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 Preshow #1 meetingReturn to index of stories... |
Now on New Hampshire Outlook: The traditional town meeting in New Hampshire -- is it a dying breed -- or worth revitalizing. Then later: |
| Preshow #2 Bridge Return to index of stories... |
A move to destroy a 19-th century bridge to make way for a new high school in WindHAM.sets up a classic struggle between progress and preservation. |
| Hello/Intro Town mtg Return to index of stories... |
Hello. I'm Beth Carroll. Welcome to New Hampshire Outlook. For centuries, the annual town meeting has been a fixture in most New Hampshire communities. But like many traditions, it faces the need to adapt to changing times. Some communities have abandoned it.while others seek to make improvements --keeping what makes town meeting special. Outlook's Richard Ager takes us to the 2006 town meeting in Peterborough, a town considering "changes" to its original form of government. |
| Town Meetings Return to index of stories... |
Bite: Town meeting tape 2 10:49:47 What I'm looking for is a hybrid - not town meeting, not SB2 - but perhaps putting some of the items which are on today's agenda onto a written ballot - but providing an opportunity for debate for some of those more controversial issues unlike the police cruiser. So basically people wouldn't have to sit here for the better part of a day to get to the real core policy issues. Bite: Town Meeting tape 5 12:46:16 WHAT ABOUT THE ARGUMENT THAT IT TAKES SO LONG PEOPLE HAVE BUSY LIVES THESE DAYS AND YOU KNOW KIDS OCCUPY ALL THEIR TIME, WHY DON'T YOU JUST SEND THEM THE BALLOT? If you find to live in a democracy or a republic it's going to cost you it's going to cost you time and effort to research things, if you want to just sit back and not be involved then you want to live under a dictatorship. I don't want to, I want to live in a republic where we have the freedom to speak and assist those making decisions in making a fair and proper decision. Track: Town meeting is the place to debate the merits of any expenditure, no matter the cost. For example, a new vehicle for the fire chief. Bite: Town meeting tape 3 10:55:54 Will any effort be made to find a fuel efficient vehicle? Bite: Town meeting tape 3 10:56:44 We could go to a hybrid car. It's a little more money and it's actually a 7 year payoff on the vehicle and we don't believe that under federal specifications, that it would hold up as well under the conditions that we use the vehicles. Track: The chief got his new vehicle. Bite: Town meeting tape 5 13:09:10 WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THE QUESTION, WHAT WOULD WE LOSE IF WE SIMPLY GOT RID OF THESE ANNUAL MEETINGS? Oh I think we'd lose an important social event, some people call it a chance for social cap. When we have recess and people are talking and sharing opinions and that sort of thing, I think we lose a laboratory for government and how people interact together to make decisions and I think we miss one chance to get to know people in the town and the new people coming in and being welcoming and friendly to them and its opportunities if you mail it in you miss most of that. I'm old fashioned I guess. Bite: Town meeting tape 3 11:07:34 ** The goal too is to encourage the building and retention of affordable housing, both in rental and ownership markets so that people who earn between $20-60,000 per year can purchase an affordable starter home in our community. Track: Debate got tough on this article which proposed using a parcel of town land for developing affordable workforce housing. Bite: Town meeting tape 3 11:21:18 ** Hi. I'm Irene Thibeault, and I've lived on the flats for 48 years. And I know the flats inside and out. Let me give you a brief history of the flats. It is brook-fed, spring-fed and McDowell Dam-fed. Bite: Town meeting tape 3 11:21:55 …Let me tell you about McDowell Dam. When they open up the dam to let the water out, it goes into the first field and it's sucked up like a sponge. And it's wet. Let me tell a little bit about what they tried to develop down on the flat. They tried to develop an airport. And the planes would come in - you guessed it, they got stuck in the mud. And then they had a cemetery down there and the cemetery - you guessed it. The caskets were floating. Bite: Town meeting tape 3 11:22:30 And then the town - they had a fire and the fire trucks came down and they all got stuck. And then they tried to put a school on the flats. Yes, we were going to have an elementary school…. Bite: Town meeting tape 3 11:23:01 That got scrapped - and then we had the circus come to town and the poor suckers - they got stuck down there too. Tom Keenan pulled them out. Bite: Town meeting tape 3 11:23:56 I'm saying there's nothing but water and water and more water on the flats. I have the best part of the land on the flats. I have no pump, I have no water in my cellar. But you go from my house up the road to Elm St. some of them have two pumps running 24 hours a day, some have no pumps at all - they just let it run through their house. 11:24:25 And you're telling me you're going to put these low income people down there. Give me a break. Just give me a break taxpayers. That's about all I'm going to say on this. Bite: Town meeting tape 3 11:35:15 Of the 16 people who worked for me, only two lived in Peterborough - and that was myself and my wife Loretta. The rest of them could not afford to live in this town. They lived in Greenfield, Jaffrey, Hancock and Bennington. So I would encourage all of us to consider making a very pro-business move and get started with some affordable housing that provides home ownership opportunities. soundup: Town meeting tape 3 12:07:55 * As many as are of the opinion that the motion should be adopted, raise your paddles please. Track: The town will study using the land for workforce housing. And with that vote, 300 well-informed citizens took a lunch break before returning for their afternoon session. For NH Outlook, I'm Richard Ager. Bite: Town meeting tape 3 11:23:12 And then we had a baseball field. Oh, we're all gung-ho about the baseball field. Oh yes. They got it all going. You'll never guess - they all got stuck down there and it took a long time to get their equipment out of there. |
