The office can’t be staffed tomorrow, so there won’t be office hours.
You can renew your vehicle registration or dog license anytime without going to the Town House. And remember that you can do a lot online at orangenh.us. Check out the Forms page for starters.
Blood drives are being canceled because of the covid-19 virus, resulting in an increasing shortage of blood. The Red Cross is holding a blood drive this Saturday at the Community Lutheran Church in Enfield from 9:00am to 2:00pm. Eligible donors get a chance to win a trip for four to the Indy 500.
For more information on blood drives near us, and to make an appointment, to go https://www.redcrossblood.org/, click on the Make an Appointment link, and enter our zip code.
The state DMV is awaiting guidance from the governor’s office on what to do with registrations, so processing may be slow. In the meantime, Kami and Michelle still plan to hold Town Clerk hours on Wednesday. If you have to come in, you’ll need to pass documents from the foyer to maintain a safe distance.
But in many cases you won’t have to come in. If you need to renew any kind of registration, please do it here. To renew your vehicle registration, click on this link. You’ll find all the forms you need on the Forms page.
Some people will need to go to the Town House to get their business done. But before you do, please see if this site can let you do it at home. Kami and Michelle will provide single-use pens and sanitizer, but the best way to protect the health of our neighbors is not to come in at all.
If you have any questions about how to use this site, feel free to email me.
Jay
ARTICLE 1 (Results of election of officers held the day prior): Moderator for two years: Daniel Hazelton, Select Board: Aaron Allen, Town Clerk: Michelle Goffreda, Treasurer: Trish Weekes, Tax Collector: Sharon Proulx, Deeding Agent: Sharon Proulx, Road Agent: Scott Sanborn, Budget Committee member for three years: Bob Proulx, Budget Committee for one year: Louis Shelzi, Cemetery Trustee for three years: Tamara Fairbank, Cemetery Trustee for one year: Gulley Dunlap, Trustee of Trust Funds for three years: Pauline Emerson, two Planning Board members for three years: Donald McFarland and Hilary Allen, Planning Board member for one year: Bruce Ells (write-in), Supervisor of the Checklist for six years: Beth DiFrancesco. (All terms one year unless otherwise noted.)
ARTICLE 2: To see if the Town will authorize the Tax Collector to accept the prepayment of taxes pursuant to RSA 80:52-a. Taxpayers shall be allowed to prepay taxes no more than two years in advance of the due date of the taxes. No interest shall accrue to the taxpayer on any prepayment, nor shall any interest be paid to the taxpayer on any prepayment which is later subject to rebate or refund.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Article passed by voice vote.
ARTICLE 3: To see if the Town will vote to adopt the provisions of RSA 72:28-b, the All Veterans’ Tax Credit. If adopted, the credit will be available to any resident, or the spouse or surviving spouse of any resident, who served not less than 90 days on active service in the armed forces of the United States and was honorably discharged or an officer honorably separated from services and is not eligible for or receiving a credit under RSA 72:28 or RSA 72:35. If adopted, the credit granted will be $200, which is the same amount as the optional veterans’ tax credit voted by the Town of Orange under RSA 72:28.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Article passed by paper ballot: yes: 31, no: 6.
ARTICLE 4: To see if the Town will vote to adopt, pursuant to RSA 72:62, for persons owning real property, a property tax exemption for solar energy systems as defined by RSA 72:61; such exemption to equal 100% of assessed value of the solar system up to the maximum of $25,000.00.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Article failed by hand count: yes: 15, no: 17.
(Consideration for amendments to remove cap and increase cap to $50,000 both failed)
ARTICLE 5: To see if the town will vote pursuant to RSA 35:16 to change the purpose and name of the existing Town Road Improvement Capital Reserve Fund established by Article 8 at the 2006 town meeting for the purpose of maintaining town roads, to become the Flood Event of July 11, 2019 Road Repairs Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of repairing and improving roads damaged by the flood event of July 11, 2019, and to name the Selectmen as the agents to expend. This article requires a 2/3 vote.
Recommended by the Select Board 3-0
Recommend by the Budget Committee 3-0
Article amended:
“To see if the town will vote pursuant to RSA 35:16 to change the purpose and name of the existing Town Road Improvement Capital Reserve Fund established by Article 8 at the 2006 town meeting for the purpose of maintaining town roads, to become the Road Improvement and Repair Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of improving roads and making repairs to damages caused by catastrophic weather events.”
