Waterville Valley residents convened for the second night of their annual Town Meeting on March 11, 2026, to work through a full agenda of warrant articles covering budget reconsiderations, capital reserve fund establishment and consolidation, infrastructure improvements, ordinance updates, and other town business. With 40 total warrant articles on the docket and only 12 completed the previous evening, the Moderator kept the meeting moving at a brisk pace.
Reconsideration of Prior Articles
Budget Article (Article 12)
The evening opened with a motion to reconsider Article 12, the town’s operating budget, which had been amended the previous night to reduce spending by $514,000. The motion’s sponsor argued that a reconsideration meeting — which, under state law, must be scheduled at least seven days later — would give the Select Board an opportunity to explain how they intended to operate within the reduced figure and to receive further public input. The Select Board Chair, Richard Rita, responded that the board would work within whatever budget the town required, and that they were working toward a figure of $7 million or under. (link)
The Town Moderator, Patty Furgal, clarified the procedural difference between a motion to reconsider and the prior night’s motion to restrict reconsideration: restricting reconsideration meant the article could not be reopened at the same meeting, but if a subsequent motion to reconsider passed, a new meeting would need to be scheduled. (link)
Several residents spoke against reconsideration, noting the lopsided vote — approximately 92 in favor of the amendment versus 12 opposed — and questioning whether a smaller attendance on night two fairly represented those who had voted the previous evening. The motion to reconsider Article 12 failed, with 51 opposed and 26 in favor. (link)
Aerial Rights Article (Article 11)
A resident then moved to reconsider Article 11, concerning aerial rights, proposing that a committee of three to five citizens — with no affiliation with any developer — be included in any lease negotiations with a developer. The Select Board noted uncertainty about whether state law permitted limiting the board’s negotiating authority in this manner, while acknowledging that a non-binding amendment could still be voted upon. (link) The motion to reconsider Article 11 also failed. (link)
Capital Reserve Fund Overview
Before taking up Article 13, Assistant Town Manager Stephen Royer provided an overview of the capital reserve articles to follow, noting that the town was appropriating approximately $300,000 into various capital reserve funds — a departure from the town’s historical practice of not maintaining such reserves. Stephen Royer explained that unlike special warrant article funds, capital reserve funds do not lapse, are held in separate accounts managed by the Trustees of the Trust Funds, and are designed to reduce long-term reliance on bonded debt or operating budget contingency lines. (link)
Warrant Articles: Capital Projects and Reserves
Article 13 — Snow’s Brook Sedimentation Control ($55,000 — Passed)
Voters approved raising and appropriating $55,000 from general taxation for the construction of sedimentation control facilities along Snow’s Brook above Corcoran Pond. (link) The Conservation Commission Chair, Paul Ricotta, presented the project, explaining that it was originally approved by voters at the 2022 Town Meeting but that the funds lapsed into the general fund balance at the end of fiscal year 2025. The project uses bioengineering techniques to capture sediment upstream before it reaches Corcoran Pond, reconnect and restore the floodplain of Snow’s Brook, and reduce the frequency and cost of future dredging. Paul Ricotta noted that permitting has been completed in coordination with the U.S. Forest Service, the Army Corps of Engineers, and NH DES, and that construction is expected to begin in the fall. (link)
A project consultant — a retired 33-year veteran of the U.S. Forest Service with expertise in stream restoration and geomorphology — urged voters to support the article, noting that without upstream intervention, Corcoran Pond risked becoming as silted as Campton Pond. The article passed. (link)
Article 14 — Corcoran Pond Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund ($50,000 — Passed)
The town voted to establish a Corcoran Pond Maintenance Capital Reserve Fund and appropriate $50,000 from general taxation to begin building a reserve for future dredging costs. A resident asked whether capital reserve funds could lapse the way special warrant article funds do; Stephen Royer clarified that once deposited, funds in a capital reserve account do not lapse and are not subject to the two-year spending rule that applies to special warrant articles. (link) (link)
