TOWN OF ORANGE, N.H. PUBLIC NOTICE
PARTIAL PROCESSING OF ABSENTEE BALLOTS
N.H ELECTION LAWS 2020, CHAPTER 14
Partial processing of absentee ballots will take place at the Orange Town House on Thursday, October 29, beginning at 7:00 p.m. until completed.
The Town Moderator, Clerk, and Supervisors of the checklist will be present.
Daniel Hazelton, Moderator
Michelle Goffreda, Town Clerk
The Town House will be open for Town Clerk hours 9-11 a.m. Saturday, October 24.
A Canaan resident reported on Saturday that a man driving a New York registered car came to the door of her home and claimed that the names of her family had been removed from the checklist; they could not vote this year, the man reportedly said.
If that happens to you, please report it immediately to the Orange Town Clerk. Only the Supervisors of the Checklist can remove a voter’s name.
Speaking of which, you have until Monday to ask for any changes to the Checklist. Here’s the official notice:
The Supervisors of the Checklist will be in session Monday, October 26, 2020, 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM at the Town House. No additions or corrections to the checklist shall be made after this session until election day on November 3rd.
If you already voted by absentee ballot—or plan to in the next few days—you can track it through this official New Hampshire website. If you haven’t requested an absentee ballot yet, you’d better hurry. (You’ll find the absentee ballot request form here.) While the state will accept requests until Monday, November 2, you obviously won’t get your ballot in time to vote. Once you do receive your ballot, you can put it in the mail and hope it gets in by 5:00 p.m. November 2. A safer bet: take it to the Town House during Town Clerk hours. (See the calendar.)
If you get your electricity from the New Hampshire Electric Co-op, check your mailbox for a member ballot. It asks you to vote on a bylaw amendment that will allow the co-op to provide affordable high-speech internet access to towns such as Orange.
Several internet-savvy folk in our down have formed an ad-hoc committee on internet infrastructure. The committee recommends voting YES on the amendment. The Orange Selectboard also unanimously decided to vote YES on the ballot the Town received.
You’ll find them here. Amy Tirpaeck notes that the 2 Republican write-in votes for Sheriff were sent to the State as a part of Orange’s results. While they’re not included in the sheet, those two votes definitely were counted and reported.
Thanks to all the volunteers and officials who made this election come off without a hitch.
Dan, who’s Orange’s town moderator, notes that you have the option of turning in your absentee ballot on Election Day. Just make sure you drop it off by 5 pm. “Otherwise,” he says, “the voter will need to come in and vote in person.”
Thinking of voting absentee by mail? The U.S. Postal Service has warned New Hampshire (among 46 other states) that the state’s recommendation to mail ballots 7 days in advance may not be early enough to make it to the Town Clerk. Mail in that ballot at least 15 days in advance, says USPS. For the general election on November 2, that means getting your ballot in the mail by October 19.
Which also means acting early to request a ballot. You find the request form on the Forms page of this site, Orangenh.US.
After filling out your form, you can skip the mail and drop the ballot off on Election Day. Town Moderator Dan Hazelton recommends absentee ballots—that way you won’t even have to go inside—and Town officials are working to make the process as safe and easy as possible.
Confused about state voting regulations? Here’s a one-pager.
Finally, the Supervisors of the Checklist will be in session at the Town House to register new voters from 6:00 to 6:30pm on Monday, August 31, 2020. This is the last date/time to register to vote prior to the New Hampshire State primary election on Tuesday, September 8. No change of party affiliation can be accepted at this meeting.
The New Hampshire primary falls on Tuesday, September 8, followed by the general election on Tuesday, November 3.
If you haven’t yet registered to vote in New Hampshire, you can do it with the Town Clerk between August 6 and September 2. (Check the calendar for Town Clerk hours.) Don’t want to register in person? You can ask Michelle to send you a form.
To vote remotely, download this form and drop it off or mail it to the Town Clerk. The state legislature just eased up on the rules for voting absentee; concern about the coronavirus is now a valid excuse. After you turn in your request, you’ll get your ballot in the mail. Then follow these instructions carefully.
If you plan to vote in person, we’ll update you on the Orange voting procedures through this site. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, Trish Weekes took this photo of a luna moth requesting an absentee ballot at the Town House.
Photo by Trish Weekes, Orange, New Hampshire
From Road Agent Scott Sanborn:
The permanent road and embankment repairs stemming from last summers flooding (hard to believe it's almost been a year!) will soon be getting underway. For the most part, roads will remain passable, if one lane at times. However, on New Colony Road and Tug Mountain Roads there are more likely to be delays and/or short periods of complete closure. We will, of course, do everything possible to minimize these, and to avoid them during commuting hours.
