Having researched and examined the warrant articles put on the ballot for voting March 12, 2024 at the Weare Middle School gymnasium, we want to take this opportunity to give you a fuller understanding of how these articles will directly impact Weare's rural nature. Detailed information on each article can be found below. We recommend that citizens who value land conservation and the preservation of the rural character of the town of Weare VOTE YES ON ARTICLES 23 AND 24 and VOTE NO ON PETITION ARTICLES 25, 26, AND 27. The petition articles directly constrain efforts to preserve natural spaces, impede the work of the Conservation Commission, and target efforts to protect the Banks/Shmid East Road grasslands and any future conservation projects.

 

Article 23 (Vote YES)

Shall the Town raise and appropriate the sum of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) to allow the Conservation Commission to secure contracted services with a Licensed Forester for forestry services including plan updates, harvest layout, harvest management, forest inventory, trail maintenance and development, invasive species control and other related services; and to allow the Conservation Commission to contract or purchase materials or services for maintenance and upkeep of town forests, and fund this appropriation by authorizing the withdrawal of that sum from the Town Forest Account? (Recommended by Board of Selectmen)

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Article 23 is sponsored by Weare's Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission proposes an article identical or similar to this every year. Passage of this article enables the Conservation Commission to use funds that are in the Town Forest Account for ongoing town forest management. A YES VOTE ON ARTICLE 23 means that the work of the town's forester can continue without interruption. There is no tax impact as the funds are generated when the town harvests and sells forest products. Town forests are a critical component to the wooded, rural nature of the town of Weare.

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Article 24 (Vote YES)

Shall the Town complete the easement and survey plat voted on at the March 12, 2013 Town Meeting vote on Warrant Article 29, shall the Town authorize the Conservation Commission to convey the associated conservation easement over a portion of the Banks-Shmid property (map 408/lot 123) on East Road including the existing hay field and exclusive of 20 acres set aside for ongoing gravel pit operations and future recreational facilities to a qualified land trust such as the Piscataquog Land Conservancy or Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests subject to the final approval of the Board of Selectmen? (Recommended by Board of Selectmen)

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In 2013, in response to work initiated by the Russell Foundation, a non-profit entity that worked to promote land conservation in our region, the town of Weare purchased a 137-acre parcel of land on East Road. This conservation land is known as the Banks/Shmid parcel. Funding for this project included $180,000 from the Conservation Fund, $155,000 from the Mildred Hall Trust, $200,000 through town vote, and $60,000 from a bargain sale offered by Raymond Banks, Sr., the seller. As is shown in 2011-2014 meeting minutes of the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Conservation Commission, the Mildred Hall Trust, the Board of Selectmen, and the Zoning Board of Appeal, along with recollections from the seller and an article in the 2013 Union Leader, the intent of the project was to preserve the rural character of East Road through conservation of what would include the town's only parcel of agricultural land. Additional project benefits would include town utilization of the gravel and reclamation of the expended gravel pit as recreational facilities. The 2013 Warrant Article 29 stated that the selectmen were charged with placing a conservation easement on this parcel. Unfortunately, they have not yet secured this easement. The current Warrant Article 24 authorizes the Conservation Commission to complete the conservation easement. A YES VOTE ON ARTICLE 24 ensures that the only town-owned agricultural land remains forever conserved. It maintains the character of East Road, it helps ensure grassland species habitat, and it helps keep Weare rural. It does not have any tax impact since the cost of the easement purchase would be covered by the town's Conservation Fund. In addition, it honors the agreement between the seller and the town.

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Article 25 (Vote NO)

To see if the Town will vote to study restricting eligibility for appointed positions to Town Boards and Committees to two (2) consecutive terms, which shall include any part of a term served, and shall remain ineligible for the next succeeding three (3) years? (By Petition)

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Article 25 was introduced by petition and modified at the town's deliberative session (put to study). If passed as originally written, it would have discouraged long-serving town volunteers by making them ineligible for continued service. We are fortunate to have many dedicated volunteers who tirelessly serve the town. There is tremendous value in having volunteers with substantial experience as they have institutional knowledge and, therefore, can help speak to the history of specific events, the intent of particular projects, etc. For example, the Conservation Commission chairman and vice chairman have each served more than 20 years and were involved with the original purchase of the Banks/Shmid parcel for the town in 2013. As such, they were able to speak to the current status of the land and original intent of the parcel purchase, helping clarify the situation and potentially avoiding a costly mistake. A NO VOTE ON ARTICLE 25 says you are not interested in imposing term limits on town volunteers.  

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Article 26 (Vote NO)

To see if the Town will vote to direct the Conservation Commission under the direction of Board of Selectmen to take immediate action on the division of the One Hundred and Thirty-Seven (137) acres of already purchased land on East Road previously known as the Alma Shmid property, tax map 408-123, by dispersing it as follows: twelve acres (12) to include but not limited to the fields and front acreage of the property to be allocated to recreational facilities and ballfields, eight (8) acres to be allocated as gravel pit(s), and to convey the remaining one hundred and seventeen acres (117) as the Conservation Commission deems appropriate? [This article has no tax impact as land is already owned by the Town of Weare] (By Petition)

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Article 26 is a petition article. If passed, it would result in the development of the only town-owned agricultural land. Recreational facilities would be built where they were never intended, and the guidance for use of the town Conservation Fund would have been abused. This article is in opposition to the wishes and actions of the seller, who reduced his asking price by $60,000 to preserve the hayfield. This also jeopardizes the future willingness of landowners interested in conserving their land through sale to the town as they will no longer feel confident in their ability to trust that the town will follow through on its commitments. Passage of this article will result in a direct loss of rural agricultural land in town. A NO VOTE ON ARTICLE 26 continues the legacy of agriculture in the town of Weare and helps keep Weare rural.

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Article 27 (Vote NO)

To see if the Town will vote to study to rescind the provisions of RSA 79-A:25 II, which authorized the deposit of 75% of the land use change tax collected by the Town to be deposited into the conservation fund? (By Petition)

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Article 27 was introduced by petition and modified at the town's deliberative session (put to study). If passed as originally written, the article would have defunded the town's Conservation Fund. The Conservation Fund receives a portion of the revenue generated when property is taken out of Current Use. Current Use is one of the original New Hampshire mechanisms meant to promote the retention of large rural parcels by reducing the applicable property tax rate. According to the New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration, "NH's Current Use Program is a perpetual dedication to maintain open space." Current Use is a state program that helps maintain rural lands. When parcels in Current Use are developed, the state assesses a 10% penalty on the "full and true value" of that land. This is known as the Land Use Change Tax, and it is distributed to the municipality of origin. Weare has traditionally been well served by using 3/4 of the land use change tax to maintain the Conservation Fund. This program is key to keeping Weare rural. The Conservation Commission uses these monies to maintain open space at the local level. The Conservation Commission can use the Conservation Fund to purchase land, to manage land, to utilize and protect natural and watershed resources, to conduct research into local land and water areas, and to advertise, prepare, print and distribute books, maps, charts, plans and pamphlets. A NO VOTE ON ARTICLE 27 honors the intent of the Current Use Program and the Land Use Change Tax, maintains the integrity of the town's Conservation Fund, and helps keep Weare rural.