Article 15 — Department of Public Safety Equipment and Repairs Capital Reserve Fund ($90,000 — Passed)
Voters approved establishing a new capital reserve fund for Department of Public Safety equipment and repairs, with an initial appropriation of $90,000 from general taxation. (link)
Article 16 — Assessing Capital Reserve Fund ($20,000 — Passed)
A new Assessing Capital Reserve Fund was established with an appropriation of $20,000 from general taxation. (link)
Article 17 — Municipal Facilities, Equipment, and Solid Waste Truck Capital Reserves ($125,000 — Passed with debate)
As originally written, Article 17 proposed appropriating $125,000 from general taxation into three existing capital reserve accounts: $50,000 for Municipal Facilities and Property, $50,000 for Municipal Equipment, and $25,000 for the Solid Waste Truck. An amendment was proposed to eliminate the solid waste truck contribution and increase both the Municipal Facilities and Municipal Equipment allocations to $75,000 each, for a total of $150,000. (link)
Stephen Royer explained that the existing solid waste truck capital reserve already held approximately $26,000, which was deemed sufficient given the truck’s approaching end of useful life and ongoing discussions about future changes to the municipal solid waste operation. The increase to the other two accounts, Stephen Royer noted, was intended to offset deferred maintenance that could no longer be funded through the reduced operating budget. (link)
Several residents questioned the amendment. A resident, Cyndy Piekos, noted that the town had recently experienced a week-long outage of the trash truck and expressed concern about reducing solid waste equipment reserves. (link) Another resident, Craig Larson, suggested the amendment amounted to a backdoor budget increase following the prior night’s vote to reduce the operating budget to $7 million, arguing that if the municipal equipment capital reserve would cover a solid waste truck, the funds were functionally redundant. (link) A Select Board member, Wendi Rathgeber, clarified that the intent was to fund deferred maintenance through capital reserves rather than replace operating budget spending. A resident also pointed out that the Municipal Equipment capital reserve could legally be used to fund a solid waste truck replacement.
The amendment failed, 33 in favor and 48 opposed. (link) The original article, appropriating $125,000 as proposed, then passed. (link)
Article 18 — Community Power (Tabled)
At the request of the Community Power Committee, the Select Board moved to table Article 18. The motion passed. (link)
Article 19 — Discontinue Obsolete Capital Reserve Funds (Passed)
Voters approved discontinuing two capital reserve funds with negligible balances: the Toxicity Corrective Capital Reserve Fund (balance: $0.11) and the Waterville Valley Capital Project Capital Reserve Fund (balance: $514.25). Both fund balances were transferred to the town’s general fund. (link)
Article 20 — Sewer Line Engineering, River Road and West Branch Road ($50,000 — Passed)
The town approved raising and appropriating $50,000 from the fund balance for engineering work to investigate the perpetual freezing issues affecting the sewer line on River Road and West Branch Road. (link) The Director of Municipal Utilities, Dylan Tucker, described the problem as a long-standing public health concern that has persisted since the line was installed in 2015, noting that the affected sewer line lies adjacent to the town’s drinking water well number two. Residents utilizing the sewer system have experienced repeated service interruptions, with the town actively pumping out at least one tank for approximately two weeks due to a frozen line segment. The engineering study would identify the cause and recommend alternatives — potentially including an internal heat trace system — but would not fund the actual repairs. The ultimate repair cost remains unknown. (link)
A resident, Mike Furgal, raised concern that fund-balance-funded articles could deplete the surplus needed to support the newly reduced $7 million operating budget. Stephen Royer clarified that approximately $255,000 of fund balance had already been factored into the tax impact projections presented the previous evening, meaning approval of these articles would not change the estimated tax implications. (link)
Article 21 — Department of Public Works Garage Doors ($50,000 — Passed)
