New Hampshire Town and City, March-April, 2017 by New Hampshire Municipal Association

March/April 2017

TownandCity N E W

H A M P S H I R E

In This Issue:

A PUBLICATION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION

Designing Healthier Communities in New Hampshire.............................................................8 Safe Routes to Schools...............................................13 Building Heathy Communities...................................17 Riding the Wave of Progress......................................19

Contents Table of

Volume LX • Number 2

March/April 2017

3 A Message from the

NHMA Executive Director

5 Happenings

Designing Healthier Communities in New Hampshire

Safe Routes to Schools: How Kids Are Getting to School Under Their Own Power

Building Heathy Communities: How a Community Health Initiative Launched a Regional Active Transportation Movement

Riding the Wave of Progress: A Coalition Approach to Local and Regional Transportation

7 Upcoming Events 22 Best Practice Series: Appropriate Level of Unrestricted Fund Balance in the General Fund 24 This Moment in NHMA History 26 Up Close and Personal on the Field: Suzanne Huard 27 Up Close and Personal in the Field: Glenn Coppelman 32 Legal Q and A: Spending Without an Appropriation – Gifts and Grants As Off-Budget Expenditures

Cover Illustration: Warren Town Hall photo provided by Bryan Flagg, a resident of Warren.

New Hampshire Town and City Magazine Staff

Executive Director Editor in Chief

Judy A. Silva Timothy W. Fortier

Contributing Editors Margaret M.L. Byrnes Barbara T. Reid Art Director

Scott H. Gagne

Production/Design

Scott H. Gagne

Official Publication of the New Hampshire Municipal Association 25 Triangle Park Drive • Concord, New Hampshire 03301 Phone: 603.224.7447 • Email: nhmainfo@nhmunicipal.org • Website: www.nhmunicipal.org New Hampshire Municipal Association Phone: 800.852.3358 (members only) NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY (USPS 379-620) (ISSN 0545-171X) is published 6 times a year for $25/member, $50/non-member per year, by the New Hampshire Municipal Association, 25 Triangle Park Drive, Concord, New Hampshire 03301. Individual copies are $10.00 each. All rights reserved. Advertising rates will be furnished upon application. Periodical postage paid at Concord, NH 03302. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY, 25 Triangle Park Drive, Concord, NH 03301. NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY serves as a medium for exchanging ideas and information on municipal affairs for officials of New Hampshire municipalities and county governments. Subscriptions are included as part of the annual dues for New Hampshire Municipal Association membership and are based on NHMA’s subscription policy. Nothing included herein is to be construed as having the endorsement of the NHMA unless so specifically stated. Any reproduction or use of contents requires permission from the publisher. POSTMASTER: Address correction requested. © Copyright 2017 New Hampshire Municipal Association

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MARCH/APRIL 2017

New Hampshire Municipal Association

Board of Directors The Board of Directors oversees NHMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s league services. The board is comprised of 25 local officials elected by NHMA member municipalities.

Seated, left to right: Caroline McCarley (Mayor, Rochester), Elizabeth Fox (Assistant City Manager/Human Resource Director, Keene), Shaun Mulholland (Town Administrator, Allenstown; Treasurer), Donna Nashawaty (Town Manager, Sunapee; Vice Chair), Brent Lemire (Selectman, Litchfield, Chair), Candace Bouchard (Councilor, Concord; Secretary), Scott Myers (City Manager, Laconia, Immediate Past President), Priscilla Hodgkins (Clerk/ Tax Collector, New Castle), and Chris Dwyer (Councilor, Portsmouth). Standing, left to right: Eric Stohl (Selectman, Columbia), Bill Herman (Town Administrator, Auburn), Patrick Long (Alderman, Manchester), Philip Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Avanza (Planning Board, Goffstown), Shelagh Connelly (Selectman, Holderness), Hal Lynde (Selectman, Pelham), John Scruton (Town Administrator, Barrington), Stephen Fournier (Town Administrator, Newmarket), David Caron (Town Administrator, Derry), Jim Maggiore (Selectman, North Hampton), Teresa Williams, Town Administrator, Wakefield), Butch Burbank (Town Manager, Lincoln) and David Stack (Town Manager, Bow). Missing: Ben Bynum (Clerk/Tax Collector, Canterbury), Elizabeth Dragon (City Manager, Franklin), and Nancy Rollins (Selectman, New London).

NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY

www.nhmunicipal.org

A Message from the

NHMA

Executive Director Judy Silva

Change is a Constant. This is not only the season of change in Washington DC. We’ve had change in the corner office at the State House, and in March and May we’ll have change in town halls across the state. It is Town Meeting time—March 14 to be exact, or May 9 for those with that option. Love him or hate him, you’ve got to admit there is a lot going on in the nation’s capital with our new President. Cabinet appointments, executive orders, meetings and tweets— there’s something for everyone! On the state level, we have a new Governor and a throng of new Representatives and Senators who have all hit the ground running in the new year. If you are not paying attention to what is happening in the state legislature, we think you should be. There are an abundant number of bills that affect municipalities. NHMA’s Legislative Bulletin is a superb source of information! It is posted on NHMA’s web site every Friday by early afternoon or you can contact us to be added to our email distribution list.

MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING Supporting NH Municipalities Since 1962

TRANSPORTATION

Roads, Bridges, Sidewalks, Traffic, Airports

SITE DEVELOPMENT Civil/Site, Stormwater, Survey, Permitting

NATURAL RESOURCES Wetlands, Dams, River Restoration

WATER/WASTEWATER

Town Meetings in March may bring the election of new officials, from members of the board of selectmen to library trustees to road agents. We welcome you all to your new positions and thank you for stepping up to serve your municipalities. If you are reading this, you are likely not a newly elected official! Please make sure your new officials know that NHMA offers a variety of resources to help new and seasoned local officials do a good job. Please visit our website and watch for information about our spring Local Officials Workshop series designed especially for newly-elected officials. Please share this information and make sure your new officials get signed up. We also say thank you for your service to those officials who chose not to run again—or who are otherwise no longer in office! Working as a local official—and it is certainly work even if it is a volunteer position you asked for—is a demanding task, with a myriad of night meetings to attend, issues to solve, and complaints to hear, all to fit in around a full time job and other responsibilities. We thank each one of you for your dedication and your time. Please be sure to update the information about your town’s new local officials through Member Directory Updates section of our website. This information is used not only for the Municipal Officials Directory, but to make sure we are able to contact the right people in town should we have information to share or questions. Thank you!

Collection, Treatment, Storage, Distribution

FACILITIES

Warmest regards,

Mechanical, Electrical, and Structural Engineering

Bedford 603-637-1043 Laconia 603-524-1166

www.dubois-king.com

www.nhmunicipal.org

Judy Silva NHMA Executive Director

MARCH/APRIL 2017

Workshops for seasoned and new municipal officials and employees of New Hampshire Municipal Association member municipalities. FULL DAY WORKSHOPS OFFERED ON VARIOUS DATES IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS 9:00 a.m.— 4:00 p.m. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

Presented by NHMA’s Legal Services attorneys, the workshops provide municipal officials with tools and information to effectively serve their communities. Topics will include the Right-to-Know Law, ethics and conflicts, town governance, public employment, liability and more. Ample time allowed for questions, answers, and discussion. Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of NHMA’s 2017 edition of publication, Knowing the Territory.

Dates and Locations Thursday, April 13—Peterborough Recreation Center, Gymnasium Wednesday, April 19—Grantham Town Hall Wednesday, May 3—TBD—Jackson Area* Thursday, May 4—TBD—Littleton Area* Tuesday, May 23—Stratham Municipal Center, Room A Saturday, June 3—NHMA Offices, Concord *These workshop dates and locations subject to change. Please check our website regularly.

Register Today! No Registration Fee. To register online, please visit www.nhmunicipal.org and click on the Calendar of Events. Cancellation must be received 48 hours in advance. If cancellation is not received 48 hours in advance. NHMA will charge you $20 to cover workshop costs, including meals. 4

Questions? Please call 800.852.3358, ext. 3350 or email NHMAregistrations@nhmunicipal.org NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY

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HAPPENINGS Legal Services Counsel Stephen Buckley spoke before the New Hampshire Association of Assessing Officials along with Stephen Hamilton of the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration on real estate tax exemptions for solar energy systems on January 10th at NHMA offices in Concord. The workshop covered the statutory provisions for local adoption of solar energy property tax exemptions under RSA 72:61-62 and the manner of handling common solar energy taxation issues, such as tax liability for systems leased by solar energy companies to property owners.

Town of Raymond Recognizes Colleen West Coates Colleen West Coates (pictured left) is stepping down from the Raymond Select Board. During her tenure to the board she has brought a strong sense of community, an engaging smile, a keen sense of wit, and an attitude of compassion, respect for her fellow selectpersons, and the desire to do the right thing for the community she loves. She listens to all sides of an issue before making a decision and consistently balances the needs of the community with the economic reality of the residents. The Town of Raymond is proud to honor and recognize Colleen as a resident who has demonstrated leadership skills, a strong sense of community engagement, and one who has stepped forward to make Raymnod a better place to live, raise a family, and call this home. Thank you for all you have done for our community. (Submitted by the Town of Raymond).

