About 155 Hancock residents — roughly 11% of registered voters — attended the second part of the 2026 Annual Town Meeting on March 14, where all remaining warrant articles passed, most with little opposition.
Moderator Richard Haskins, in his 22nd year, called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m. after being re-elected to another two-year term during the first session on March 10. He opened with a light moment, displaying an oversized gavel on loan from resident Harvey Ames, though it ultimately went unused as the meeting remained orderly.
After a recap of Articles 1 through 7, voters took up Articles 8 through 10 by ballot, each requiring a three-fifths majority.
Article 8, seeking bond approval for paved road capital improvements, and Article 10, seeking authorization for a new dump truck, passed following a brief presentation from Department of Public Works Director Tyler Howe.
Article 9, which authorizes borrowing $380,000 for the town’s water system to comply with the federal Lead and Copper Rule, prompted more debate.
Water Commissioners Chair Tom Shevenell said the law requires excavation and inspection of every service line, rather than water testing alone. He said the project would be financed through the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, with about 66% of the principal expected to be forgiven and the remainder covered by a low-interest loan.
Loan repayment would come from user fees paid by water system customers, though one resident raised concerns that taxpayers not connected to the system could ultimately bear some cost.
Shevenell and several residents pointed out that all residents are secondary beneficiaries of the water system, as it provides water for local businesses, the library, the school, and the fire department.
Additionally, Haskins advised that changing the language of the article, which had been approved by the Department of Revenue Administration prior to posting the warrant, could nullify the article. Following this discussion, the resident withdrew his request to amend the article, and it passed as written by a vote of 135 to 2.
The operating budget, Article 11, passed unanimously, following a vote to amend the budget amount in the article from $3,842, 405 to $3,797, 433. Town Administrator Jonathan Coyne explained that the decrease was due to some calculation errors discovered after the public budget hearings.
The remaining articles 12 through 27 passed unanimously, most as written, although Article 15 underwent two amendments and Article 20 was also amended.
The first proposed amendment to Article 15, which passed unanimously, changed the name of the fund being established to the Water Capital Infrastructure Reserve Fund to clarify the intent behind the fund. Following that amendment, resident David Carney moved to increase the amount to establish the fund from $10,000 to $40,000.
Carney reasoned that the Town is finally starting to see the benefits of establishing such reserve funds, for which he’s been a longtime advocate. He said that it is in the town’s best interest to fund these reserves as much as possible. The increase drew one dissenting vote, but the amended article passed unanimously.
Later in the meeting, following the same reasoning, Carney moved to amend Article 20 to add $100,000 instead of the proposed $75,000 to the Fire Station Addition/Renovation Capital Reserve Fund. Seven voters opposed the amendment, but the article passed unanimously as amended.
Prior to the vote on Article 20, Fire Department member Don Lussier said that plans for the fire station project are on hold pending finalization of a USDA funding agreement, though approval has been received. He added that the department hopes to come to Town Meeting 2027 with design plans reflecting as affordable a project as possible. Also, fundraising efforts have raised $72,000, with an additional $20,000 pledged.
During a brief interlude in the meeting, Selectboard Chair Betsy Villaume said that the town has been notified of further deterioration to the Windy Row Bridge, with the most recent report downgrading its condition from “deficient” to “poor.” Howe has recommended closing it as soon as possible.
A public information session on the bridge is scheduled for March 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hancock Town Offices.