Select Board adopts town mail-handling policy and appoints primary, backup couriers

The Barnstead Select Board voted to adopt a new mail-handling policy that sets daily pickup, standardized sorting procedures and designated couriers for official town mail. Chair (S1) read the policy, which directs the town administrator, with Select Board approval, to designate a primary employee and a secondary backup as official mail couriers; confidential, marked sealed bids and proposal envelopes are to be handed unopened to the appropriate office.

Board members discussed that the software and training items related to town operations had already been budgeted. A motion to adopt the mail-handling policy was made by a board member (S2) and seconded by the Chair (S1); the motion carried on voice vote. The board then approved the recommended courier appointments, naming Melissa as the primary and Britney as the secondary courier for town mail. The Chair said, "If the board approves it tonight, it'll be adopted 07/07/2026."

The policy specifies daily pickup from the official post office box Monday through Friday, procedures for date-stamping and internal distribution, and explicit instructions not to open mail marked confidential or as an RFP. The board noted the policy can be updated later and discussed using position titles instead of individual names to avoid frequent revisions when staff change.

The action is administrative: the policy takes effect on the adoption date stated in the read motion, and the appointments are effective immediately. Further personnel or procedural questions were deferred to the town administrator and to the existing personnel policies referenced by the board.