An appropriation of $50,000 from the fund balance was approved to replace all five oversized garage doors and their motor units at the Department of Public Works building. (link) The DPW Director, Megan Boobar, explained that the doors — each approximately 15 feet wide by 14 feet tall — are over 10 years old, no longer seal properly against the floor, fail to communicate with their motor units in cold weather, and have motors for which replacement parts are no longer available. The $50,000 figure represents the low end of quotes received, which ranged as high as $300,000. Megan Boobar noted that comparable commercial door replacements for a single residential door can run $15,000 to $30,000, providing context for the cost. (link)
Article 22 — Public Safety Building Doors ($15,000 — Passed)
Voters approved $15,000 from the fund balance to replace two commercial-grade metal entry doors at the Public Safety building. (link) The Director of Public Safety, David C. Noyes, explained that both doors are original to the building, which is more than 50 years old. The back door is severely deteriorated — daylight is visible through gaps at the bottom — creating rodent and weather infiltration issues. (link)
Article 23 — Department of Public Works HVAC System ($20,000 — Passed)
An appropriation of $20,000 from the fund balance was approved for replacing the DPW building’s mini-split HVAC system, which heats and cools the office space, break room, restroom, and electrical room. The DPW Director, Megan Boobar, stated that the heat pump unit powering the mini-splits has been discontinued and parts are no longer available; sourcing compatible parts from other manufacturers would cost more than full replacement. (link) (link)
Article 24 — Town Office Space Needs Assessment, Phase 2 ($75,000 — Failed by secret ballot)
A motion to appropriate $75,000 from the fund balance to continue a space needs assessment and architectural alternatives analysis for a new town office and public safety building was put to a secret ballot following a voter petition. (link) The Director of Public Safety, David C. Noyes, explained that the town’s current building — originally constructed for a volunteer fire department and expanded in 1982 to accommodate three town office staff — is over 50 years old and no longer adequate for current staffing and operational needs. The $50,000 approved at the 2025 Town Meeting funded the first phase (space needs assessment), of which $27,000 has been spent. This request would fund Phase 2: an alternatives analysis examining renovation, new construction, or a combined facility. David C. Noyes emphasized that this funding is for planning purposes only, not for building construction.
A resident, Mike Koppel, questioned the practicality of commissioning detailed design work for a building whose timeline for construction could be eight to ten years away, with the town’s future needs uncertain. (link) The article failed by secret ballot: 74 opposed, 24 in favor. (link)
Article 25 — Town Street Signs ($20,000 — Failed)
An article to appropriate $20,000 from the fund balance for street sign replacement and repair generated procedural debate. The DPW Director, Megan Boobar, disclosed that the intended use included not only continuing the replacement of street name signs (already partially completed with recycled plastic signs) but also refurbishment of the “Home of Freestyle Skiing” welcome sign at the valley entrance. (link)
The Town Moderator, Patty Furgal, ruled that the article as written pertained solely to street name signs and that including the welcome sign would constitute an impermissible change in subject matter. A motion to overrule the Moderator failed. (link) With the scope limited to street name signs only — and Megan Boobar noting the article had been intended for broader use — the article subsequently failed. (link)
Article 26 — Water Distribution System Emergency Repairs ($25,000 — Passed)
Voters approved raising and appropriating $25,000 from general taxation for emergency repairs and general maintenance of the water distribution system. (link) The Director of Municipal Utilities, Dylan Tucker, described this as a recurring article used to maintain a fund for responding to water main breaks, noting that the town depletes the fund over two to three years of repairs and then replenishes it. Staff acknowledged that this should ideally be structured as a capital reserve fund in future years. (link)
Article 27 — Public Works Plow Truck Lease, Year 3 ($41,000 — Passed)
The town approved $41,000 from general taxation for the third-year payment on a four-year lease for a Public Works plow truck, which also serves as the department’s primary summer utility truck. (link) Upon completion of the lease, the town will own the vehicle.