In the interest of keeping everybody on these roads "in the loop", I would like to set up an email address list for each. I ask that all residents on Tug or New Colony, or other parties that use those roads on a regular basis kindly send me an email at scsanborn@myfairpoint.net with your name(s), and which of those two roads you wish to be on the list for (or both). We will do our best to let you know ahead of time via email when delays may be expected. We will also post information here on orangenh.us.
Thank you for your anticipated understanding.
New Hampshire authorities have put together this one-pager on registration and voting—including absentee voting. You’ll find it here.
All, that is, except for Article 1, which got a single no vote. Sixty-three Orangeites voted—a remarkably large turnout. All 63 voted yes on Article 2, and the vote on Article 3 was unanimous as well. That means the Town can now pay to fix our roads from last July’s flood.
Below are the articles, which also served as the ballot. Click here for Scott Sanborn’s list of road repairs.
i. The first question will be “Do you approve of the optional special town meeting procedures? YES or NO”
ii. The second question will be Article 1 from the Warrant: “To see if the town will vote (1) to raise and appropriate $1,187,000 for the purpose of restoring, repairing, and improving roads which suffered significant damages during the flash flood of July 2019, (2) to authorize the issuance of not more than $1,187,000 of bonds or notes in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Finance Act (RSA 33) and to authorize town officials to issue and negotiate such bonds or notes and to determine the rate of interest thereon, and (3) to authorize town officials to apply for, accept and expend FEMA grant monies of up to $890,250 in partial reimbursement of the Town’s aforesaid road restoration, repair and improvement expenses.
2/3 ballot vote required. Recommended by the Select Board 3-0. Recommended by the Budget Committee 3-0.
YES or NO”
iii. The third question will be Article 2 from the Warrant: “To see if the town will vote to appoint the Board of Selectmen under RSA 35:15, I as agents to withdraw and spend funds from the Road Improvement and Repair Capital Reserve Fund, only to carry out the purpose for which the fund was established. Said fund was established at the 2020 town meeting for the purpose of improving roads and making repairs to damages caused by catastrophic weather events.
Majority vote required. Recommended by the Select Board 3-0. Recommended by the Budget Committee 3-0.
YES or NO”
At 6:00pm Tuesday, May 26, the Select Board will host the second live Zoom meeting to report on, consider and address comments received from the public. The Board will then discuss and possibly amend the meeting procedures or warrant articles in response to public input. If the warrant articles get amended, the Board will announce their final form at the end of the meeting, and I’ll post them on Wednesday.
To access the Zoom meeting on May 26, go to https://zoom.us/j/96636096258, or dial 929-43-2866. Meeting ID: 966 3609 6258
And don’t forget to vote on Wednesday, May 27. Voting begins outside the Town House at 6:00pm; in order to vote, you need to be registered in the Town of Orange and show up before 7:00pm. You’ll be able to vote from your car, though voters on foot will also be welcome. To protect our Town officials and volunteers, please wear a mask.
For details on the warrant articles and Wednesday’s vote, see this earlier post.
Jay
Road Agent Scott Sanborn submitted this report after last night’s Zoom meeting on the proposed bond issue. FEMA is to reimburse three-quarters of the estimated $1,187,000 cost—provided the warrant articles pass with a two-thirds vote on May 27. The vote will take place outside the Town House from 6pm to 7pm. If your car is still in line after 7, don’t worry—Town Moderator Dan Hazelton assures us that registered voters showing up by 7 will still get to vote. For details on the voting (and on the Zoom meeting on the 26th), see this post.
And here’s the post that explains what the warrant articles are all about.
At 6:00pm tonight, the Select Board will host a live ZOOM virtual meeting and information session to discuss the warrant articles for raising and spending money on Town road repairs. To attend the meeting, go to https://zoom.us/j/92391687011, or dial 929-436-2866. Meeting ID: 923 9168 7011.
A second Zoom meeting will be held next Tuesday.
Finally, on Wednesday, May 27, we’ll vote on the warrant articles. The previous instructions mistakenly said that supervisors will be available to register voters. This isn’t true; they’ll only check in voters who are already registered.
Our Town Clerk, Michelle Goffreda, notes that the statewide state-at-home order ends at the end of this month. And so the office will resume its weekly scheduled hours the following Wednesday, June 3.
Barring any unexpected events, the office will be open each Wednesday, 4:30 to 6:30pm. “Individual appointments may be made for residents with particular health concerns,” Michelle says.