Amended article passed by voice vote.
ARTICLE 6: To see if the town will spend $1,187,000 on road repairs and receive $890,250 from the federal government if the town is willing, able, and authorized to accept such funds and to pay the balance (up to $296,750), which Mascoma Bank (through its community banking program), will loan to the town at 2 percent interest with a payback time of up to 7 years.
Recommended by the Select Board 3-0
Recommend by the Budget Committee 3-0
Background to Article 6:
Whereas the Town suffered significant damages to its roadways and roadway infrastructure during the flash flood of July 2019 and;
Whereas a Federal Disaster Declaration resulted in the Town’s ability to receive disaster money
from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and;
Whereas the cash available from FEMA is presently estimated to be $890,250 and;
Whereas The Town’s ability to receive monies from FEMA is contingent on paying for 25% of the total cost of restoring, repairing, and improving the roads ($1,187,000);
The town presents this Warrant Article that acknowledges the following:
To facilitate the town’s ability to pay FEMA-approved repairs prior to receipt of FEMA funds for such, the town shall open a bank account with a revolving line of credit (for convenience being called a FEMA reimbursement anticipation note or FRAN). Beginning June 1, 2020, the loan of $900,000 for 1 year, will be used on a revolving basis; funds will be drawn to cover expenditures made to repair and improve roads and then replenished as FEMA funds are received. Interest on that loan is expected to be less than $2,000, payable from town funds. That loan will have a balance (unknown at this time) at its maturity, on June 1, 2021. The Select Board at that time will need to borrow at 2 percent interest the remainder of that FRAN, up to $296,750. This is a special interest rate for disaster-related repair financing. The loan will be repaid over a period of up to 7 years. Funds to repay the loan will be generated from an increase to the tax rate to be determined at town meeting in 2021.
This article was disqualified by the Department of Revenue Administration (DRA) because it requires a special public hearing before the town votes on a long term loan, and even though the budget hearing where the article was discussed and recommended had been legally posted, the DRA said they needed to have a separate hearing. The townspeople voted in favor of holding a special town meeting in the near future to deliberate and vote on the article.
ARTICLE 7: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate eight thousand dollars ($8,000.00) to be paid into the Highway Equipment Capital Reserve Fund.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Recommended by the Budget Committee (3-0)
Article passed by voice vote.
ARTICLE 8: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate four thousand dollars ($4,000.00) to be paid into the Town House Capital Reserve Fund.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Recommended by the Budget Committee (3-0)
Article passed by voice vote.
ARTICLE 9: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate four thousand dollars ($4,000.00) to be paid into the Revaluation Capital Reserve Fund for the purpose of revaluation of real estate. Revaluations of all real estate are required by law every five years.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Recommended by the Budget Committee (3-0)
Article passed by voice vote.
ARTICLE 10: To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate the Budget Committee’s recommended sum of $228,085.00, not including appropriations by special warrant articles and other appropriations voted separately, for the ensuing year for the Town’s general operations.
Recommended by the Select Board (3-0)
Recommended by the Budget Committee (3-0)
Article passed by voice vote.
ARTICLE 11: To hear the reports of agents, auditors, committees and officers and to transact any other business that may legally come before this meeting.
Reconsideration of Article 4 failed. Limit to restrict reconsideration of Article 4 passed. Artwork by Rosemary Haness presented by Gary Hamel. Several appreciations voiced.
It’s now online. Thanks, Sandi, for another beautifully done report.
Today, Governor Chris Sununu, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, and NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management announced that the state hotline, 2-1-1, can now deal with all calls related to COVID-19.
Health experts and officials are telling us not to head to the emergency room or doctor’s office if we start getting symptoms of the virus (fever, dry cough). Call your doctor; if you have any other questions, call the state hotline, 2-1-1.
You’ve probably heard that the Potluck has been cancelled this year out of precaution against the novel coronavirus. But polls will open on schedule at 11 for Town elections today; they close at 7. Town Meeting starts tomorrow at 7.
If you’re concerned about the risk of contracting COVID-19, consider bringing your own pencil. Sandi Pierson has set up a sanitizing station by the Ballot Clerks' table. It consists of hand-crafted sanitizer, paper towels, tissue, waste basket. Unable to find any store-bought sanitizer, she followed the direction of experts and made a 50-50 solution of aloe vera gel and alcohol.
And some of us remember when a lady would not consider leaving the house without wearing gloves. Does that make you touch your face less?