Article 28 — Public Works Front End Loader Backhoe Lease, Year 2 ($47,500 — Passed)
Voters approved $47,500 from general taxation for the second-year payment on a four-year lease for a new Public Works front end loader backhoe, replacing an existing unit. (link)
Article 29 — (Tabled)
The Select Board moved to table Article 29. The motion passed without discussion. (link)
Article 30 — Department of Public Safety Administrative Vehicle ($25,000 — Passed by secret ballot)
A request to appropriate $25,000 from the fund balance for a used administrative vehicle for the Police Chief was approved by secret ballot. (link) The Director of Public Safety, David C. Noyes, explained that as a shared public safety department, two personnel are often on duty during evening hours; if both are called out of town on an extended response, the Director or Police Chief must serve as backup, currently without a properly equipped emergency vehicle. Waterville Valley is one of only two towns in Grafton County without a take-home cruiser for the Police Chief. The vehicle would also serve as a fleet backup. The article passed by a vote of 46 yes to 44 no.
Article 31 — Department of Public Safety Utility Pickup Truck ($65,000 — Passed by secret ballot)
Voters narrowly approved $65,000 from general taxation to purchase a replacement utility pickup truck for the Department of Public Safety, which passed by a vote of 46 yes to 44 no. (link) The truck is used by per diem fire and EMS staff who are not licensed police officers and therefore cannot operate a police cruiser. The current truck has 90,000 miles, a badly rusted bed, and is approaching end of useful life. The department replaces this vehicle approximately every ten years using state bid pricing, which includes lights and sirens.
Article 32 — Recreation Van Lease, Year 3 (Passed)
The town approved the third-year payment on a four-year lease for a 2024 Ford Transit van used primarily in adult and youth recreation programs. (link)
Ordinance Updates (Articles 33–37)
The Select Board presented a series of warrant articles to update town ordinances, following a staff review of all existing local ordinances. The Director of Public Safety, David C. Noyes, presented each. (link)
Article 33 — Repeal Bicycle Ordinance (Passed): The existing local bicycle ordinance was repealed as duplicative of state statute, which fully governs bicycle operation and equipment in New Hampshire. (link)
Article 34 — Amend Dog Ordinance (Passed): The dog ordinance was modernized to incorporate state statutory definitions for menacing and vicious dogs, consolidate animal waste pickup provisions (previously a separate ordinance), and strengthen local enforcement procedures. The revised ordinance applies to all dogs in the valley, including visiting animals; it does not apply to horses or other animals. (link)
Article 35 — Amend Fireworks Ordinance (Passed): The fireworks ordinance was updated to align with current state law, expand safety and enforcement provisions, and clarify the administrative process for issuing fireworks permits while preserving the town’s local regulatory authority. (link)
Article 36 — Replace Road Use Event Ordinance with Special Events Ordinance (Passed): The existing road use ordinance was replaced with a broader Special Events Ordinance covering any event on town roads or town-owned property that impacts public safety, traffic, parking, or health. The revised ordinance establishes a formal permitting process and gives the Select Board authority to impose conditions including detail officers, portable sanitation, and insurance requirements. The ordinance does not apply to events on private property. (link)
Article 37 — Repeal Animal Waste Ordinance (Passed): The separate animal waste removal ordinance was repealed, as its provisions were incorporated into the amended dog ordinance approved under Article 34. (link)
Other Town Business
Article 38 — Veterans’ Total and Permanent Disability Tax Credit (Passed)
Voters approved increasing the total and permanent disability tax credit for qualified veterans from $1,700 to $1,900. (link) Stephen Royer explained that recent changes in state law no longer permit the prior method of stacking credits to reach the $1,900 level, and this article restructures the credit to maintain the benefit at its existing value.
Article 39 — Reports
No reports were presented. The Town Moderator, Patty Furgal, directed residents to the town’s annual report for information from all boards and committees.
