CHESTER NEW HAMPSHIRE ANNUAL REPORTS • for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1998 Town Elections: May 11, 1999 Town Meeting: May 12, 1999 The Town Report is dedicated with heartfelt appreciation to the Chester resident and anonymous benefactor who's generosity will help create new town offices and a police station in the former Chester School building. It is this attitude ofcaring and helping one's townfellows, in large and simple ways, that make Chester the special place that it is. This Town Reportcover is printed on environmentally friendly recycled paper. 1 f 2f 1998 TownReport X Table of Contents Auditor's Report 36 Budget Colored Section Budget Advisory Committee Report Colored Section Building Inspector's Report 48 CTV-51 70 Community Food Pantry 67 Comparative Statement ofAppropriations 19 Conservation Commission Report 60 Detailed Statement ofPayments 23 Detailed Statement ofReceipts 20 Exeter River Watershed 63 Financial Report 15 Fire Department Report 56 Forest Fire Report 58 Highway Department Report 56 Highway Safety Committee Report 52 Library Report 43 Planning Board Report 45 Police Department Report 54 Recreation Commission Report 65 Recycling/Solid Waste Committee Report 68 Representative's Report - District 10 40 Representative's Report - District 1 41 Selectmen's Report 8 Sexual Assault Support Services 72 NH Southern Planning Committee Report 59 Statement ofAppropriations 10 Summary ofInventory Valuations 13 Tax Collector's Report 34 Tax Rate Computation 14 Town Clerk's Report 33 Town Officers 2 Trust Fund Report 38 Warrant Colored Section Wilcomb-Townsend Home Trust Fund 37 Zoning Board ofAdjustment Report 42 Town ofChester Town Officers Moderator Michael Scott - 2000 Assistant Moderator - Walt St. Clair Representative to the General Court Jon Beaulieu - 2000 Albert W. Hamel - 2000 Selectmen Andrew L. Hadik, Chairman - 2001 Colin M. Costine - 1999 Charlotte A. Lister - 2000 Administrative Assistant Margaret M. Neveu Town Clerk/Tax Collector Barbara L. Gagnon - 1999 Deputy Town Clerk/Tax Collector Shayne Marshall Treasurer PatSevener- 1999 Deputy Treasurer Deborah Costine Cynthia Tunberg Fire Chief Stephen Tunberg Road Agent Clarence Ware -1999 ChiefofPolice Alfred Wagner Supervisors ofthe Checklist Janice Jeans - 1999 Virginia Beaulieu - 2000 Diane Dupont - 2004 Trustees ofTrust Funds Joseph O'Brien - 2000 1998 Town Report Library Trustees Eric C. Nyberg, Chairman - 2001 Dorothy Avery - 1999 Debbie Munson - 1999 Linda Heuer - 2000 JeffWoodruff- 2000 Great Hill Cemetery Trustees Steven Childs - 1999 George Noyes - 2000 Joseph Ouwerkerk, Jr. - 2001 Wayne Towle - 2001 Walt St. Clair - 2002 Village Cemetery Trustees David Hoffman - 1999 2000 - Robert Jeans, Jr. -2001 Wilcomb -Townsend Home Fund Trustees Tina Butterfield - 1999 Catherine Fogg - 2000 Barbara Dolloff- 2001 Isabelle Rand - 2002 Cynthia Tunberg - 2003 Appointments Budget Advisory Committee Donald Parnell, Chairman Bruce Baker Paul Kretschmer Judy Wolcott Building Inspector/Zoning Officer David Jore Environmental Compliance Officer Brad Wamsley Cable Committee Lennie Stein, Chairman Ellen Boda Margery Godfrey Town ofChester Richard Godfrey Hilary Hall Dave Hardy Eileen Hardy R.D. Tilroe Civil Defense/Emergency Management Scott St. Clair, Director John Cadieux, Deputy Director William Boynton, Deputy Director Scott Rice - Communications Officer Conservation Commission Brad Wamsley, Chairman - 1999 Gregory Lowell, Sec. - 2000 Catherine Arakelian - 2001 David Hardy - 2001 Maureen Lein - 1999 Charles Myette - 2000 Camilla Lockwood - 2002 & Planning Board Rep. Gladys Nicoll - Honorary Member Larry Benjamin - Alternate - 1999 Charlotte A. Lister, Selectmen's Rep. Edward's Mill Project Coordinator Robert Pike Exeter River Watershed Reps. Al Hamel CamLockwood Forest Fire Warden Stephen Tunberg Deputy Fire Wardens William L. Boynton Jack Cadieux Steven W. Child Scott St. Clair John T. Coleman Arthur Dolloff Bruce McLaughlin Kevin C. Scott 1998 Town Report Health Officer Darrell Quinn Historic District Commission Committee Colin Costine, Sel's Rep. Anya Bent Ann Powers Louise Nutt Diane Methot - Alternate Library Judith Balk - Library Director Police Department Alfred J. Wagner, Chief Alexander Castora, Deputy Chief Leonard