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Carrara Named NHBOA Building Inspector of the Year The New Hampshire Building Official’s Association (NHBOA) recently presented the 2016 Inspector of the Year award to Dario Carrara (pictured below), a full-time building inspector and zoning administrator for the Town of Peterborough. Carrara also performs building inspection and zoning administration responsibilities for the Towns of Antrim, Bennington and Hancock on a part-time basis. Established in 2002, this award is bestowed upon a member in recognition of their dedication and service in promoting the Associations’ goals and objectives of achieving safer built communities through education and compliance to state building and fire codes. NHMA wishes to congratulate Dario on this prestigious award.

NHMA’s Pam Valley Celebrates 20th Anniversary Top right, the NHMA Board of Directors gave Pam Valley a heart-felt standing ovation for her twenty years of service to the Association at their December board meeting. Pam came to NHMA after her position with a Concord law firm and was hired to serve as an office assistant beginning in 1996. Pam provides office support and clerical assistance for both the

legal services and government affairs departments. As Executive Director Judy Silva said of Pam’s service at the board recognition, “Pam knows what we need before we know we even need it.” Thank you, Pam, for your many years of service to this Association.

NHMA’s Government Affairs Staff Make the Rounds at the State House At the beginning of every legislative session, members of NHMA’s government affairs team take the opportunity to “meet and greet” with certain elected state officials, including most of those in the State Senate. Below, pictured left to right, are NHMA’s Government Affairs Counsel, Cordell Johnston; NHMA’s Government Finance Advisor, Barbara Reid; Senate Finance Chairman and State Senator Gary Daniels (also a long-time selectman in the Town of Milford); and NHMA’s Executive Director, Judy Silva. These visits are important for NHMA as they keep legislative leaders apprised of NHMA’s legislative priorities.

MARCH/APRIL 2017

HAPPENINGS from page 5

Portsmouth City Council Receives 2016 Municipal Advocate of the Year Award In December, NHMA’s Government Affairs staff formally presented it’s 2016 Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year award to the Portsmouth City Council. This was the first time the

award was given to entire governing body, rather than an individual, but it was not a difficult choice, because the council in recent years has served as a model for legislative advocacy. Not every city council or board of selectmen has the capacity to do what Portsmouth has done, but it is something to aspire to; if every local governing body could enhance its legislative advocacy, it would greatly increase the influence of city and town governments on state policy. For a first-hand description of the city’s legislative efforts, see the January/February, 2016 issue of Town and City magazine. Congratulations and thank you to the Portsmouth City Council.

USDA Investment Tops $365 Million in New Hampshire and Vermont in 2016 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that it invested over

NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY

$365 million in Vermont and New Hampshire communities in 2016 in housing, community and economic infrastructure through USDA Rural Development. The federal investment touch 465 communities, nearly every Vermont and New Hampshire town, and focused on increasing residents’ wellbeing by reducing poverty and investing in opportunities sectors including local food systems and renewable energy. In its 2016 annual report, the USDA invested $216,224,054 in New Hampshire over the past year. Towns and non-profit groups used more than $87 million in USDA funding to build and provide essential community services, including assisted living, broadband, water and wastewater, public safety and more. For more information, visit the USDA Rural Development website at www.rd.usda.gov/nh.

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Upcoming

Events

For more information or to register for an event, visit our online Calendar of Events at www.nhmunicipal.org. If you have any questions, please contact us at nhmaregistrations@nhmunicipal.org or 800.852.3358, ext. 3350.

MARCH Webinar: LEAN Process Improvement: Learn the Tools That Add Value in Public Service Wednesday, March 8 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Workshop: A Hard Road to Travel NHMA Offices, 25 Triangle Park Drive, Concord Friday, March 31, 2017

APRIL Webinar: A Halftime Report: The Legislature at Crossover Monday, April 10 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

www.nhmunicipal.org

Webinar: Here Comes the Parade: Are Your Volunteers and Recreational Staff Ready? Wednesday, April 12 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. Local Officials Workshop Thursday, April 13 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Peterborough Recreation Center, Peterborough Local Officials Workshop Wednesday, April 19 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Grantham Town Offices, Grantham

MARCH/APRIL 2017

Designing Healthier Communities in New Hampshire By Greg Bakos, PE

he reality is alarming: a rising United States (US) obesity rate, soaring medical costs, and a startling decline in US life expectancy. Across the country, health professionals and lawmakers, alike, agree that something must be done to reverse the trends. Our sedentary lifestyles are literally killing usâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and our built environment and historical development patterns are partially to blame. Fortunately, Healthy Community Design (HCD) can help.

Trail systems, such as Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Piscataquog Trail (pictured here), provide important enhancements to communitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; transportation networks.

Healthy Community Design involves designing communities and their built environment in a way that encourages people to live healthy lives. It takes a holistic approach to this goal by providing active transportation options, increasing access to healthy food, improving social connectivity and sense of community, promoting good mental health, and ensuring social equity for all community members. Planning, designing, and redeveloping our towns and cities with HCD principles in mind can help New Hampshire municipalities achieve great public health, community, and economic benefits.

The Importance of Taking a Healthy Community Design Approach In 2016, the National Center for Health Statistics reported that US life expectancy declined for the first time in 22 years, with physical inactivity and unhealthy diet second only to tobacco use as the main cause of premature death. Associated with heart disease and diabetes, obesity is responsible for an estimated $147 billion in medical costs annually. More alarming, the US adult obesity rate is projected to reach 43% of the population by 2018.

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These concerns can also be felt on a local level. Drawing on data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NHDHHS) has reported that approximately one in four adults is obese here, with some counties spiking as high as nearly one-third of adults. While these numbers may compare favorably to national averages, New Hampshire ranks second in adult obesity among the New England states, behind Maine, and our obesity rate has risen sharply since 1990, for example, when it was around 10%. Recognizing the need for action, the NHDHHSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s NH State Health Improvement Plan 2013-2020 sets a goal of reducing this average to 23% by 2020. By adopting HCD principles, New Hampshireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s municipalities can play an important role in helping to improve this picture.

The Relationship Between Health and the Built Environment Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability and inclination to make healthy choices and live healthy lives is influenced by the degree to which their community supports and encourages physical activity.

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DESIGNING from page 9 According to Dr. Richard Jackson, a professor at the UCLA Fielding School of Health who has helped pioneer wellness design, “We have built America in a way that is fundamentally unhealthy. Where you live is a big predictor of how long you’re going to live. Our challenge is to redesign the built environment for health.” Key contributors to a Healthy Community include: • Efficient roadway network with ample sidewalks • On- and off-road bike accommodations • Public open spaces and recreation opportunities • Transit options, connected neighborhoods • Healthy food establishments • Attainable housing • A rich mix of land uses • Street trees and vegetation The need to design with health in mind is clear, and our challenge in New Hampshire will be to develop policies and practices that redevelop the built environment in ways that improve public health.

The Healthy Community Design Approach Healthy Community Design involves much more than specific engineering techniques. It requires an understanding of how communities function and finding better ways to connect people of all ages and economic backgrounds with their places of employment, schools, social services, recreation facilities, healthy food outlets—and, ultimately, each other. When done properly, HCD engages the entire community in establishing guiding design principles. Examples of HCD principles include: 10

• Maximizing opportunities for all residents to get physically active • Rethinking zoning regulations to promote connected developments • Investing in active transportation solutions • Improving access to job opportunities and healthy foods • Employing Complete Streets principles in roadway design • Encouraging mixed-use development and increasing housing opportunities • Promoting social and environmental equity • Driving economic development by creating a unique community identity based on active lifestyles Every new project and initiative should be evaluated with the community’s established design principles, goals, and objectives, and it should be examined as part of a whole, instead of as singular improvements.

Get Healthy—or Get Left Behind Health is fast becoming a competitive advantage for cities and towns. People crave places that are walkable and that have active transportation options— and real estate values in areas offering these features are often higher as a result. The Millennials in particular are demanding healthy choices, and they are willing to move to communities where they do not solely depend on automobiles for travel. In the

effort to attract or retain the best and brightest emerging professionals, New Hampshire communities are competing with cities like Boston; Portland, Maine; and Burlington, Vermont. When it comes to incorporating HCD principles, signs of progress are emerging across the state. Organizations like Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) NH are promoting HCD-oriented ideals. Concord’s new Main Street, with its road diet and vastly improved pedestrian spaces, is now a hub of pedestrian activity, and new businesses are clamoring for space there. Portsmouth is planning a bike share program for 2017. Manchester is unveiling a new bike master plan, and communities around the state are competing for federal Transportation Alternatives Program funds to build multi-use paths and sidewalks. Concord, Keene, Hanover, and Portsmouth have achieved bronze Bike Friendly Community status with the League of American Bicyclists, and other communities are sure to follow. And numerous communities take advantage of Safe Routes to School funding and bike education programs to help our children get to school under their own power. These are just a few examples of the progress that is being made to enhance active transportation. There is obviously much work to be done, but taking a holistic Healthy Community Design approach will help New Hampshire compete for talent within the region.