Article 40 — Other Business: Veterans’ Memorial Proposal
Under other business, the Director of Public Safety, David C. Noyes, introduced a proposal to form a citizen committee to explore creating a veterans’ memorial park in Waterville Valley. (link) The proposal was inspired in part by the passing of the town manager and a desire to honor the town’s veterans. David C. Noyes identified a piece of town-owned property at the corner of Packard’s Road, between the sidewalk and Packard’s Field, as a potential location — noting its prominence at the entrance to the village. The proposal would name the park the “Decoteau Memorial Park” in honor of both the former town manager, Mark Decoteau, and Mark Paul, one of two Waterville Valley residents killed in action.
David C. Noyes described the initiative as a public-private partnership, envisioning a fundraising component to offset construction costs. AI-generated concept renderings were displayed. The Select Board Chair, Richard Rita, expressed support and indicated the board would form a committee and seek volunteers. A non-binding sense-of-the-meeting vote showed strong support for the concept.
Motion to Reconsider Article 5 — Greeley Hill Road / Snow’s Mountain Road Sewer Extension
Late in the meeting, a resident moved to reconsider Article 5, which had failed the previous evening by a vote of 68 no to 64 yes — a margin of four votes — and which would have required a three-fifths supermajority to pass. (link) The resident argued that with the Wastewater Treatment Plant project approved and encompassing sewer infrastructure extending toward the mountain, excluding this neighborhood was inequitable and created potential EPA compliance risk. The Town Moderator, Patty Furgal, noted that if this motion passed, a new meeting would need to be scheduled at least seven days out, and the article would again require a three-fifths majority. The motion failed, with approximately 38 votes in opposition.
The meeting was subsequently adjourned.
EDITOR_NOTES— Timestamps you could not confidently verify: No issues flagged. Timestamps you corrected: No issues flagged. Proper nouns flagged as uncertain: No issues flagged. Names you changed:
- “Mike Fargo” (resident) changed to “a resident”
- “Mike Coppell” (resident) changed to “a resident”
- “Mike Conlon” (resident) changed to “a resident”
- “John Panacchella” (resident) changed to “a resident”
- “Kimberly Rosson” (resident) changed to “a resident”
- “Bill Dower” (project consultant) changed to “a project consultant”
- “Janet Mellon” (resident) changed to “a resident”
- “Will Twombly” (resident) changed to “a resident”
- “Gretchen Williams” (resident) changed to “a resident”
- “Craig Larson” (resident) changed to “a resident”
- “Katie Smith” (resident) changed to “a resident”
- “Bob Fries” (resident) changed to “a resident”
- “Anna Sandler” (resident) changed to “a resident”
- “Rich” (Select Board Chair) changed to “Richard Rita”
- “Patty” (Town Moderator) changed to “Patty Furgal”
- “Paul” (Conservation Commission Chair) changed to “Paul Ricotta”
- “Steve” (Assistant Town Manager) changed to “Stephen Royer”
- “Megan” (DPW Director) changed to “Megan Boobar”
- “Dave” (Director of Public Safety) changed to “David C. Noyes”
- “Dylan” (Director of Municipal Utilities) changed to “Dylan Tucker”
- “Wendy” (Select Board member) changed to “Wendi Rathgeber”
Whisper mishearing suspicions near timestamp anchors:
[2127.58 - 2143.58]“Corker and Pond” corrected to “Corcoran Pond”[2168.58 - 2196.58]“Corker and Pond” corrected to “Corcoran Pond”, “Snowsbrook” corrected to “Snow’s Brook”[2483.58 - 2490.58]“Corcoran Pond” (already correct in article, but noted for consistency)[2523.58 - 2528.58]“Cork and Pond” corrected to “Corcoran Pond”[2884.58 - 2903.58]“Cocker and Pond” corrected to “Corcoran Pond”[8666.04 - 8675.04]“Mark Dacotto” corrected to “Mark Decoteau”[8939.04 - 8945.04]“Greeley Hills, Snow’s Mountain sewer line” corrected to “Greeley Hill Road / Snow’s Mountain Road sewer line”
Web search flags: No issues flagged.