Leclair, Sergeant William Burke, Sergeant Kenneth McCarron, Patrolman Vaughn McGillen, Patrolman Gerry Repucci, Patrolman Joseph Deluca, Patrolman Steven Davis, Patrolman Police Department Administrative Assistant Vaughn McGillen Planning Board Scott Rice - Chairman - 1999 Richard Snyder - Vice Chairman - 2000 Cynthia J. Robinson - Member/Administrative Assistant - 1999 Evan Sederquest - 2000 Camilla Lockwood - 2001 Stephen Landau - 2001 Carl Morin - Alternate - 1999 William Gregsak - Alternate - 1999 Andrew Hadik - Ex-Officio Recreation Committee Greg Lowell - Chairman Debbie Burke Linda Royce Bob Henderson Charlie Henderson Town ofChester Recycling/Solid Waste Committee Anne Pardo, Chairperson/Sec. Paul Potter, Vice-Chairperson Andrew L. Hadik, Sel's Representative Bonnie Healey Lloyd Healey Charles Myette J. R. Stephens Selectmen's Office - Secretary/Bookkeeper Ruth Kaste Janet Boyden Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission Andrew L. Hadik - 1999 Albert Hamel - 2000 Spring Hill Farm Trustees Miss Muriel Church Colin Costine Rick Murray Wayne Towle Brad Wamsley Strategic Land Protection Committee David Hardy Daniel Mullaney Maureen Lein Charlotte Lister Evan Sederquest Richard Uncles Welfare Administrator Margaret M. Neveu Zoning Board ofAdjustment Billie Maloney - Chairperson - 2000 Cynthia Herman, Vice-Chairman - 1999 Janet Boyden, Sec/Member - 2000 Janice Jeans - 2001 Jean G.Methot- 2001 Steph Landau - Planning Board Rep.- 1999 1998 Town Report Honorary Appointments Consulting Engineer and Maintenance Supervisor ofthe Town Chronometer Scott St. Clair Inspector ofGrist Mills, Factories, and Sawmills Raymond Dolloff Keeper ofthe Jacob Chase Horse Block Robert Nicoll Keeper ofthe Town Pound George Chaperon Gladys Nichols Sealer ofWeights and Measure Robert Dolloff Robert Buelte Surveyor ofWood, Bark, and Lumber Leroy Noyes Town Historian Evelyn Noyes Weigher ofGrain and Measurer ofHay and Provender Wayne Towle Robert Healey Town ofChester Annual Report of the Board of Selectmen The past yearhas been quite lively again for the Board ofSelectmen. The most noteworthy event was the recent gift of$300,000to refurbish the old school intonewTown offices andanewpolice station. The giftcamefrom an anonymous donor who wished to do something positive for all the members ofour community. The gift is opportune because it will defray everyone's taxburden and take care ofour municipal and police space needs for several decades. We are alsoreceiving awonderful recreation andcommunitycenterin thebargain. We know we speak for everyone when we offer our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the donor for their generosity! Many thanks toJamieTowle and all the other members ofthe "Concerned Citizens"whoattendedthe many meetings todiscussandresearch the issue ofrenovatingthe old school vs. sellingandbondingnewconstruction. Who wouldhaveexpected theissuewouldhave beenresolvedinsuch amanner? The acquisition ofthe conservation easement on Dolloff Diary Farm was another issue that kept us busy. This acquisition was overwhelmingly approved (80%) at last year's Town Meeting. The road to completing the acquisition, however, was long and rocky. In late September we received official notification that none ofthe federal funding hoped for would be forthcoming. Because the warrant article authorized negotiation for lesser terms if matching funding were lesser, new terms were negotiated. A special public hearing was then held to review the new terms. 98% of the attendees indicated their support and wish for us to proceed. Duringthe surveyoftheproperty, the acreageofthe mainparcel was found to be less than expected. Concerned about more changes, the Board long with representatives of the Conservation Commission and the Strategic Land Protection Fund, agreed to table the issue until the next annual Town Meeting. We were then notified the deal could not be held over due to financialobligations. Atthesametimeagrass-rootspetitiondrivedelivered 199signatures urging ustoproceedwiththeacquisitiondespite thechange. Wewereencouraged togoaheadand securetheeasement forthe following reasons: First, the wordingofthe warrant articleauthorizedus tonegotiate lesser terms if matching funds were not received. Second, the ultimate