Healthy Community Design Resources Center for Disease Control: Transportation Health Impact Assessment Toolkit: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyplaces/transportation/hia_toolkit.htm Urban land Institute: Intersections: Health and the Built Environment: http://uli.org/report/intersections-health-and-the-built-environment/ The Economic Promise of Walkable Places in Metropolitan Washington, DC: https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/25-walkable-places-leinberger.pdf Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) NH: http://healnh.org/

NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY

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The argument in support of taking an HCD approach extends beyond public health and competition for talent, too. It is also a matter of good economic sense. The CDC projects that by 2017, 19% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ($3 trillion) will be spent on health care. How do we convince New Hampshire’s public officials and private developers that HCD is essential to our wellbeing? Show them the economic advantage. Economic sustainability is important when considering a community’s health. A walkable and bikeable downtown will often be more vibrant and economically viable than a downtown that is auto-centric. A recent study conducted at Columbia University found that every $1,300 invested by New York City in building bike lanes in 2015 provided benefits equivalent to one additional year of life at full health over the lifetime of all city residents. That’s a better return on investment than some direct health treatments, like dialysis, which costs $129,000 for one quality adjusted life year. Public investment in active transportation often stimulates private investment in the community, and it can be linked to reduced healthcare costs.

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Adopting a Healthy Community Design Practice With recognition at the federal level that the troubling obesity trends must be reversed, it is very possible that health-focused changes in transportation policy will be forthcoming. With all of its benefits, one would hope that HCD would also be initiated at the local level, without prodding from Washington. This can happen by identifying and empowering a community champion to start the process, or by establishing an HCD task force to define specific HCD-related principles and objectives. Also, the lens of health can be used to convene local stakeholders— including public health professionals and hospitals. There is a growing body of reference material available to help get started, and some design professionals are becoming well versed in HCD. Integrating health-enhancing choices into transportation policy and decision-making in New Hampshire’s communities will provide health, economic, and community-identity benefits that should last for generations.

in the redesign of New England downtowns, as well as with bike/pedestrian facility planning and design. He also serves on the board of the Bike Walk Alliance of New Hampshire. Greg can be reached at: gbakos@vhb.com.

Greg Bakos, PE, is a principal within the Transportation Engineering services group at VHB in Bedford, NH, and is a member of VHB’s Healthy Community Design Core Group. He has experience

MARCH/APRIL 2017

LEAN Process Improvement: Learn the Tools That Add Value in Public Service Wednesday, March 8 12:00 pm—1:00 pm

Upcoming

Webinars NHMA will be hosting two webinars in March and April for members of the New Hampshire Municipal Association.



LEAN Process Improvement: Learn the Tools that Add Value in Public Service 

Here Comes the Parade:

Are Your Volunteers and Recreational Staff Ready?

Seeking to promote excellence in public service, bust through bureaucratic red tape, maximize value for taxpayers, and boost staff morale? This webinar is a great opportunity to build a LEAN culture by expanding awareness of continuous improvement concepts and techniques.

Join Kate McGovern, MPA, Ph.D, Associate Professor with the New Hampshire Bureau of Education and Training, who will review the LEAN process improvement tools using strategic management. Come learn how LEAN principles can be applied to common processes such as permitting and standardizing common processes.

Here Comes the Parade: Are Your Volunteers and Recreational Staff Ready? Wednesday, April 12 12:00 pm—1:00 pm Festivals, events and holiday celebrations add to community spirit and are quite popular in New Hampshire towns, cities and schools. To make these events happen, volunteers are often an integral part of the success of a community event or department. Join Margaret M.L. Byrnes, NHMA Staff Attorney, and Kerry Horne, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Recreation and Park Association, who will review the policies and procedures that protect the safety of volunteers and the municipality, including youth employment restrictions, background investigations, workers’ compensation and liability issues.

For details and registration information, visit www.nhmunicipal.org under Calendar of Events . Questions? Call 800.852.3358, ext. 3350, or email NHMAregistrations@nhmunicipal.org.

NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY

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Safe Routes to Schools:

How Kids Are Getting to School Under Their Own Power! By John, W. Corrigan

hat could be more natural than elementary school children safely walking and/or riding bicycles between home and school?

For New Hampshire communities participating in Safe Routes to School (SRTS), it turns out that such a simple idea can be complicated by issues of geography, economics, safety, and culture.

Cities, towns and school districts all over the Granite State, from Colebrook to Nashua and Portsmouth to Keene, have spent the last 10 years trying to reverse a decades-long trend toward children riding to school in the family motor vehicle. Looking toward the future, many of the lessons from SRTS are being incorporated into the new Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). SRTS is now thought of as a “legacy” program. All available funds for infrastructure projects have been awarded. Projects have been scheduled through the 2018 construction season. Limited funds remain available for seed money in the form of startup grants. Funds also continue to be available for school travel plans focusing on bicycling and walking. Projects eligible under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) remain eligible under TAP. The new approach offers greater flexibility to communities by combining both school and general community bicycle and pedestrian projects. TAP was funded initially under the Moving Ahead for Progress for the 21st Century (MAP-21) and now under the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act). The New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) www.nhmunicipal.org

has determined that these funds are most efficiently used for infrastructure projects. They are no longer available for the non-infrastructure efforts. Also, the reimbursement rate has been reduced, from 100 percent to 80 percent. The next TAP round is expected to start in 2018, with awards announced in 2019. Developing a competitive application will require thoughtful planning, so local leaders should start thinking about their projects now. Educators, parents, and municipal officials in the Town of Littleton have embraced the SRTS concept. It is not unusual to see groups of self-propelled youngsters approaching the Mildred C. Lakeway Elementary School from multiple directions. Some walk along the crumbling sidewalk on Pleasant Street. Bicyclists gather at the Littleton Bike and Fitness shop, ride across the Ammonoosuc River, turn right at Union Street and pedal toward the school. By participating, Littleton became part of an international movement that began in Denmark in the late 1970s. According to the National Center for Safe Routes to School, the first SRTS projects in the United States began in the Bronx, New York; Marin County, California; and Arlington, Massachusetts. Advocates took their message to Congress, which in 2005 approved a national program. In the Granite State, the program was started by NHDOT in late 2006, in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). SAFETEA-LU provided funding to reimburse costs for building bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure while promoting a MARCH/APRIL 2017

SAFE ROUTES... from page 13 culture of safe walking and bicycling. The program serves children, including those with disabilities, in kindergarten through eighth grade. Projects within two miles of school are eligible. If all goes as planned during the 2017 construction season, that crumbling sidewalk in Littleton will be rebuilt. Significant improvements will make the area surrounding the school much safer for young travelers. SRTS and TAP find their greatest success in communities where a local “sparkplug” recognizes a need for improvements and organizes community resources to address it. In Littleton’s case, the local leader was a parent and pediatrician who was seeing too many overweight and obese children in her medical practice. When she learned of SRTS, the advantages of burning off calories with a brisk walk or bicycle ride clicked. Under her leadership, the idea was embraced by both school and municipal officials and supported by parents. Town meeting voters raised additional local funds when it was recognized that a SRTS grant could not fully fund the project. The thinking behind SRTS and TAP reflects philosophies of multi-modal transportation, Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS), and Complete Streets. For the school program, advocates recognized that our methods of moving students from home to school and back relied too heavily on private motor vehicles. The objective of SRTS is not to get kids off school buses, the public transportation system for school students.

Why has SRTS been useful as both a transportation and public health program? Many of today’s parents remember the tales of their own parents. The standard joke is that children used to walk 14

miles to school through deep snow, uphill in both directions. That has changed over the past five decades, as children spend their time waiting in congested school-zone traffic. In the meantime, the country was plagued by what has been termed an epidemic of childhood obesity. It is a condition that can often continue into adulthood with the negative effects of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and other ailments affected by lifestyle choices. Physical activity had been engineered out of the daily lives of sedentary children, who often return home from school and spend their spare time in front of televisions, computers and the other screens of modern technology. An obvious way to chip away at the problem is to get kids outside and active. Walking or riding a bicycle offered a pollution-free way to travel the short distance between home and school for kids living within the twomile radius. Why do parents drive their kids to school? The reasons are as varied as the communities that have embraced SRTS. Fear is often cited. In some areas, the local road system does not provide a safe place to walk or ride a bicycle. Violence against children is another reason in places where young children are reasonably afraid of bullies. Some parents will look at the sexual offender registry and identify a perceived predator living on a route to school. SRTS organizers want to ensure that their efforts are both effective and economical. Solutions must be based on careful planning, and the program uses a concept known as the 5 E’s. It is a model communities may find useful independent of federal funding:

valuation: Before a problem can be solved, it must be recognized. This begins with surveys to determine

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how children in a particular school are traveling between home and school. A survey sent home to parents identifies their concerns and reasons for driving kids to school.

ducation: Safe techniques for walking and bicycling may seem second-nature to adults, but children must learn ideas like looking left, then right, then left again before crossing a street. Safe riding techniques, including helmet use, can contribute to safe travel for children on bicycles.

ncouragement: These are the efforts to communicate to children that walking and bicycling are a good idea and approved by the communityat-large. They can include everything from friendly competition among classrooms to offering small prizes as a reward for participants.

nforcement: Motorists who drive too fast near schools or fail to stop at marked crosswalks are a genuine threat to children. Visible law enforcement and tickets or warnings can encourage safe driving.