If you want to do in-person business before June 3, you need to make an appointment. (See the Directory for town officials’ emails and phone numbers.) Renew your car registration or dog license on the Orangenh.US Forms page.
This from the Town of Canaan:
“With the Covid 19 protection system, the line gets too long if people are unloading trucks and trailers. People have had to wait 15 minutes for 1 truck to unload. People with large loads have been diverted to the lower compacter, but this is increasing our costs by more than $10,000 a year and is no longer acceptable.”
Canaan says that trucks with trash over the truck body sidewalls (not wooden side boards), along with people hauling trash in trailers, will not be allowed to unload during regular drop-off times. A special time has been set aside for these loads: 10-12 on Sundays. Canaan is charging $10 for these big loads; bring cash or check. Regular loads will not be permitted on Sundays.
Apparently, some people have been violating the Covid rules: no more than two cars side-by-side in front of the hopper, and no skipping the line past the hopper if you just have recycling. The town is threatening to have police cite violators.
Town of Orange
Announcement of Procedures for May 27, 2020 Special Town Meeting
TO THE VOTERS OF THE TOWN OF ORANGE:
Date of Notice: May 13, 2020
By order of May 11, 2020, the Grafton County Superior Court has granted the Select Board’s petition to hold a Special Town Meeting to vote on financing of repair of Town roads damaged by the July 11, 2019 flash flood.
The Select Board has posted a Warrant for the Special Town Meeting (copy enclosed) notifying the Town’s voters that voting on the road repair financing warrant articles will be held on May 27 at the Town Office from approximately 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
At a Select Board meeting on May 12, 2020, the Select Board and Town Moderator adopted special optional procedures for the Special Town Meeting in order to comply with Governor Sununu’s emergency orders pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. the prohibition on gatherings of more than 10 people and the stay-at-home order) and to allow the vote to proceed while maintaining social distancing measures and protecting the health of Orange’s voters. The optional procedures, subject to approval by the voters of the Town of Orange, are as follow[1]:
1. On May 19, at 6:00 p.m., the Select Board will host a first live ZOOM virtual meeting and information session during which the proposed optional town meeting procedures will be outlined and the warrant articles will be discussed. The Select Board will solicit questions and comments from the public regarding the meeting procedures and the warrant articles.
To access the ZOOM virtual meeting on May 19, go to https://zoom.us/j/92391687011, or dial 929-436-2866. Meeting ID: 923 9168 7011
2. Between May 19 and May 26, questions and comments from the public may be submitted to the Select Board by e-mail (townoforange@gmail.com), voice mail (603-523-7054), text message (203-257-2689), or U.S. mail (PO Box 37, Canaan, NH 03741).
3. On May 26, at 6:00 p.m., the Select Board will host a second live ZOOM virtual meeting to report on, consider and address comments received from the public. The Select Board will then discuss, debate and may amend the meeting procedures or warrant articles in response to public input. The Select Board will announce the final form of the warrant articles (if amended) at the conclusion of the ZOOM virtual meeting.
To access the ZOOM virtual meeting on May 26, go to https://zoom.us/j/96636096258, or dial 929-43-2866. Meeting ID: 966 3609 6258
4. On May 27, at 6:00 p.m., voting on the warrant articles will be by secret ballot cast by voters at the Town Office through drive-through procedures to ensure appropriate social distancing.
a. Station 1: When you arrive at the Town Office, follow directions to Station 1, where the Supervisors of the Checklist will register each of the voters in your vehicle. Please bring a valid ID card for each voter. Pass the ID(s) out the window to the Supervisors, who will register each voter. A Supervisor will place an index card on your windshield indicating the number of registered voters in the vehicle.
b. Station 2: Proceed to Station 2, where the Moderator will hand you a paper ballot for each voter in the vehicle, as indicated by the index card on your windshield. The ballot will contain three (3) questions:
i. The first question will be “Do you approve of the optional special town meeting procedures? YES or NO”
ii. The second question will be Article 1 from the Warrant: “To see if the town will vote (1) to raise and appropriate $1,187,000 for the purpose of restoring, repairing, and improving roads which suffered significant damages during the flash flood of July 2019, (2) to authorize the issuance of not more than $1,187,000 of bonds or notes in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Finance Act (RSA 33) and to authorize town officials to issue and negotiate such bonds or notes and to determine the rate of interest thereon, and (3) to authorize town officials to apply for, accept and expend FEMA grant monies of up to $890,250 in partial reimbursement of the Town’s aforesaid road restoration, repair and improvement expenses.