| Tag Town Meetings Return to index of stories... |
By the way, the new waste water system -- was approved at the Peterborough town meeting. |
| Intro Mtgs Conv Return to index of stories... |
Town Meeting is a "quintessential" New England form of government -- dating back to Colonial times. But, has this most "yankee of traditions" overstayed its welcome in the 21st century? Here to talk about the future of Town Meetings: Doug Hall with the NH Center for Public Policy Studies, and also town moderator in Chichester. Welcome Q Why is Town Meeting such a BELOVED tradition? - purest form of democracy. Q Why then is Town Meeting UNDER ATTACK attack? ========= GRAPHIC Q Here's a snapshot of NH's forms of goverment Roughly 1/3rd of the State's Population -- live in towns that use traditional town meetings. 33% Slightly more than 1/3rd have NO Meetings, adopting CITY forms of Govt with alderman and school boards. And just shy of 1/3d have gone to an official ballot form of govt. 31% BETH: The Ballot-Voting form of Government known as SB-2, or Senate Bill-2 was enacted in 19-95. Q Have we seen more DEFECTIONS to SB-2 style government since those 2002 numbers were calculated? Q There has been a move in some communities to BRING Town Meeting BACK -- Why? Nostalgia?? Q SB-2 was aimed at Increasing Participation -- allowing folks to vote at ballot box rather than town meeting? IS IT working?? Q Do ballots get rid of INTIMIDATION that comes from raising hands in front of a large group. Are Budgets more commonly Rejected via ballot than town meetings? Q The Benefits of Town Meeting: Ask questions & get answers right there. What about a HYBRID of the two? Q Is the Town Meeting a CASUALTY of changing Demographics? Q Has National CYNICISM toward politics.trickled down to the local level? Q Is the control of local issues.getting further away from the people? A sign of the changing times. Q What impact will moving to SB-2 have on CIVIC culture? ** some communities grow too large for town meetings. ========== ** In 2001 7 communities considered changing to SB-2/ only Middleton did -- MORE since then?? ** In 2001 8 towns considered REPEAL SB-2, Enfield went back to Town Meeting Q At Town Meeting -- town officers are elected & town business decided. But, Large vacancies & UNCONTESTED races are the norm. Q What are the shortfalls of sb-2 residents not as informed about voting as they were under old fashioned system. Participation down. CRITICISM of town meeting: Relatively small crowd could effectrively control purse strings of town govt. taking positions not reflective of most voters. Under sb-2, only small number of residents usually attend deliverative session. What needs to be done to make sb2 fair and accountable? set quorum for deliberative session. Under s-b 2 easierto vote -- weakness: what gets on the ballot and how it gets there. Twon meeting verus sb-21 Do we know how many small towns have gone back to TRADITIONAl TOWN MEETING. Q Is sb-2 working? controversial. Nostalgiac over town meetings -- Some communities have tried to restore town meeting Q as of 2002.171 towns had traditional town meeting -- 48 had sb-2. Another 15 had no annual meeting. Traditional meeting communites tend to be smaller -- only 1/3rd of state's population was governed by traditional town meetings in 2002. |
| NH Towns Return to index of stories... |
Here's a snapshot of NH's forms of government. As of 2002: Roughly 1/3rd of the State's Population -- live in towns that use traditional town meetings-- 33% Slightly more than 1/3rd have No Meetings -- adopting CITY forms of govt with Alderman and school boards. And just shy of 1/3d have gone to an official ballot form of govt.--31% The Ballot-Voting form of Government, known as SB-2 , or Senate Bill-2 was enacted in 19-95. Q Have we seen more DEFECTIONS to SB-2 style government since those 2002 numbers were calculated? |
| Intro London Bridge Return to index of stories... |
One southeastern NH community recently faced a classic case of development versus preservation-- a debate over whether a 19-th century bridge should be saved or destroyed to make way for a new school. Some argued that preserving the bridge in Wind-Ham would add one-million dollars to the already 44-million dollar price tag of the new high school project. Outlook's Chip Neal has more on the community's decision. |
| Tag London Bridge Return to index of stories... |
In spite of the extra cost the school board plans to keep the project on-track and on- budget, but if they run into more costly roadblocks, they say they can not rule out coming back to the community for more money. |
| Web Pointer Return to index of stories... |
Just a reminder New Hampshire Outlook is available online on-demand at nhptv.org/outlook You can also find streaming video of ALL of our broadcasts. |
| Goodnight Return to index of stories... |
That concludes this edition of NH Outlook. Thanks for watching. I'm Beth Carroll. I'll see you next time. |
