occupation Level I fee, hired a full‑time firefighter starting June 28, 2026, and transferred $160,500 from the Highway Heavy Equipment CRF to the General Fund for a backhoe.
SANBORNTON, N.H. — The Sanbornton Selectboard on May 20 approved a series of administrative and personnel actions including a mutual prosecutor services contract, new permit fees, a full‑time firefighter hire and a transfer of $160,500 from a capital reserve fund for heavy equipment.
Selectman Mark Brown moved and Selectman Ralph Carter seconded approval of a Mutual Prosecutor Services contract with the Town of Tilton for $20,000; the motion passed unanimously. Town officials said the contract will provide prosecutorial services the town needs for the coming year.
At a public hearing the board set a $125 fee for the recreational‑vehicle permit required to camp up to 120 consecutive days under the recently adopted ordinance. Zoning Enforcement Officer Chris Oliver said the fee is intended to cover staff time for application review and site visits. The board added language to the application specifying the fee is not applicable to stays of 14 days or fewer and set the effective date as July 1, 2026; the motion to adopt the $125 fee passed unanimously. The board also approved a new $25 fee for Home Occupation Level I applications; Level II applications go to the Planning Board and were not assigned a fee by the enforcement officer.
CIP Chair Andy Sanborn told the board he had spoken with a potential consultant to help establish impact fees and estimated the consultant cost at $2,500–$3,000; Selectman Ralph Carter asked that any proposal be provided in writing and that the CIP Committee develop a request for proposals.
The board approved two address/road name changes after a presentation from Fire Chief Paul Dexter: the property access for 95 Cogswell will change to 51 Normandin Drive, and the road at the Town Park will be renamed Recreation Road so the park has its own address. Both motions passed unanimously.
Selectman Mark Brown moved to approve the personnel action form to hire Garrett Mello as a full‑time firefighter at labor grade 14, step 2, with a scheduled increase to step 4 after a one‑year probationary period and a start date of June 28, 2026. Selectman Brandon Deacon seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Chief Dexter noted the department has placed nonessential purchases on hold in anticipation of overtime overages for the fiscal year.
In financial business the board approved a motion by Selectman Ralph Carter, seconded by Selectman Brandon Deacon, to transfer $160,500 from the Highway Heavy Equipment Capital Reserve Fund to the General Fund to cover the backhoe purchase previously discussed; the motion passed unanimously. Trustees of the Trust Funds reported current balances across multiple CRFs, including a Roads & Bridges CRF balance of $1,315,088.20 and a post‑transfer Highway Heavy Equipment CRF balance of $382,687.60.
Selectman Brandon Deacon moved, and Selectman Ralph Carter seconded, to authorize the Town Administrator to sign the HealthTrust insurance contract for FY27 rates; the motion passed unanimously. The board also agreed to allow Got Lunch to place a summer food collection bin at the Transfer Station and at the Town Office after a request noted by Audry Barriault.
Earlier in the afternoon the board convened in a workshop and held a non‑public session under RSA 91‑A:3 II(c) for personnel and legal advice; the roll call to enter non‑public at 4:06 p.m. recorded votes of Deacon: yes; Carter: yes; Brown Jr.: yes. Officials reported a personnel update and litigation update in non‑public and returned to public session at 4:55 p.m. No decisions or votes were taken during the non‑public session.
The board approved minutes from April 22 and May 6 with corrections, signed routine intents and a payment to Casella Waste Systems for $20,000.56, and adjourned at 8:32 p.m. Members agreed to meet on an off‑week, May 27 at 4:30 p.m., to discuss the current budget; the next regular meeting is June 3.
This article is based on Selectboard meeting minutes and statements read into the record on May 20, 2026.
