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Orange board reviews budget, hears about NH Broadband outage and county backbone plan; clerk updates hours
Summary
Select Board reviewed municipal finances (Sept. 30: $294,399.11 spent of $339,145), discussed a Sept. 19–26 NH Broadband outage affecting DMV links, learned the Grafton County backbone may require equipment hosted at Town Hall, and recorded a new Town Clerk schedule.
On Oct. 1 the Orange Select Board reviewed the municipal budget, received a report on a recent internet service interruption that affected town DMV systems, and heard that a Grafton County broadband backbone project may place equipment at the Town Hall.
Catherine Souza, the board’s clerical/secretary, reported the town’s expenses through Sept. 30 totaled $294,399.11 against a $339,145 budget (about 87% spent). The secretary also briefed the board on an NH Broadband service disruption between Sept. 19 and Sept. 26 that interrupted the Town Clerk’s systems that connect to the New Hampshire DMV. The minutes state Catherine Souza notified NH Broadband; the problem was resolved after installing a new router and rebuilding the DMV connection with assistance from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation IT team.
The board received an update on the Grafton County Backbone internet initiative: towns are being asked to host equipment (for example a router) and a project manager is expected to visit Orange in the coming months to review site needs. The board did not take a formal vote on hosting but recorded the informational report.
The Town Clerk also reported a change to office hours: Kami Hammond will begin office hours on Wednesdays, Oct. 2 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.; Michelle Goffreda will continue Thursdays 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The minutes note that absentee ballots are only distributed by the Town Clerk, Michelle Goffreda.
Roadwork and procurement items were noted in committee reports: an ad for snow‑plow and road maintenance/construction bids was placed in the Valley News with bids due Nov. 1; Aaron Allen reported contacting Bob Bassett about culverts; culvert clean‑out work is pending with Glenn, the Road Agent. No public comment was recorded. The next Select Board meeting is Oct. 15, 2024 at 6 p.m.