ngineering: This term is used to describe the infrastructure improvements that create safe travel routes. Most SRTS reimbursement grants are used for sidewalks. Bicycle lanes give young cyclists a place to ride separated from motor-vehicle travel lanes. Other improvements include speed-feedback signs and marked crosswalks at intersections. Because SRTS is intended to serve students of all physical and mental abilities, all SRTS projects must meet the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Tip-down ramps are a common improvement. Program advocates recognize that people who live and work in a community understand local conditions and have a better understanding of what is possible than does state www.nhmunicipal.org

government. A first step is organizing a SRTS local task force. This brings together the key local people. Principals, nurses, physical education teachers and other faculty members ensure that the school perspective is taken into account. Municipal administrators, including public works or similar officials, manage construction projects on public property and ensure maintenance after a project is built. Community people interested civic improvement in general, and bicycling and walking efforts, provide additional input. If pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure is in place, safety can be enhanced by what are known as escort programs. Two major forms are in place: Walking school buses: In this approach, children meet at a central

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location and walk to school together. They are usually accompanied by an adult volunteer or school staff member. Children find safety in numbers, as bullies are unlikely to harass a group of students walking together. Adult supervision also ensures that children stay on the sidewalks and marked crosswalks and keep an eye out for traffic while crossing the street. Some walking school buses will meet up with additional groups as they approach the school. Rolling bike trains: This is the same approach, but the kids ride bicycles along with their adult supervisors. Both of these approaches can be supplemented by remote drop-off locations. Instead of driving all the way to school, parents and bus drivers can have their passengers meet other kids

gathering for the walk or bicycle ride. This can help reduce traffic congestion in the immediate vicinity of the school. Federal funds can play a significant role in balancing our transportation system. If SRTS and TAP inspire more local commitment to invest in non-motorized forms, we will breathe easier while enjoying commutes that raise the heart rate instead of our blood pressure. For more information, contact me. John W. Corrigan is the Safe Routes to School Coordinator for the New Hampshire Department of Transporation. For more information, contact John directly at (603) 271-1980 or John.Corrigan@ dot.nh.gov, or visit NHDOTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website: http://www.nh.gov/dot/org/projectdevelopment/planning/srts/index.htm

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2017 Training and Workshops Schedule Save these Dates for Upcoming Workshops! March 2017 31 A Hard Road to Travel—NHMA Offices April 2017 13 Local Officials Workshop—Peterborough Recreation Center, Peterborough 19 Local Officials Workshop—Grantham Town Offices, Grantham May 2017 4 Local Officials Workshop—Littleton Area 10 Local Officials Workshop—Jackson Area 11 New Hampshire Employment Law Workshop—NHMA Offices, Concord 17 Municipal Liability and Immunity Workshop—NHMA Offices, Concord 23 Local Official Workshop—Stratham Municipal Center, Stratham

June 2017 3 Local Officials Workshop—NHMA Offices, Concord 8

Right-to-Know Workshop—NHMA Offices, Concord

15 The Art of Welfare Workshop—NHMA Offices, Concord September 2017 8 Right-to-Know Law Workshop-Seacoast Area 12 Budget & Finance Workshop—Manchester/Nashua Area 23 Municipal Law Lecture Series — Newington Area 26 Budget & Finance Workshop—Attitash Grand Summit Hotel, Bartlett October 2017 14

Municipal Law Lecture—NHMA Offices, Concord

27 A Hard Road to Travel—NHMA Offices, Concord November 2017 15/16 76th Annual Conference and Exhibition, Radisson Hotel, Manchester All events, dates and locations subject to change. Visit www.nhmunicipal.org for current information.

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Building Healthy Communities:

How a Community Health Initiative Launched a Regional Active Transportation Movement By Liz Kelly

“W

e hear the same thing over and over again when we talk to people about their communities,” says J.B. Mack, Principal Planner at Southwest Region Planning Commission (SWRPC), one of New Hampshire’s nine regional planning commission that assists municipalities with community planning and development issues. “They say ‘I want to get out and walk and bike more, but where I live, walking and biking is not safe or convenient. There are limited sidewalks, bicycle trails, or safe walking paths near my home or office.’ Unfortunately, we as a society have designed physical activity out of so many of our communities, we have inadvertently created a public health issue.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), lack of exercise is a major risk factor in children and adults and contributes to chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Though New Hampshire ranks as the 35th lowest in the nation for adults who are obese, nearly 2 out of 3 adults, 1 out of 4 high school students, and 1 out of 3 third graders in New Hampshire are overweight or obese. Research has shown that the conditions in which we live, work, and play have a significant impact on our health. Walkable and bikeable communities encourage daily physical activity, and is one of the most effective and equitable ways to support healthy habits for all ages and abilities. According to Smart Growth America, residents in walkable neighborhoods are 65% more likely to walk and less likely to be overweight or obese. Historically, there have been many obstacles to walking and bicycling that communities face, including lack of sidewalk, www.nhmunicipal.org

crosswalk, and bike path infrastructure, lack of connected pedestrian and bicycle routes, and actual and perceived dangers of walking and bicycling. However, this is changing. Communities throughout New Hampshire are recognizing the link between pedestrian and bicycle friendly streets and public health and are making decisions to improve walking and biking conditions.

Building Community Partnerships to Promote Active Transportation In 2015, SWRPC entered a partnership with Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth Hitchcock Keene and Healthy Monadnock to participate in a program of the CDC called “Partnerships to Improve Community Health,” or PICH. PICH is a 3-year initiative that funds a multi-sector coalition in Cheshire County that’s working to address the leading risk factors for the causes of death and disability in the United States: lack of physical activity, poor nutrition, and tobacco. SWRPC’s role in the initiative is to improve physical activity in Cheshire County by increasing the number of people who have improved access to physical activity opportunities. In order to accomplish this goal, SWRPC is providing technical assistance to municipalities to develop “Complete Streets” policies, assisting schools in developing Safe Routes to School programs, and working with the private sector to install biAbove: A temporary bike lane in cycle racks at important Pictured Hinsdale shows residents how the street community destina- can become safer for bicyclists. MARCH/APRIL 2017

COMMUNITIES from page 17 tions. Since PICH has started, SWRPC has worked with four communities and ten schools to promote active transportation in Cheshire County. Approximately 450 new bicycle parking spaces were created near businesses, parks, trails, and community institutions. This robust, multi-faceted approach engages diverse stakeholders to not only make streets safer and more accessible for all users, but to encourage the entire community to support and encourage healthy and active lifestyles.

Complete Streets: AutoOriented to User-Oriented Central to SWRPC’s work has been its Complete Streets technical assistance. Complete Streets is a context-sensitive approach to transportation planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance. It takes into consideration the needs of all users, regardless of age and ability, to provide safe, affordable, and accessible transportation for everyone. Complete Streets promote regular walking and bicycling, increase foot and bicycle traffic for local businesses, improve public safety, and accommodate all transportation users including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and public transit users. Though once on the fringe of transportation planning, Complete Streets are now being embraced by state agencies, municipalities, and public health and safety advocates throughout the country.

municate with elected officials or the public about the benefits of improving safety and accessibility with better street design. To address this issue, SWRPC used PICH funding to work with each town to coordinate a Complete Streets demonstration. During a demonstration, a roadway is temporarily converted into a walkable, bikeable neighborhood destination for people of all ages and abilities. While many transportation projects have multiyear timelines, a demonstration can be planned, designed and implemented over the course of several weeks. Temporary biking and walking infrastructure can generate public interest and build community support for permanent street changes. In Keene, Swanzey, and Hinsdale, events were organized around the demonstration itself and featured protected bike lanes, pedestrian crosswalks, narrower travel lanes, parklets (parking spaces transformed into temporary pocket parks), and curb extensions. In Hinsdale, two parklets were positioned across the street from each other to create a “pinch point” to help slow traffic. The demonstration events also included live music, bike safety demonstrations, and public art. A simpler demonstration was set up in Troy where SWRPC

installed a temporary bike lane and two crosswalks for part of a weekend and allowed residents to try them at their leisure. Comment boxes were set up to collect public feedback.

Building Momentum SWRPC is currently part-way through its final year of the PICH initiative and is working with four more communities (Jaffrey, Harrisville, Walpole, and Winchester) in Cheshire County. At the conclusion of PICH, SWRPC hopes to build upon the momentum it has achieved in the Monadnock region. Potential next steps include assisting other municipalities in adopting Complete Streets policies, helping communities set up municipal transportation improvement funds, assisting towns in applying for bicycle, pedestrian and transit improvement grants, helping municipalities measure their progress and communicate with the public regarding their Complete Streets implementation activities, and providing technical assistance in developing additional Complete Streets demonstrations. Liz Kelly is a Planning Technician for the Southwest Region Planning Commission. Liz may be contacted by email at lkelly@swrpc.org or by calling her at 603.357.0557.

In 2015 and 2016, SWRPC partnered with four communities (Keene, Swanzey, Troy, and Hinsdale) to assist them in developing a customized Complete Streets Policy for each town. A policy formalizes a community’s intent to routinely plan, design, and maintain streets to enable safe access for all users of the road.