Doug Weekes, our Town Health Officer and Assistant Emergency Management Director, prepared excellent information on the novel coronavirus, below. Also, Town residents have been asking whether they can get tested for the virus. DHMC says tests are being done only in collaboration with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. If you think you have symptoms of Covid-19, call the department at 271-4496. You won’t get tested if you go straight to the emergency room. - Jay
Orange Emergency Management is aware that individuals in Grafton County have been asked to self-quarantine due to COVID-19. That number is likely to increase.
If you or your family are quarantined, we want to make sure that you have the resources you need in order to maintain your quarantine and do not have to venture out into public. If you need help with the necessities such as food, water, or toiletries, call Doug Weekes (523-9535) or email him. (You can find other contact information on Orange officials here.)
We are working in conjunction with the Upper Valley Public Health Network to coordinate and manage this health concern.
There is much disinformation and rumor concerning this disease. For accurate and timely information, these sites are recommended:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention weekly COVID-19 newsletter.
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Covid-19 information.
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Covid-19 site. (DHMC also has a coronavirus information hotline: 650-1818.)
They’re posted on the Calendar. Our Town Clerk, Amy Tirpaeck, reminds us that you’ll get faster answers to your questions if you email instead of call.
And don’t forget Town elections, Tuesday, March 10. Polls are open from 11 to 7. Then comes the Potluck Supper 5pm Wednesday the 11th, followed by Town Meeting at 7.
Need to renew your vehicle registration or dog license? It’s way easier to do it here on the Forms page. Just fill in the form, and your renewal gets mailed directly to you. And you’ll find all the forms you'll need on that page, from Intent to Cut to Veteran Exemption.
Amy also suggests that you not wait to the last day to renew your vehicle registration. State law allows you to get an inspection as early as four months before your current registration expires.
Don’t forget, voting for Town officers is next Tuesday, March 10, from 11am to 7pm. (The Select Board meets at 10am that morning.) Next day we have the potluck supper at 5, followed by Town Meeting at 7.
The Supervisors of the Checklist will be meeting on Saturday, 2/29/2020 from 10:00am to 10:30am at the Orange Town House to register new voters and make corrections ahead of the town elections on March 10, 2020.
As many of us know, Nathaniel Albert Emerson passed away. Sandi Pierson sent us this picture, along with a reminder of his years of service to the Town.
Planning Board 2013 – 2020
Trustee of the Trust Funds 2014 – 2020
Orange Historical Commission 2016 - 2020
Nathaniel Albert Emerson, 1954-2020
Amy Tirpaeck, our Town Clerk, reports that Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar, and Pete Buttigieg finished first, second and third in the Orange Democratic primary. Elizabeth Warren came in fourth, and Joe Biden fifth. Tulsi Gabbard, Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang also got votes. (Yang has since dropped out of the race.)
Donald Trump easily won the Republican primary in our town, with 40 votes. A few votes went to Bill Weld, Joe Walsh, and William Murphy.
A total of 72 Democratic ballots were filled in, along with 44 Republican ballots. (Check my math!) - Jay
Among the 11 articles in the Town Warrant—to be voted on at Town Meeting on March 11—Article 6 is the most complicated. It has to do with paying for repairs of Town roads after the July flood.
While the state repaired Cardigan Mountain Road and replaced the bridge at no cost to the Town budget (it’s a state road, after all), the cost to fix the Town’s roads could be as much as $1,187,000. The federal government will cover 75% of that, and Mascoma Bank has offered a 2% interest rate on a loan for the rest. And that is what Article 6 is about. Both the Select Board and the Budget Committee “enthusiastically” endorse the article.
Here are Q&As to help explain it. You’ll see a version of this in your copy of the Town Report. If you have any more questions, feel free to email them to me; I’ll see if I can get some answers. - Jay
What’s the article?
“To see if the town will spend $1,187,000 on road repairs and receive $890,250 from the federal government if the town is willing, able, and authorized to accept such funds and to pay the balance (up to $296,750), which Mascoma Bank (through its community banking program) will loan to the town at 2 percent interest with a payback time of 7 years.”
What does the money pay for?
It pays for repairs and some improvements to Town roads damaged in the July 2019 flood.
What do the voters need to decide?
It’s one package: (a) to spend $1,187,000, three-quarters of which will be reimbursed by FEMA; and (b) to borrow the remaining amount over seven years at 2% interest.
