Peterborough passed the budget and rejected a petition to repeal Traditional Neighborhood Overlay Zone 1 at its ballot voting Town Meeting on Tuesday. The town opted to modify its typically in-person May Town Meeting to ballot-only voting in order to comply with COVID-19 prevention guidelines while also following the town charter. Voter turnout was 15 percent, with 857 of the 5880 registered voters submitting a ballot. Last year, 3 percent of registered voters attended Town Meeting and 27 percent voted for local officials and zoning amendments. Town Clerk Linda Guyette received 531 requests for absentee ballots, but not all were returned, she said.
Ivy Vann was reelected for one of the two open three-year Planning Board seats, and Andrew Dunbar won the second.
Lisa Stone won the Planning Board’s open one-year seat over Margaret Leedberg.
“I’m super excited to be working with the Planning Board to continue to help Peterborough prosper,” Stone said Wednesday morning.
“Thank you to all the residents who voted for me… I very much appreciate your support,” Dunbar said. “As a member of the Board, I would welcome any resident to contact me to express your concerns or suggestions on any land use, planning, or zoning issue. As an elected official I represent all residents, and I will strive to do so.”
“I’m delighted to continue to serve,” Vann said, and that she hopes the board’s activities can proceed smoothly. “I’m delighted the town laid to rest the question of TNOZ1,” as well, she said.
Carol A. Lenox retained her position as a Supervisor of the Checklist against challenger Judy Wilson Ferstenberg.
Sixty-two percent of voters rejected Article 2, which sought to repeal Traditional Neighborhood Overlay Zone 1. The measure would have required a two-thirds majority to pass after a protest petition was submitted at the start of June. Last year, a majority of voters opted to repeal Traditional Neighborhood Overlay Zone II; a group of citizens filed a lawsuit in protest, and the two sides ultimately settled out of court.
Voters overwhelmingly agreed to ballot vote on all warrant articles, which validated the initiative to not hold an in-person Town Meeting in 2020. They passed all warrant articles, including spending $200,000 on the design for a new fire station and $35,000 in TIF funds to install an electric vehicle charging station downtown.
857 votes
Peterborough Planning Board
(two three year terms)
Andrew Dunbar -509
Ivy Vann* -446
Marlena Ferstenberg -277
Christopher Maidment -224
Planning Board
(one one-year term)
Lisa Stone -382
Margaret “Peggy” Leedberg -310
Supervisor of the Checklist
(one for six years)
Carol A. Lenox* -558
Judy Wilson Ferstenberg -187
Select Board
(one three-year seat)
Tyler Ward*-723
Budget Committee
(three three-year seats)
Robert “Bob” Lambert -677
Ronnie McIntire* -649
Carl Mabbs-Zeno* -599
Cemetery Trustee
(one three-year seat)
Charles “Peter” LaRoche* -704
Library Trustee
(two three-year seats)
Ronald Bowman* -683
Marcia Patten* -675
Recreation Committee
(one one-year seat)
Robert Fox -659
(two three-year seats)
Katharine “Kate” Coon* – 642
Brendan D. Bohl -600
Trustee of the Trust Funds
(one three-year seat)
Russell H. Picard* -708
Zoning Board of Adjustment
(one one-year seat)
Kevin L. Brace -636
(two three-year seats
Charles “Peter” LaRoche*-664
Margaret “Peggy” Leedberg* -627
(*incumbent)
Article 2 asks voters to repeal the Traditional Neighborhood Overlay Zone 1 in its entirety. The Planning Board does not support the amendment. FAILED 287 to 472
Article A asks, “Shall this town meeting be conducted by ballot voting on the warrant articles, with no debate on the articles and no proposed amendment to any warrant article?” PASSED 552 TO 231
Article 3 asks voters to spend $17,057,941 on general government, water, and wastewater expenses for the coming year, beginning July 1, 2020. PASSED 685 TO 129
Article 4 asks voters to spend $73,100 on the following capital reserve and expendable trust funds: $5,000 to GIS, $18,100 to Police Department Fleet Management, $40,000 to Fire Department Apparatus and Equipment, and $10,000 to Winter Operations. PASSED 704 TO 115
Article 5 asks voters to spend $194,256 on the Bridge Reconstruction capital reserve fund from the unassigned fund balance, with no amount to come from taxes. PASSED 747 TO 76
Article 6 asks voters to transfer $3,000 raised from burial lot deed sales towards the Cemetery expendable trust fund. PASSED 785 TO 35
Article 7 asks voters to establish a Public Gardens and Planters expendable trust fund, which will be used to maintain and enhance the town’s public gardens, and to authorize the Select Board to expend it. Funds will be provided in part by proceeds from the Fred and Betty Fry Garden Fund held by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. PASSED 751 TO 73
Article 8 asks voters to establish a Library Renovation Project expendable trust fund to retain funds that were previously appropriated for the debt service of bonds not yet taken, and to designate Select Board members as agents to expend. It also asks voters to allocate $220,746 to the account from the unassigned fund balance. PASSED 719 TO 111
Article 9 asks voters to establish a Transcript Dam Project expendable trust fund to retain funds that were previously appropriated for the debt service of bonds not yet taken, and to designate Select Board members as agents to expend. It also asks voters to allocate $73,976 to the account from the unassigned fund balance. PASSED 738 TO 81
Article 10 asks voters to discontinue the following capital reserve and expendable trust funds and return the remaining funds within them to the general fund: Financial Software, Union Street Bridge Reconstruction, and GAR Hall. There is $202.25 in the Financial Software fund and $0 in the other two funds. PASSED 799 TO 32
Article 11 asks voters to spend $270,000 to design, engineer and reconstruct the Fly Pond Dam off Summer Street. The article also authorizes the Select Board to apply for and accept grants for the project, such as from FEMA, and to follow all laws applicable to the project. PASSED 686 TO 138
Article 12 asks voters to spend $400,000 to put towards the Roadway System Upgrades capital reserve fund. PASSED 720 TO 101
Article 13 asks voters to spend $200,000 to develop a conceptual design, cost estimate and construction drawings for a new fire station on town land off Elm Street. PASSED 577 TO 249
The Select Board and Budget Committee recommended Articles 3 through 13.
Article 14 is a petition article that asks voters to spend up to $35,000 from the Greater Downtown TIF funds to install, operate, and maintain electric vehicle charging stations in the Riverwalk Parking lot. Implementation will not increase the tax rate. The GDTIF Advisory, and Economic Development authority support the article. The Select Board recommends the article, the Budget Committee does not. PASSED 505 TO 328
Article 15 is a petition article that asks voters to support a statement calling on state and federal representatives to enact carbon pricing legislation to mitigate the effects of climate change. The results of the vote will be forwarded in writing to state and representatives via the Select Board. PASSED 636 TO 185
Article 16 is a petition article that asks voters to adopt a resolution in support of Medicare For All, which, if supported, will result in the Select Board notifying New Hampshire congressional delegates of the vote. PASSED 575 TO 251
Article 17 is a petition article that asks voters to urge the new Hampshire General Court to redraw political districts in a way that ensures fair and effective representation of New Hampshire voters following the 2020 Census. Record of the vote will be transmitted to Peterborough’s state legislators and the governor. PASSED 680 TO 144