Complete Street Demonstrations Without examples of Complete Streets in a town, it can be difficult to com18

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Riding the Wave of Progress:

A “Coalition Approach” to Local and Regional Transportation By J.B. Mack and Mari Brunner MAST uses its trivia wheel at fairs and other events as a fun way to educate the public about transportation issues.

he Monadnock Alliance for Sustainable Transportation (MAST), a decade old coalition aimed at fostering more progressive transportation decision making in Southwest New Hampshire, was born out of a debate about what transportation investments were best for state highways passing through the City of Keene. It was 1999 when the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) released recommendations to construct a Keene bypass system that included new grade separated interchanges, widened roads, and the construction of a new limited access road to accommodate anticipated growth. Local residents’ reaction to the proposal was swift and strong. NHDOT’s proposed transportation improvements, many residents argued, would irrevocably change the small town feel of Keene and the region itself. After several years of debate and an eventual out-of-court settlement in 2004 between NHDOT and the Conservation Law Foundation over a wetlands permit associated with the proposed bypass project, an agreement was reached in which transportation improvements would be constructed on an incremental basis as traffic congestion materialized. In addition, the agreement formed a body tasked with helping Keene and surrounding towns ensure better transportation planning and decision making occur in the future. That group is now called MAST. Although MAST first focused its attentions on mitigating traffic congestion, it quickly realized that a larger concern for area stakeholders is the lack of transportation alternatives in the region. Employers reported that additional transportation options were important for attracting and retaining employees. Service agencies observed that transportation al-

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ternatives would make it easier for clients, many of whom could not drive, to get to appointments. Others noted that additional transportation options would help communities reach their emissions reduction goals, improve health by promoting physical activity, and increase safety for children who walk or bike to school. Recognizing the broad support for its mission, MAST set itself up as a coalition focused on one central goal: to increase use and availability of local and regional transportation options in the Monadnock Region. Supporting the goal are a list of objectives to achieve a more diversified transportation system. Most of the objectives focus on expanding the use and availability of different kinds of transportation infrastructure or programming such as sidewalks, bike paths, public transportation, ridesharing, carsharing and intercity bus services. In addition, there is an objective to implement non-transportation strategies to replace vehicle trips such as the expansion of broadband to improve work at home, telehealth, online education and other similar opportunities. Another objective calls for improved land use planning so that housing, shopping and work destinations are situated close to one another to improve accessibility, affordability and have less impact on the environment. As a coalition that operates similar to a non-profit, MAST does not have an operating budget. It is a grassroots effort entirely supported by volunteers and organizations. Implementation activities, such as the construction of new sidewalks and bike paths or the enhancement of transit services, are performed by coalition partners such as towns and cities. Other partners provide MAST operating support for its meetings and events. Partner agencies volunteer to act as fiscal agents to administer grant funds that MAST receives. MARCH/APRIL 2017

WAVE OF PROGRESS from page 19 Due to its volunteer nature, most of MAST’s work is focused on education and advocacy. Educational resources are delivered to stakeholders in person at meetings and events as well as through its Facebook page and its website. The website itself contains curriculum materials for local educators, along with alternative transportation resources for citizens, municipalities, and employers. One of MAST’s educational goals is to raise awareness about the high cost of transportation and the burden it places on households in the region. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2015 Consumer Expenditure Survey, transportation is the second most expensive household expenditure after housing. On average, households spend 15% of their income on vehicle expenses including fuel, tires, maintenance, insurance and registration fees. Lower income households are disproportionately impacted by transportation. The same data set shows that the 20% lowest income households spend 29% of their income on vehicle expenses. Given this information, MAST believes it raises an important question about how the cost of transportation is affecting consumer spending and economic mobility. Another educational focus of MAST is sharing information about the Monadnock Region’s changing demographics. Like most of New Hampshire, the Monadnock Region is anticipated to face a rapidly aging population. Between 2015 and 2040, the region’s population that is 65 and older is projected to increase by 65%, more rapidly than any other age group. The demographic shift will have significant implications for transportation. According to the two most recent Federal Highway Administration’s National Highway Travel Surveys, the percentage of people age 65 and older that do not drive has remained consistent at 21% of that population. By 2040, that 20

could mean the region will have over 5,600 senior non-drivers, one of the effects of an aging population that has been described by the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies as a “silver tsunami.” In addition to educating the public, MAST has implemented numerous advocacy campaigns. Every two years, MAST provides testimony to NHDOT at its Ten Year Transportation Improvement Plan hearings about the merits of investing in a diversified transportation system. On a routine basis, it provides letters of support for municipal grant applications to improve local transportation systems. Other advocacy activities have focused on a particular challenge or opportunity. For example, when Greyhound Lines, Inc. signaled that it was considering pulling bus service from Keene, MAST partners including local elected officials, local universities and the Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce worked together to advocate for continued intercity bus service. Though MAST is not due all the credit for its change of heart, Greyhound not only decided to keep its service intact, but it later created a new bus route with direct service to Nashua and Boston.

with plans to expand to an additional four communities in 2017. The Monadnock Region has achieved a great deal of accomplishments over the past decade. The Region continues to grow and improve the connectivity of its sidewalk network and bicycle path system. Public transit and private intercity bus services have expanded. New broadband infrastructure now winds its way through previously underserved communities. Riding the wave of progress, MAST will continue to make its contribution to the region’s success—by ensuring that the transportation system plays a meaningful role in addressing the Monadnock Region’s quality of life. J. B. Mack is Principal Planner and Mari Brunner is a Planner with the Southwest Region Planning Commission. J.B. can be reached by email at jbmack@swrpc. org and Mari at mburnner@swrpc. org. Both can be reached by phone at 603.357.0557.

One of MAST’s more successful initiatives is “Rack it Up!,” a program that provides free or subsidized bicycle racks to businesses, non-profits, community institutions, and others. This program was envisioned as a way to reach out to area businesses and encourage them to become more “bicycle friendly.” Rack it Up! started in 2014 as a 50% cost-sharing program funded by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and it has expanded in recent years due to funding from the Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH) initiative. To date, a total of 219 “inverted-U” style bike racks have been provided to businesses and other organizations in four communities,

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National League of Cities Releases New Report on The Future Work in Cities tunities while realigning local governance priorities. This research initiative aims to empower local leaders to be proactive rather than reactive toward the changing economy, helping them positon cities for growth as these trends accelerate. This Report: 1) presents the history of work; 2) examines the technologies fueling a drive toward automation; 3) explores changing relationships between capital anlabor; 4) includes economic forecasting; and 5) provides recommendations to local leaders.

This report can be downloaded from NLC’s website at www.nlc.org.

ith automation and artificial intelligence already permeating nearly every sector of the economy, disruption is happening at an accelerated pace.

The National League of Cities’ (NLC) latest report in their City of the Future series examines societal shifts and advancements in technology that are impacting the rapidly changing American workforce. Globalization and the emergence of new technologies are revolutionizing the way we structure our businesses, hire our employees, and produce our goods. This historic change brings both anxiety and opportunity. As labor is commoditized and platformized, workers increasingly rely less on an employer’s capital (like an office or factory) and more on their own homes, laptops, cars, and smartphones. This report outlines solutions to help city leaders plan for the fast-approaching future, while forecasting the economic viability of two distinct sectors – retail and office administration – in which a quarter of Americans are currently employed. The Future of Work in Cities contrasts the realities cities face today with the ways they are planning for tomorrow, exploring the means by which cities can exploit innovative oppor-

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MARCH/APRIL 2017

★

BEST PRACTICES ★

New Hampshire Municipal Association

Best Practices Series

★

BEST PRACTICES ★

Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Best Practice: Appropriate Level of Unrestricted Fund Balance in the General Fund Background: In the context of financial reporting, the term fund balance is used to describe the net position of governmental funds calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Budget professionals commonly use this same term to describe the net position of governmental funds calculated on a government’s budgetary basis. While in both cases fund balance is intended to serve as a measure of the financial resources available in a governmental fund, it is essential that differences between GAAP fund balance and budgetary fund balance be fully appreciated. 1. GAAP financial statements report up to five separate categories of fund balance based on the type and source of constraints placed on how resources can be spent (presented in descending order from most constraining to least constraining): nonspendable fund balance, restricted fund balance, committed fund balance, assigned fund balance, and unassigned fund balance. The total of the amounts in these last three categories (where the only constraint on spending, if any, is imposed by the government itself) is termed unrestricted fund balance. In contrast, budgetary fund balance, while it is subject to the same constraints on spend22

ing as GAAP fund balance, typically represents simply the total amount accumulated from prior years at a point in time. 2. The calculation of GAAP fund balance and budgetary fund balance sometimes is complicated by the use of sub-funds within the general fund. In such cases, GAAP fund balance includes amounts from all of the subfunds, whereas budgetary fund balance typically does not. 3. Often the timing of the recognition of revenues and expenditures is different for purposes of GAAP financial reporting and budgeting. For example, encumbrances arising from purchase orders often are recognized as expenditures for budgetary purposes, but never for the preparation of GAAP financial statements. The effect of these and other differences on the amounts reported as GAAP fund balance and budgetary fund balance in the general fund should be clarified, understood, and documented. It is essential that governments maintain adequate levels of fund balance to mitigate current and future risks (e.g., revenue shortfalls and unanticipated expenditures) and to ensure stable tax rates. In most cases, discussions of fund balance will properly focus on a

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government’s general fund. Nonetheless, financial resources available in other funds should also be considered in assessing the adequacy of unrestricted fund balance in the general fund.