How does the Town get the money for repairs in the meantime?
On June 1, Orange will open a bank account with a one-year revolving line of credit for $900,000. The cost to the Town for this line of credit is $2,000. As the money comes in from FEMA, the account gets replenished. This covers the 75% of repairs FEMA will eventually reimburse.
Is there a name for this revolving line of credit?
Yes, and you will hear it at Town Meeting: FRAN. It stands for FEMA Reimbursement Anticipation Note.
What about the rest of the money?
That’s where the Mascoma Bank loan comes in: up to $296,750 at 2% interest. This low rate is reserved for disaster-related repairs. If approved by voters on Town Meeting, the loan will be repaid over 7 years.
Will repaying this loan cause our taxes to go up?
Yes, recovering from this disaster will mean an increase in the tax rate next year. That rate will have to be approved as usual at the 2021 Town Meeting.
Who determined the repair amounts?
FEMA did the estimates, working with Road Agent Scott Sanborn. The agency sent its own inspectors and is calculating final repair costs from its headquarters. Orange officials do not expect to have final numbers before Town Meeting.
What if the costs exceed the estimates?
The estimates assume the maximum amount to be spent on repairs. Actually, the cost could end up being somewhat lower than the estimated $1,187,000—in which case, the Town’s share would be proportionally lower.
What if we decided at Town Meeting to spend less than the amount FEMA recommends?
While that option might result in lower taxes in the short term, not all roads would receive permanent repairs, leaving them vulnerable to future damage. The Town would then foot the entire bill for future repairs.
The July 2019 flood was a thousand-year event. Are we fixing the roads for a disaster that won’t occur for another thousand years?
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, such “rare” storms are becoming increasingly common. Houston, for example, had three “500-year” storms in three years (2014-2017). The FEMA money should enable some upgrades to culverts, preventing the sort of catastrophic failure that resulted in the near total loss of Tug Mountain Road.
Please spread the word to anyone who won’t be able to drive to the Town House next Tuesday: Neighbor Gulley Dunlap has kindly offered to give people a ride to the polls. You may call her on her cell phone at 207-266-4787 or email her at ecossaise@comcast.net.
Office: (603) 523-4467
Email: OrangeTownClerk@myfairpoint.net (fastest response for questions)
Hours: February 2020
Saturday, February 1, 9:00 – 11:00am
Wednesday, February 5, 4:30 – 6:30pm
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11: PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY. POLLS OPEN 11:00AM – 7:00PM
Wednesday, February 12, 4:30 – 6:30pm
Wednesday, February 19, 4:30 – 6:30pm
Wednesday, February 26, 4:30 – 6:30pm
Click here to get renewals processed online. They will be mailed to you.
Please Note: EARLY Inspections are Possible – Don’t wait to the last day!!
Pursuant to RSA 266:1,II-a, a mechanic shall be authorized to perform an early inspection of a vehicle if registration renewal will occur within the next 4 months, and the vehicle has a current registration.
Beth Difrancesco sent this information to help us understand how the New Hampshire voter laws have changed. The big difference has to do with proving “domicile/residence” in the state. This affects college students more than anyone else.
So…if you know a student attending college here from out of state, or are as confused as I’ve been about the new rules, read this.
Thanks, Beth!
Jay
The Supervisors of the Checklist will be in session for additions and corrections to the checklist on Tuesday, January 21, 2020 from 7:00 to 7:30 pm at the Orange Town House.
No party affiliation changes can be accepted at this time.
The Clerk’s office will be open 9-11 a.m. this Saturday, January 11. The bad weather and treacherous roads forced the office to close on Wednesday; accidents blocked Kami from getting through on Route 4.
In case you’ve been thinking of visiting the office to renew your car registration, don’t forget that you can do it regardless of the weather, right on this-here website. Just go to the Forms page and click on Vehicle Registration. There you’ll find other forms, for dog license, driveway permit, intent to cut permit, and much more.
This notice comes from the state. You’re now officially notified. See below for sample ballots, and have fun Googling all the candidates you’ve never heard of! (Hint: three candidates are from New Hampshire, including one from Lyme.)
NOTICE TO VOTERS
The Presidential Primary will be held in the voting place at:
8 Townhouse Road
February 11, 2020
Beginning at 11:00am
Closing not earlier than 7:00pm
For determining the preferred candidates for President to be selected at the National Conventions of the various political parties.
Democratic Party ballot.
Republican Party ballot.