| key: History Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/4/06 HOST: Beth Carroll Length: 10:20 minutes Now on New Hampshire Outlook: The traditional town meeting in New Hampshire, is it a dying breed or worth revitalizing? Then later: A move to destroy a 19-th century bridge to make way for a new high school in Windham sets up a classic struggle between progress and preservation. Hello. I'm Beth Carroll. Welcome to New Hampshire Outlook. For centuries, the annual town meeting has been a fixture in most New Hampshire communities. But like many traditions, it faces the need to adapt to changing times. Some communities have abandoned it while others seek to make improvements, keeping what makes town meeting special. Outlook's Richard Ager takes us to the 2006 town meeting in Peterborough, a town considering "changes" to its original form of government. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Beth Carroll /Richard Ager NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Walter Peterson\Peterborough Town Moderator, Derrill Crosby\Peterborough Resident, Joe Byk\Peterborough Selectman, Merton Dyer\Peterborough Resident, Joseph Lenox\Peterborough Fire Chief, Gene Kellogg\Peterborough Selectman, Irene Thibeault\Peterborough resident, George Sterling\Peterborough Business Owner |
| key: Community Politics / Government Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/4/06 HOST: Beth Carroll Length: 10:20 minutes Now on New Hampshire Outlook: The traditional town meeting in New Hampshire, is it a dying breed or worth revitalizing? Then later: A move to destroy a 19-th century bridge to make way for a new high school in Windham sets up a classic struggle between progress and preservation. Hello. I'm Beth Carroll. Welcome to New Hampshire Outlook. For centuries, the annual town meeting has been a fixture in most New Hampshire communities. But like many traditions, it faces the need to adapt to changing times. Some communities have abandoned it while others seek to make improvements, keeping what makes town meeting special. Outlook's Richard Ager takes us to the 2006 town meeting in Peterborough, a town considering "changes" to its original form of government. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Beth Carroll /Richard Ager NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Walter Peterson\Peterborough Town Moderator, Derrill Crosby\Peterborough Resident, Joe Byk\Peterborough Selectman, Merton Dyer\Peterborough Resident, Joseph Lenox\Peterborough Fire Chief, Gene Kellogg\Peterborough Selectman, Irene Thibeault\Peterborough resident, George Sterling\Peterborough Business Owner |
| key: History Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/4/06 HOST: Beth Carroll Length: 8:30 minutes Now on New Hampshire Outlook: The traditional town meeting in New Hampshire, is it a dying breed or worth revitalizing? Then later: A move to destroy a 19-th century bridge to make way for a new high school in Windham sets up a classic struggle between progress and preservation. Town Meeting is a quintessential New England form of government dating back to Colonial times. But, has this most yankee of traditions overstayed its welcome in the 21st century? Here to talk about the future of Town Meetings: Doug Hall with the NH Center for Public Policy Studies, and also town moderator in Chichester. Welcome PRODUCER/REPORTER: Beth Carroll NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Doug Hall\NH Center for Public Policy Studies |
| key: Community Politics / Government Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/4/06 HOST: Beth Carroll Length: 8:30 minutes Now on New Hampshire Outlook: The traditional town meeting in New Hampshire, is it a dying breed or worth revitalizing? Then later: A move to destroy a 19-th century bridge to make way for a new high school in Windham sets up a classic struggle between progress and preservation. Town Meeting is a quintessential New England form of government dating back to Colonial times. But, has this most yankee of traditions overstayed its welcome in the 21st century? Here to talk about the future of Town Meetings: Doug Hall with the NH Center for Public Policy Studies, and also town moderator in Chichester. Welcome PRODUCER/REPORTER: Beth Carroll NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Doug Hall\NH Center for Public Policy Studies |
| key: History Return to index of stories... |
NEW HAMPSHIRE OUTLOOK Air Date/Time: 8/4/06 HOST: Beth Carroll Length: 7:00 minutes Now on New Hampshire Outlook: The traditional town meeting in New Hampshire, is it a dying breed or worth revitalizing? Then later: A move to destroy a 19-th century bridge to make way for a new high school in Windham sets up a classic struggle between progress and preservation. One southeastern NH community recently faced a classic case of development versus preservation, a debate over whether a 19-th century bridge should be saved or destroyed to make way for a new school. Some argued that preserving the bridge in Windham would add one-million dollars to the already 44-million dollar price tag of the new high school project. Outlook's Chip Neal has more on the community's decision. PRODUCER/REPORTER: Beth Carroll / Chip Neal NAME OF PARTICIPANTS: Jennifer Klaassens\Windham, Pat Harvey\Windham, Dr. Elaine Cutler\Superintendent of Schools, James Garvin\State Architectural Historian, Beverly Donovan\Chair, School Board, Carol Pynn\Historic District & Heritage Commission |
| key: UNH Return to index of stories... |
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| Tonight 7:30 Return to index of stories... |
Tonight on New Hampshire Outlook: Join us tonight at 7:30 only on New Hampshire Public Television. |
| WEB PROMO Return to index of stories... |
Tonight on New Hampshire Outlook. . Tonight at 10pm on New Hampshire Public Television. |