Chichester selectmen lift spending freeze, approve over $580,000 in payments
Chichester’s Select Board lifted a town-wide spending freeze and agreed to a new certificate of deposit investment strategy last week, moves that officials said were enabled by an improved cash position. The board also approved a slate of expenditures, including more than $580,000 in accounts payable, a boiler purchase, a propane contract and items for Old Home Day.
Financial management
At their June 30 meeting, board members reached consensus on a CD strategy—Scenario 4—that aims to safeguard payments owed to the school district while earning interest. The exact terms of the investment were not detailed in the minutes. The board also agreed to end the spending freeze that had been in place because of earlier cash-flow concerns. Both actions were taken without formal votes.
The same evening, members unanimously approved accounts payable manifest of $580,680.11. They also unanimously authorized $14,586.28 from the Office Equipment Capital Reserve Fund to replace a boiler, and signed a two-to-three-year propane supply contract with Dead River at $1.79 per gallon.
Two weeks earlier, on June 23, the board approved a corrected accounts payable manifest of $171,818.77 by a 3-0 vote. The correction was needed because a school payment had been included in error.
Purchasing rules
A new debit card purchasing policy, SOP 003, was adopted 3-0 on June 23. The policy sets daily spending caps of $1,000 for department heads and $5,000 for board office transactions. The board also approved the purchase of one Verifone T650C card reader for about $300 on June 30.
Old Home Day planning
Preparations for Old Home Day continued. The board on June 30 approved $125 for a portable toilet rental from Best Septic and briefly discussed an alcohol policy, which was deferred to a committee meeting. Earlier, on June 23, members had discussed a pig roast and tent rental. No final alcohol rules were adopted. The board also said it would consult the police chief on staffing needs for the event.
Roads and infrastructure
Selectmen on June 23 agreed to review quotes for roadwork on Carpenter and Swiggey Brook roads, with some members noting ongoing cash-flow considerations. Additionally, the town received an eminent domain notice from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation and will notify affected property owners.
IT contract rejection
On June 30, the board rejected the timeline for a contract renewal with Block 5 IT, saying the notice provided was insufficient. Officials plan to negotiate a month-to-month extension and solicit competitive bids for the service.
Zoning matter
The Board of Adjustment held a public hearing July 1 on a setback variance request for 3 King Road (Map 3 Lot 28). The application was submitted by Jon Rokeh on behalf of owner Luke Stevens. No minutes from that meeting were available as of July 5, so the outcome was unknown.
Coming up
No town government meetings were posted for the next two weeks as of July 5.
Generated from official meeting agendas and minutes — every underlying document is linked from the city page. Read the primary source before you rely on a detail.