2/3 ballot vote required. Recommended by the Select Board 3-0. Recommended by the Budget Committee 3-0.
YES or NO”
iii. The third question will be Article 2 from the Warrant: “To see if the town will vote to appoint the Board of Selectmen under RSA 35:15, I as agents to withdraw and spend funds from the Road Improvement and Repair Capital Reserve Fund, only to carry out the purpose for which the fund was established. Said fund was established at the 2020 town meeting for the purpose of improving roads and making repairs to damages caused by catastrophic weather events.
Majority vote required. Recommended by the Select Board 3-0. Recommended by the Budget Committee 3-0.
YES or NO”
c. Station 3: Complete the ballots by circling your responses to the three questions. (Please bring your own pen or pencil.) Then deposit the completed ballots in the ballot box at Station 3. The Town Clerk and members of the Select Board will observe the ballot box.
5. On May 27, drive-through voting and the ballot box will remain open for voting for at least one hour, until at least 7:00 p.m. After the ballot box has been open for an hour, the Moderator will entertain a motion to adjourn the meeting. Results of the voting will be posted on the orangenh.us website, at the Town Office, and at the local post office.
If a simple majority of voters votes “YES” for Question 1 (“Do you approve of the optional special town meeting procedures?”) then the votes on the two substantive warrant articles will be deemed approved and the final action of the Special Town Meeting. If a simple majority does not vote “YES”, then all other warrant articles will be deemed disapproved.
Approved By:
TOWN OF ORANGE SELECT BOARD
[1] These optional procedures, recommended by the New Hampshire Municipal Association and the Town’s attorney, may be subject to change if Governor Sununu issues an Executive Order concerning the conduct of town meetings.
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), fixing the Town’s roads could cost 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 the first warrant article is about. (The second allows the Select Board to spend the money.) Both the Select Board and the Budget Committee endorse the articles.
Here are Q&As to help explain them. If you have any more questions, feel free to email them to me; I’ll see if I can get some answers. - Jay
Why weren’t these articles voted on during Town Meeting?
A last-minute change demanded by the state Department of Revenue Administration—the agency that oversees town budgets—came too late for the Town to meet the deadline to post the articles for the required number of days before the March Town Meeting. Since then, the Budget Committee and Select Board have worked in the midst of the pandemic to meet the legal requirements.
The second of the two articles actually was approved by voters at the March Town Meeting, but a mistake was made when it was amended. So we’re required to vote on the corrected version.
What is the first article?
“To see if the town will vote (1) to raise and appropriate $1,187,000 for the purpose of restoring, repairing, and improving roads which suffered significant damages during the flash flood of July 2019, (2) to authorize the issuance of not more than $1,187,000 of bonds or notes in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Finance Act (RSA 33) and to authorize town officials to issue and negotiate such bonds or notes and to determine the rate of interest thereon, and (3) to authorize town officials to apply for, accept and expend FEMA grant monies of up to $890,250 in partial reimbursement of the Town’s aforesaid road restoration, repair and improvement expenses.”
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. Two thirds of a vote are required to approve it.
How does the Town get the money for repairs in the meantime?
On June 1, Orange would 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 would be $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: 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, the loan will be repaid over 7 years. (If the Select Board can find an even lower interest rate, they’ll try to lock that in.)
Will repaying this loan cause our taxes to go up?
Yes, recovering from this disaster will mean an increase in the tax rate during the loan’s seven-year repayment period. That rate will have to be approved 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 calculated final repair estimates from its headquarters.
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.
So what about the second article?
This is pretty much the article we approved in the March Town Meeting, allowing the Select Board to withdraw and spend money from the Road Improvement and Repair Capital Reserve Fund. A majority vote is required to approve this second article.
What’s the exact language of that second article?
“To see if the town will vote to appoint the Board of Selectmen under RSA 35:15,I as agents to withdraw and spend funds from the Road Improvement and Repair Capital Reserve Fund, only to carry out the purpose for which the fund was established. Said fund was established at the 2020 town meeting for the purpose of improving roads and making repairs to damages caused by catastrophic weather events.”
What’s the difference between this article and the one we voted on in Town Meeting?
The amended article in Town Meeting neglected to include language authorizing withdrawing and spending the funds. So this corrected article includes the language “as agents to withdraw and spend funds…”
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.
Official Notice:
The supervisors of the checklist will be in session to register new voters on Saturday, May 16, 11-11:30 a.m. at the Town House. This is the last date/time to register to vote prior to the special Town Meeting to be held on May 27.