After a narrow defeat of a similar article last year, New Ipswich voters approved a full-time combined position for a fire officer, building inspector and code enforcement officer.

Fire Chief Ben Hatcher was at the polls on Tuesday, asking for people to vote for the position. The town put forth a similar article last year, although rather than a fire officer, it asked for a fire chief in the full-time position.

Hatcher said he had spoken to a lot of people in support of the position, and was hopeful that after the previous article had failed by less than 20 votes last year, that it had a better shot this year. He said towns without a full-time staff like New Ipswich often struggle to staff trucks, particularly during the day when firefighters are working out of town.

“I don’t think it’ll be as close,” Hatcher said. “We’ve had a recent big increase in calls, and a lot of people seem to have noticed that.”

Voters did indeed support the position, approving $60,500 for a half-year’s salary for the position in a 508-417 vote.

Voters also supported the $3.6 million budget proposal in a 503-429 vote.

The town also agreed to adopt a conflict of interest ordinance, stating that a person currently a party to a lawsuit against the Town of New Ipswich or its officers, boards or commissions cannot hold a position on any town board, committee or commission until the lawsuit is resolved. The article provides a one-year grace period from the date of its adoption for anyone currently in a position and involved with a suit against the town. Both former and current members of the town’s Planning Board have been involved in several suits against the town’s planning and zoning boards for approvals related to the Silver Scone tea party business in the town’s Village District.

Only two articles did not gain voter approval. The first was a proposed zoning amendment which would have updated the town’s cluster subdivision regulations. Voters defeated the article resoundingly, 657-288. Karen Miller of New Ipswich was at the polls Tuesday, advocating against the amendment. She said residents didn’t have enough information, enough input, and the amendment strayed too far from preserving the town’s rural character for her to support it.

“I feel like it’s not going to do what it says it’s going to do,” Miller said.

The only other article to fail on the town’s warrant was a petition article to purchase a new large playground set for Memorial Field. The price was to include the purchase of the equipment, shipping and installation. The article was not recommended by the Select Board in a 2-1 vote. in part because the cost was not a firm estimate.

One of the closest votes of the day was a petition article to designate Willard Road as a scenic road, which requires additional steps before the removal of trees or stone walls on the road. Ultimately, the article did pass, in a 473-447 vote.

Voters approved two articles for road maintenance, which together add up to $600,000 for the coming year. They also approved a total of $391,000 for the town’s capital improvement and expendable trust accounts for future capital purchases for various departments.

The town town approved contacted services with the Souhegan Valley Ambulance for another year, for a cost of $151,200, and to support the New Ipswich Library with $45,000.

Alvarez retains Select Board seat

Current Select Board member Lou Alvarez will retain his seat after a narrow win in a three-way race for the position. Alvarez received 338 votes, beating out Philip Andrews by only nine votes. Jesus Cantu-Trevino received 185.

In other contested races on the ballot this year, Joanne Meshna beat out Bernard Hamill for a two-year term on the Board of Assessors winning 463 votes to Hamill’s 316. However, Hamill fared better in his other contested race, for trustee of the trust funds, where he received 469 votes, winning over opponent John Schaumloffel, who received 318.

In uncontested races, Danielle Sikkila received 800 votes for the Board of Assessors, Debbie Deaton received 793 votes for a three-year seat on the Cemetery Trustees and Carl Toko received eight write-in votes for a two-year seat on the Cemetery Trustees, Lisa Carbone received 810 votes for clerk/tax collector, and Chair Deirdre “Dee” Daley will return to the Planning Board with 659 votes. The other empty seat on the Planning Board did not have an official candidate, but Aaron Bertram received 62 write-in votes.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.