Recommendation: GFOA recommends that governments establish a formal policy on the level of unrestricted fund balance that should be maintained in the general fund for GAAP and budgetary purposes. Such a guideline should be set by the appropriate policy body and articulate a framework and process for how the government would increase or decrease the level of unrestricted fund balance over a specific time period. In particular, governments should provide broad guidance in the policy for how resources will be directed to replenish fund balance should the balance fall below the level prescribed. Appropriate Level. The adequacy of unrestricted fund balance in the general fund should take into account each government’s own unique circumstances. For example, governments that may be vulnerable to natural disasters, more dependent on a volatile revenue source, or potentially subject to cuts in state aid and/or federal grants may need to maintain a higher level in the unrestricted fund balance. Articulating these risks in a fund balance policy makes it easier to explain to stakeholders the rationale for a seemingly higher than normal level of www.nhmunicipal.org

fund balance that protects taxpayers and employees from unexpected changes in financial condition. Nevertheless, GFOA recommends, at a minimum, that general-purpose governments, regardless of size, maintain unrestricted budgetary fund balance in their general fund of no less than two months of regular general fund operating revenues or regular general fund operating expenditures. The choice of revenues or expenditures as a basis of comparison may be dictated by what is more predictable in a government’s particular circumstances. Furthermore, a government’s particular situation often may require a level of unrestricted fund balance in the general fund significantly in excess of this recommended minimum level. In any case, such measures should be applied within the context of longterm forecasting, thereby avoiding the risk of placing too much emphasis upon the level of unrestricted fund balance in the general fund at any one time. In establishing a policy governing the level of unrestricted fund balance in the general fund, a government should consider a variety of factors, including: 1. The predictability of its revenues and the volatility of its expenditures (i.e., higher levels of unrestricted fund balance may be needed if significant revenue sources are subject to unpredictable fluctuations or if operating expenditures are highly volatile); 2. Its perceived exposure to significant one-time outlays (e.g., disasters, immediate capital needs, state budget cuts); 3. The potential drain upon general fund resources from other funds, as well as, the availability of resources in other funds; 4. The potential impact on the entity’s bond ratings and the corwww.nhmunicipal.org

responding increased cost of borrowed funds; 5. Commitments and assignments (i.e., governments may wish to maintain higher levels of unrestricted fund balance to compensate for any portion of unrestricted fund balance already committed or assigned by the government for a specific purpose). Governments may deem it appropriate to exclude from consideration resources that have been committed or assigned to some other purpose and focus on unassigned fund balance, rather than on unrestricted fund balance. Use and Replenishment. The fund balance policy should define conditions warranting its use, and if a fund balance falls below the government’s policy level, a solid plan to replenish it. In that context, the fund balance policy should: • Define the time period within which and contingencies for which fund balances will be used; • Describe how the government’s expenditure and/or revenue levels will be adjusted to match any new economic realities that are behind the use of fund balance as a financing bridge; • Describe the time period over which the components of fund balance will be replenished and the means by which they will be replenished. Generally, governments should seek to replenish their fund balances within one to three years of use. Specifically, factors influencing the replenishment time horizon include: • The budgetary reasons behind the fund balance targets; • Recovering from an extreme event; • Political continuity; • Financial planning time horizons; • Long-term forecasts and eco-

nomic conditions; • External financing expectations. Revenue sources that would typically be looked to for replenishment of a fund balance include nonrecurring revenues, budget surpluses, and excess resources in other funds (if legally permissible and there is a defensible rationale). Year-end surpluses are an appropriate source for replenishing fund balance. Unrestricted Fund Balance Above Formal Policy Requirement. In some cases, governments can find themselves in a position with an amount of unrestricted fund balance in the general fund over their formal policy reserve requirement even after taking into account potential financial risks in the foreseeable future. Amounts over the formal policy may reflect a structural trend, in which case governments should consider a policy as to how this would be addressed. Additionally, an education or communication strategy, or at a minimum, explanation of large changes in fund balance is encouraged. In all cases, use of those funds should be prohibited as a funding source for ongoing recurring expenditures. Approved by GFOA’s Executive Board: September 2015 The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), was founded in 1906, and represents public finance officials throughout the United States and Canada. GFOA’s mission is to promote excellence in state and local government financial management. GFOA has accepted the leadership challenge of public finance. To meet the many needs of its members, the organization provides best practice guidance, consulting, networking opportunities, publications including books, e-books, and periodicals, recognition programs, research, and training opportunities for those in the profession. For more information visit the GFOA website at www.gfoa.org. MARCH/APRIL 2017

— This Moment in NHMA History — 35 years ago….

At his own request, then-Governor Hugh Gallen met with the NHMA board for over an hour to discuss details and the extent of commitment to balance the state budget without further burdening the 1982 property taxpayer. Eventually, the NHMA’s executive committee voted to endorse Gallen’s proposed budget plan.

76 years ago…. State universities provided substantial help in getting municipal leagues off the ground in a large majority of states, including New Hampshire. University professors frequently helped call the organizing meeting and usually provided facilities and staff at little or no cost to the association. Professor Lashley G. Harvey provided these extraordinary services to the New Hampshire Municipal Association and even produced the first “municipal newsletter” in January 1941.

NAME

THAT

TOWN

? 24

? ?

Name the town in which this ballistic missile is located? This territory was granted in 1763 to John Page and others. In 1770, the grant was renewed and an additional section of territory added to the grant when it was determined that the town line survey was incorrect. The town library bears the name of the first settler, Joseph Patch, who built a cabin there in 1767. The town’s most famous landmark is a Redstone ballistic missile which is erected in the center of the village green. It was donated by Henry T. Asselin, who transported the missile from the Redstone Arsenal near Huntsville, Alabama, in 1971, then placed in honor of long-time Senator Norris Cotton, a native of this town. When you have figured out the answer, email it to tfortier@nhmunicipal.org. The answer will appear in the May/June issue. ANSWER TO PHOTO IN JANUARY/FEBRUARY, 2017 ISSUE: The photo on page 20 in the last issue of Town and City magazine was of The Daniel Academy Building in the Town of Brookline. This building originally housed the town grammar grades from 1914-1968 and currently serves as town office. Thanks to Scott Wiggin (Bedford), Ken Story (Grantham), Jane O’Brien (Bedford) and Rosalie Andrews who all responded with the correct response.

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MARCH/APRIL 2017

UP CLOSE & In the Field

PERSONAL

elcome to Up Close and Personal—In the Field, a regular column in New Hampshire Town and City, dedicated to giving readers a closer look at local government officials from New Hampshire municipalities. In this issue, we hope you enjoy meeting Suzanne Huard, Select Board Chair in the Town of Rollinsford.

TC: What is your biggest challenge in performing your duties as Select Board Chair? SH: The breadth and unpredictability of issues that come before the Board. It is a challenge to deal with both the reactive pressures of everyday situations and the need to do long-range planning. TC: How has NHMA helped you to do your job? SH: The NHMA provides us access to expertise across a range of issues that a select board of three does not otherwise have. Legalinquiries@nhmanhmunicipal.org is a favored email. Thank you!

Suzanne Huard

TC: Give us an example of a problem you solved or a dilemma you faced and overcame in the line of duty? SH: I am a strong proponent of strategic and long-term planning, and our town possessed little of both. With the actions and support of the board, we now have a functioning and funded Capital Improvement Plan, a road plan and spending projections, all of them with ten-year planning windows. These plans allow us to present projects to the town with the best information possible, allowing them to make wise voting decisions for the present and with a better understanding of future implications. TC: What is the public perception about your job and how does it differ from the reality of your job? SH: Based upon their questions and expectations, the public, including budget committee members, seem to think that the town employs a benefits administrator and directors of facilities services, budget and finance, procurement, human resources, planning, engineering, and legal services. We do not. The reality is that we have a select board of 3 officials, two of whom work full time, and we are supported by an administrative assistant working fewer than 30 hours per week. Residents also seem to think that we can act independently and seem surprised when we tell them that our actions and decisions are often constrained by the state’s RSA’s.

Do you know someone who deserves to be profiled in a future edition of New Hampshire Town and City magazine? If so, please contact the New Hampshire Municipal Association at 800.852.3358 ext. 3408.

TC: Has your public position changed you personally? SH: Yes. No wine with dinner on evenings with meetings. TC: Do you dislike any aspects of your job? Which ones? Why? SH: Evening meetings. TC: Anything else you would like to discuss about your job? SH: I worry about the inefficiencies of local government, particularly for a town of our size. We are a small enclave in a rapidly growing area of the state. We have salary pressures from the local employment situation. We have a shallow bench of expertise. It’s difficult for us to attain economies of scale with our bids and proposals. Neighboring communities are putting out bid packages for roads in millions of dollars; we have bid packages that hover in the low six figures. We once put out a bid package for an emergency culvert repair: we had only two responses, with a $65,000 difference between the two. Thank goodness for that lesser bid. I would love to see more regionalism and cooperation, perhaps at the county level?

NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY

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UP CLOSE & In the Field

PERSONAL

elcome to Up Close and Personal—In the Field, a regular column in New Hampshire Town and City, dedicated to giving readers a closer look at local government officials from New Hampshire municipalities. In this issue, we hope you enjoy meeting Glenn Coppelman, Planning Board Chairman for the Town of Kingston.

TC: What are your duties and responsibilities as planning board chairman? GC: As a planning board member, I’m part of an elected land use board that is responsible for maintaining the town’s master plan and capital improvement plan, as well as reviewing applications for subdivision of land and commercial development. As Chairman, I manage the Board meetings and strive to ensure an orderly, fair and transparent process. TC: What is your biggest challenge in performing your duties? GC: I find the biggest challenge is ensuring that all parties in a discussion have equal opportunity to participate and have their voices heard. This is important in a public process so that everyone has their say, and the board has as much information as needed to come to their final decision. TC: How has NHMA helped you to do your job? GC: Laws regarding planning and zoning are constantly changing. I regularly attend NHMA’s Municipal Law Lectures to keep current on the latest legal issues related to my planning board role.

