As the Dublin Police Department finishes up its search for one full-time officer, it will now work to hire another.
Dublin Police Chief Tim Suokko told the Select Board Monday that full-time officer Dan Cheshire has changed to part-time status effective Oct. 1, as he has taken a full-time job at Pease Air Force Base. This leaves Suokko as the only full-time member of the department at this time.
“We should be able to cover the town between our part-time officers and the state police,” said Suokko.
Suokko said the department just completed a background check on an officer for the first open full-time position – a position that has been vacant since Suokko was promoted to chief – and that everything could be made official within the next couple weeks.
In addition to Suokko, part-time officers Cheshire, Melissa Hetrick, and Chris LaBrecque round out the current roster.
The board also heard from Road Agent Brian Barden, who opened bids for winter sand and proposed a lining plan for the newly paved parking lot behind the town hall.
The town will get their sand this season from Francestown Sand and Gravel, who had the higher of the two bids at $13.50 per yard for screened and delivered sand.
Barden said he would rather go through Francestown than the other bidder, Dublin Sand and Gravel, because of the quality of sand that Francestown has. Dublin’s bid was $9 per yard.
“Dublin has the best gravel in New Hampshire,” said Barden. “But I won’t accept the bid [for sand].”
Barden also told the board of his plan to line the town hall parking lot, which will total 17 or 18 total spots, including three spots for handicapped drivers.
Most of the spots will be on the edges of the parking lot, with a single row down the center of the lot. Barden said two rows in the center were looked at, but it was determined that it would be harder for people to get in and out of the spots.
The board also spoke with Town Clerk/Tax Collector Jeannine Dunne for a preliminary budget discussion. The board did not change anything about her approval. There will be a future discussion about some salary increases that Dunne requested.
This was the first meeting with Walter Snitko as board chair. At the beginning of the year, Snitko and Selectman Sturdy Thomas agreed to split chairmanship for the year.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.