Glenn Coppelman

TC: Give us an example of a problem you solved or a dilemma you faced and overcame in the line of duty? GC: Early on in my board tenure, I was removed from my appointed board seat after breaking a tie vote (in favor of the applicant) on a contentious application. Wanting to correct what I viewed as an injustice, I worked with others to put forth a warrant article to change the board to an elected body. It passed overwhelmingly. I ran for the position and have been re-elected ever since. TC: What is the public perception about your job and how does it differ from the reality of your job? GC: Many people think that the Planning Board makes decisions based on how members “feel.” The truth is that, while we each bring our own perspective to the job, board members are bound by state laws, the town zoning ordinance, and regulations when making a decision on an application. There isn’t a lot of “gray” area in this job.

Do you know someone Looking for who deserves to be profiled anin aemployee future edition ofor NewaHampshire job? Town and City magazine?

NHMA members and municipalities across the country so, please contact the to are If invited to submit postings appear on our website. New Hampshire Municipal Visit www.nhmunicipal.org for Association at 800.852.3358 more information or submit your ext. to 3408 or ad by email classifiedads@ nhmunicipal.org. townandcity@nhmunicipal.org.

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TC: Has your public position changed you personally? GC: I now have a much better appreciation for the art of compromise. TC: What lessons about human nature have you learned in your role? GC: Generally, applicants, abutters and the general public just want a fair shake in the planning process. If that happens, then most will accept the outcome, even if some are not happy with the result. TC: What advice would you give someone who would like to follow in your footsteps into this job? GC: Get comfortable with the state RSA’s on planning and zoning, as well as your town’s zoning ordinances and regulations. Keep an open mind (and a sense of humor). Learn from the more experienced board members. Listen carefully. Take pride in the contribution you’ll be making to your community. TC: Anything else you would like to discuss about your job? GC: In 2017, I will be completing 32 years of service to the Town of Kingston as a planning board member, initially appointed and now elected. It has been a very rewarding way of giving back to my community. MARCH/APRIL 2017

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The Intersection of Land Use and Road Law: A New Hard Road to Travel Workshop! Strip malls, condominium developments and single-family homes have one thing in common: they canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist without road access. Join NHMA Legal Services Attorneys Stephen Buckley and Margaret Byrnes for this new Hard Road to Travel Workshop, which will focus on road-related issues that surround development and construction, including subdivisions, driveways, and building on Class VI and private roads under RSA 674:41. There will also be a discussion about complete streets and how the program may benefit your municipality. Ample time will be allowed for questions and answers. This workshop will benefit not only road agents and public works, but also governing bodies, land use boards, and administrators who want to better understand the different roles and responsibilities of various municipal officials in these situations.

Friday, March 31, 2017 9:00 a.m.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;1:00 p.m. Registration and Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Lunch provided!

NHMA Offices 25 Triangle Park Drive, Concord NH Cost: $100 (workshop registration, including 2015 edition of Hard Road to Travel)

Or $55 (workshop registration, no publication)

Register online at www.nhmunicipal.org under Calendar of Events Online pre-registration required one week prior. Space is limited. Questions? Call 800.852.3358, ext. 3350, or email NHMAregistrations@nhmunicipal.org www.nhmunicipal.org

MARCH/APRIL 2017

NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY

www.nhmunicipal.org

Your Source of Information on all 234 Towns and Cities in New Hampshire. Following Elections, Have You Updated Your Official Rosters and Contact Information?

Time to Update Official Information for 2017-2018 New Hampshire Municipal Officials Directory NHMA Relies on YOU to Update this Important Member Information Following town meetings recently held across the state, there are hundreds of newly-elected and re-elected officials in New Hampshire’s 234 cities and towns. In order for us to maintain this premier desktop companion as a valuable member resource, it is imperative that members update and make any necessary changes to your member contact information, including any newly-elected local officials. NHMA relies on this vital contact information to reach municipal officials and staff with timely information regarding available training, workshops, webinars and services as well as important legal and legislative updates throughout the year. This publication is also used extensively as a reference tool by other city, town, school and other local government officials. Please log onto www.nhmunicipal.org and go to Member Directory Updates in the Member Toolbox. See red arrows pointed to this spot on NHMA’s website. If you don’t know who in your city or town has access to do this, please contact Judy Pearson at jpearson@nhmunicipal.org or call her at 603.230.3355. This is also the time to update who receives a complimentary Town and City magazine subscription as part of your membership with us.

Please Update this Information by May 31.

www.nhmunicipal.org

MARCH/APRIL 2017

Legal

Q and A

By Stephen C. Buckley, Legal Services Counsel with the New Hampshire Municipal Association

Spending Without An Appropriation – Gifts & Grants As Off-Budget Expenditures The Municipal Budget Act prohibits expenditures unless an appropriation for the proposed purpose has been approved by the legislative body. Since the appropriation of funds is limited to either the annual town meeting or town or city council budget approval, any expenditures for purposes not supported by a legal appropriation would require court and legislative body approval. See RSA 31:5. However, there are statutory exceptions involving gifts and grants to the “NoSpending-Without-Appropriation” rule which this FAQ will review and explain.

Q: Is there statutory authority for a municipality to approve expenditures of unanticipated revenue? A: Yes. RSA 31:95-b generally authorizes the governing body to accept unanticipated funds made available during the year. Before using RSA 31:95-b to accept unanticipated funds, the town or village district meeting must first adopt the mandatory warrant article language found in RSA 31:95-b, I(a), that indefinitely authorizes the select board or village district commissioners to accept and expend unanticipated money. Once adopted by the town or village district meeting, the authority to accept unanticipated funds remains indefinitely until rescinded.

Q: What is unanticipated money from the state, federal or other governmental unit or a private source which becomes available during the fiscal year? A: RSA 31:95-b is generally understood to apply to federal, state or private grants that become available to a municipality through an application or award process by the granting entity. The money offered to the municipality must be unexpected and unforeseen. This would ordinarily not include state grant programs that are typically budgeted for by municipalities on an annual basis, such as bridge aid funds, RSA 235:5, and highway grant funds, RSA 235:23. Exam32

NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY

ples of unanticipated revenue would be a grant from the New Hampshire Department of Safety, Division or Homeland Security, for the purchase of equipment funded from the federal Emergency Management Performance Grant, or a grant from the New Hampshire Department of Justice to make funding available from the federal Violence Against Women Formula Grant. In each of these instances, the municipality would have to apply for and be awarded the grant, thus the grant money would be unanticipated until the funding agency approves the grant. In the case of grants from the State of New Hampshire, the grant documents may require final approval by the Governor and Executive Council after approval by the supervising state agency.

Q: Our Town Meeting did adopt RSA 31:95b. What else must we do to accept and expend a grant? A: If the amount awarded is $10,000 or more, the governing body must hold a public hearing and after the public hearing vote to accept the grant. Notice of the public hearing must be by posting and publication at least 7 days before the hearing. For an amount awarded that is less than $10,000, the governing body can decide if a public hearing is required for any amount less than $10,000. The governing body should adopt a policy stating when a public hearing will be required for grants that are proposed to be received by the town in amounts under $10,000.

Q: The grant our town has been awarded requires the town to pay a share of the grant cost. Is this allowed? A: RSA 31:95-b, IV (a) provides that the grant cannot require the expenditure of other town or village district funds except those funds lawfully appropriated for the same purpose. This statute does not define the word “purpose,” but that word is defined in RSA 32:3, V as “a goal or aim to be accomplished through the expenditure of public funds.” www.nhmunicipal.org

Assume the grant described above for funding from the Violence Against Women Formula Grant required the town to match the federal grant funds with a dedicated amount of time by a certified police officer to carry out the grant purposes. As long as the town had an appropriation for police salaries, and sufficient funds in the budget to use for that purpose, the town could accept the grant. In the absence of there being an appropriation in the existing budget for the expenditure of matching funds or in-kind services as required by the state, federal or private granting entity, the municipality could not accept the grant.

Q: What if the town is offered a gift of $15,000 to purchase computer equipment for the town offices? Must this gift be received and spent through the procedures in RSA 31:95-b? A: No, not if the legislative body has adopted RSA 31:19. That statute permits the town meeting to authorize the governing body to accept and hold in trust gifts, legacies and devises. A legacy would be a gift of personal property payable in money or other items from an estate. A devise is the act of giving real property through a will. If the town meeting has adopted RSA 31:19, II, the select board could receive and spend the gift for the purposes designated by the donor or in the will, provided it was clear in the terms of the gift that the entire amount could be spent. In certain instances, such a gift would only permit the expenditure of the income and not the principal. The gift would be held in the custody of the trustees of trust funds, RSA 31:25, and the trustees would pay those funds to the agent(s) designated in the trust or gift. Thus, if a select board is going to vote under RSA 31:19 to receive a gift, it should be made clear with the donor whether the income and principal can be spent and that the select board are given the www.nhmunicipal.org

MARCH/APRIL 2017

LEGAL Q&A from page 33 authority to expend the gift. All such gifts must be for public purposes.

Q: The town has been offered a used backhoe. Is there a way to formally accept such an offer? A: The town meeting can authorize the select board to accept personal property which is offered to the town for a public purpose. RSA 31:95-e. An intangible thing or other property not attached to real estate is considered personal property, including of course, a used backhoe. Gifts of personal property having a value of $5,000 or more require a public hearing before acceptance. For gifts of personal property having a value of less than $5,000, a public hearing can be held at the discretion of the select board. An important aspect about accepting personal property is that it will not bind the town “to raise, appropriate or expend any public funds for the operation,

maintenance, repair, or replacement of such personal property.” RSA 31:95-e, III. This would not prohibit the town from repairing the donated backhoe, but it would not obligate that repair be undertaken.

Q: Are there any other municipal boards or commissions that are authorized to accept grants or gifts? A: Yes, these include: • Library Trustees can be authorized to accept unanticipated grants under RSA 202-A:4-c. The statute substantially duplicates the provisions RSA 31:95-b. • Library Trustees can also be authorized to accept donations of personal property under RSA 202-A:4-d, which duplicates the provisions of RSA 31:95-e. • Local Land Use Boards, as defined in RSA 672:7, can accept and use gifts, grants or contributions for the exercise of their functions. RSA 673:16, I.

• Conservation Commissions can receive gifts or grants of money, personal property, water rights or real property subject to the approval of the governing body. RSA 36-A:4, II.

Q: Do these statutes that regulate gifts and grants apply to cities? A: Yes, these statutes do all apply to cities because RSA 47:1 states that “[a] ll the powers vested by law in towns, or in the inhabitants thereof, shall be exercised by the city councils by concurrent vote, each board having a negative on the other.” Meaning, in short, that RSA 31:95-b, RSA 31:95-e and RSA 31:19 apply and authorized the receipt of gifts, grants and acceptance of personal property by New Hampshire cities. Stephen C. Buckley is Legal Services Counsel with the New Hampshire Municipal Association. He may be contacted at 800.852.3358 ext. 3408 or at legalinquiries@nhmunicipal.org.

NHMA and the New Hampshire Municipal Lawyers Association are co-sponsoring a

workshop on

Municipal Liability and Immunity Wednesday, May 17, 2017 1:00 pm—4:15 pm NHMA Offices, 25 Triangle Park Drive, Concord This workshop should be of interest to attorneys, town managers and administrators, supervisors, select board members, police and fire chiefs.

NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY

www.nhmunicipal.org

Court

Update

By Stephen C. Buckley, Legal Services Counsel and Margaret M.L. Byrnes, Staff Attorney

Court Update, previously a regular column in New Hampshire Town and City magazine, has moved to the New Hampshire Municipal Association web site to provide more timely information to NHMA members. Opinions will be posted after they are released, and a reminder will be included here and sent in Newslink. To read previous Court Update columns, please visit www.nhmunicipal.org.

Now available online: SB2 Deliberative Session Amendments did not “Eliminate Subject Matter” Cady v. Town of Deerfield, New Hampshire Supreme Court No. 2016-0152, 1/18/2017 Court Examines Exemptions for “Internal Personnel Practices” and “Personnel Files” Reid v. New Hampshire Attorney General, New Hampshire Supreme Court No. 2015-0499, 12/23/2016 Church Parking Spaces Leased to Students are Taxable St. George’s Episcopal Church v. Town of Durham, New Hampshire Supreme Court No. 2015-0671, 12/9/2016 Brief of the New Hampshire Municipal Association as Amicus Curiae Appeal of Public Service Company of New Hampshire d/b/a Eversource Energy, New Hampshire Supreme Court No. 20150626, 11/1/2016 Brief of the New Hampshire Municipal Association as Amicus Curiae Appeal of New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, Inc., New Hampshire Supreme Court No. 2015-0625, 11/1/2016 Brief of the New Hampshire Municipal Association as Amicus Curiae Clay v. City of Dover, et al., New Hampshire Supreme Court No. 2016-1069, 8/1/2016

www.nhmunicipal.org

MARCH/APRIL 2017

THURSDAY

SAVE the DATE! 8:00 A.M.—1:00 P.M.

Mount Sunapee Resort

MAY 25

2017

Newbury, NH

THE 30TH ANNUAL MOUNTAIN OF DEMONSTRATIONS Presented by the NH Road Agents Association NH Road Agents Association Scholarship Program

MEMBERS—

Every year NHRAA awards two $1,000 scholarships to a son or daughter of an NHRAA member! For more information please contact 603.526.6337

This event is held rain or shine. We hope to see you there!

NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY

www.nhmunicipal.org

MARCH/APRIL 2017

N E W

H A M P S H I R E

M U N I C I P A L

• Bond issue approved by governmental entity • Completed application approved by Bond Bank Board

Bond Sale Date:

Application Deadline:

June 6, 2017

April 10, 2017

Do you have a capital project that needs financing?

• Audit by CPA Firm

NEW HAMPSHIRE MUNICIPAL BOND BANK

B A N K

The Bond Bank’s Next Bond Sale Schedule

Basic Loan Requirements:

• Local bond counsel opinion

B O N D

We can assist you with your planning by providing various scenarios based on level debt or level principal payments for different terms. Contact us now for your estimated debt schedules. To schedule a meeting, obtain debt service schedules, or for details about our schedule, fees, Bond Anticipation Note programs, and current interest rates, please contact Sheila M. St. Germain, Executive Director, at info@nhmbb.com or call (603) 271-2595 or toll-free in NH at (800) 393-6422. For more information, visit our website at www.nhmbb.org.

NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY

www.nhmunicipal.org

Available Publications TITLE

HARD COPY PUBLICATIONS

ELECTRONIC DOWNLOAD

MEMBER

NON-MEMBER

MEMBER

NON-MEMBER

N/A

$15.00

$30.00

Basic Financial Policies: A Guide for New Hampshire Cities and Towns (2009)

$23.00

$38.00

$12.50

$25.00

Basic Law of Budgeting: A Guide for Towns, Village Districts and School Districts (2015)

$47.00

$87.00

$35.00

$70.00

Guidebook for NH City & Town Councilors, Mayors and Aldermen (2016)

$45.00

$75.00

$25.00

$40.00

Hard Road to Travel: New Hampshire Law of Local Highways, Streets and Trails (2015)

$48.00

$96.00

N/A

How to Regulate Junk and Junkyards: A Guide for Local Officials (2007)

$20.00

$32.00

$8.00

$16.00

Knowing the Territory: A Survey of Municipal Law for New Hampshire Local Officials (2016)

$65.00

$130.00

$50.00

$95.00

$25.00/lecture

$45.00/lecture

$12.50/lecture

$20.00/lecture

Law Lectures 2012 — Complete Set

$68.00

$123.00

N/A

Law Lectures 2013 — Complete Set

N/A

$30.00

$50.00

Law Lectures 2014—Complete Set

$75.00

$135.00

N/A

$30.00/lecture

$50.00/lecture

$20.00/lecture

$40.00/lecture

Model Local Welfare Guidelines (2012)

$37.00

$67.00

$25.00

$50.00

New Hampshire Town & City — Subscription

$25.00

$50.00

N/A

New Hampshire Town & City — Single Issue

$5.00

$10.00

N/A

NH Municipal Officials Directory (2016/2017)

$65.00

$120.00

$50.00

$95.00

Town Meeting and School Meeting Handbook (2016)

$50.00

$90.00

$35.00

$70.00

N/A

Free

$100.00

Art of Welfare Administration (2016)

Law Lectures 2008-2012 — #1, #2, #3

Law Lectures 2014-2016

Wage, Salary and Benefits Survey for Municipalities (2014)

www.nhmunicipal.org

MARCH/APRIL 2017

Are You Signed Up for NHMA’S free

stuff: LEGISLATIVE BULLETIN or NewsLink? NHMA’s Legislative Bulletin is a weekly publication designed primarily to communicate with municipal officials as well as keeping legislators, the Governor’s Office and the media in-formed about municipal legislative priorities. Stay current on legislative news, key legislative developments, action alerts on critical legislation when municipal input is necessary, breaking news, and more. The Legislative Bulletin is emailed every Friday until the legislative session ends in June. If interested, email governmentaffairs@nhmunicipal.org. NHMA’s NewsLink is NHMA’s bi-weekly e-newsletter containing news and information about upcoming training programs, work-shops, webinars and other events to more than 3,300 elected

and appointed municipal officials, state agencies and other stakeholders.

Have You Signed Up for a Free Webinar Yet? Join us from the

Did you know that the Association presents free

convenience of your own desk!

Miss a live webinar? No worries!

webinars on timely municipal topics every month? Some recent webinars include: 

Legislative Preview

Visit www.nhmunicipal.org



Asset Management

for archived webinar



Infrastructure Funding Options



Federal Overtime Rules

recordings and presentation materials.

NEW HAMPSHIRE TOWN AND CITY

www.nhmunicipal.org

MARCH/APRIL 2017

25 Triangle Park Drive Concord, NH 03301

Periodical Postage Paid at Concord, NH

t HealthTrust, we strive to help you create a healthy community for your employees and their families. Ask your Benefits and Wellness Advisors about our resources to help you educate and engage your employees to lead healthy lives.

Park) sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Animal Town of Hudson Recreational Park (formerly Ben

Medical Prescription Drug Dental Disability and Life Slice of Life Wellness Program LifeResources Employee Assistance Program LiveHealth Online SmartShopper

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