Groton, New Hampshire

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• Calendar • Community Events• Groton Police Department• Employment Opportunities• Welfare • Emergency Information • Library
• Highway Department • Building Committee • Road Committee • Burn Permits

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Bridgewater, Hebron, and Groton Planning Group have been holding weekly meetings with the Steering Committee on Wednesdays starting August 23, 2023 and these are ongoing at this time to discuss the planning since HB349 was signed into law.

Click here to view the information handed out at the first meeting.

Click here to view the Bridgewater-Hebron-Groton Commitments for HB349.

The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 6:00pm at the Bridgewater Town Hall. All residents are encouraged to attend.

Please click here to view that meeting agenda.

They have also created a website to allow for greater communication with the public. This will be a repository for future information and data.

Please click here to view this website.

ATTENTION GROTON RESIDENTS

DO YOU WANT TO HAVE A MORE CONTROLLABLE TAX RATE AND BETTER EDUCATION?

THEN JOIN US FOR A FACTUAL CONVERSATION REGARDING HB349 AND THE NEW POTENTIAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 7:00pm

(at the beginning of the Select Board Meeting)

The Groton Town House

754 North Groton Road

Groton, NH 03241

ALL RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND!!

ALL-HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN UPDATE MEETINGS

The Town will begin working on updating the All-Hazard Mitigation Plan. We are working with Mapping and Planning Solutions (MAPS) to update the current plan to include any changes that have happened since the plan was last updated. These meetings will be taking place via Zoom Meetings. The public is welcome to attend these meetings.

Click here to view the press release regarding these meetings.

The following are the upcoming meetings:

Tuesday, October 4, 2023 at 4:00pm

Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 4:00pm

Tuesday, December 5, 2023 at 4:00pm

Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at 4:00pm

Tuesday, February 6, 2024 at 4:00pm

Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 4:00pm

NH BROADBAND INFORMATION
Did you know that you can look at your options for NH Broadband and sign up for your plans now so that you are all ready to go when it goes live?

Click here to go to the NH Broadband site to sign up.

SUPERVISORS OF THE CHECKLIST MEETING

The Supervisors of the Checklist for the Town of Groton will hold a session to make additions and corrections to the checklist. This is the last opportunity for voters to change party affiliation before the presidential primary.

Date: Friday, October 6

Time: 7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Location: Town House, 754 North Groton Road, Groton, New Hampshire

***Please note: anyone wishing to register to vote for the first time in New Hampshire must provide proof of citizenship. Examples are birth certificate, valid US passport or Certificate of Naturalization. A driver's license is NOT proof of citizenship.

Groton Supervisors of the Checklist
Gina Rescigno, Virginia Parker, Pamela Hamel

Funding Available for Good Land Stewards
Are you a forest, crop, or pasture landowner or land manager who is doing a good job stewarding your land? If so, you might be interested in USDA NRCS’s Conservation Stewardship Program. This program rewards good land stewardship, and helps further enhance that stewardship, through installation of conservation practices. If your land meets the criteria, you may qualify for annual payments of $1500 or higher, plus payments for completing conservation practices.

Interested in managing your forest to improve wildlife habitat or forest health? USDA NRCS also offers funding for Forest Management plans and incentives for implementing wildlife habitat and forest health practices.
For information, please contact the USDA NRCS office in Orford, NH at 603-353-4651 x 3 or eric.dugas@usda.gov.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/NewHampshire.

CRIMINAL ACTIVITY WARNING FROM CHIEF BAGAN

Attention Residents,

With the summer season upon us there has already been a report of unlocked vehicles pilfered overnight. Please be diligent keep your vehicles locked when unattended where ever you are, it doesn’t take long for an opportunistic bad guy to take advantage. If you see anything out of the ordinary, a person or vehicle that seems out of place please call the local police department.

Thank you,

Michael Bagan

Chief of Police

Groton Police Department

PH (603)744-3703

FX (603)744-7894

Dispatch (603)536-3566

police@grotonnh.org

FOR EMERGENCY CALL 911

Twin States Clean Energy Link

Twin States Clean Energy Link will be hosting an open house in Hebron at the Union Congregational Church, 16 Church Lane, on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 from 5:00pm-7:30pm. Feel free to attend to learn more about the project, ask any questions and meet the project experts.

Twin States attended the Groton Select Board meeting on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. Please click below to view their presentation and their fact sheet.

Twin States Groton Presentation

Twin States Fact Sheet

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING HB349

**UPDATE AS OF 8/8/23 THIS BILL HAS PASSED**

July 2023

House Bill 349 Establishing a Special Purpose School District for Bridgewater, Hebron and Groton

Update.

The Governor will soon sign HB 349 into law. This law is called enabling legislation. It grants legal authority to the Towns of Bridgewater, Hebron, and Groton to withdraw from the 7-town Newfound Area School District and establish our own 3-town school district based on a K-8 model.

The creation of our new school district is contingent upon a majority vote in each of our 3 towns at our 2024 annual town meetings. If our voters approve, the effective operational date of our new school district is July 1, 2025.

This bill received widespread bi-partisan support in the legislature. It passed unanimously in both the House and Senate. All three state senators representing the 7-town Newfound Area School District voted in favor and voiced strong support in committee hearings.

Such widespread legislative support confirms this is an excellent concept and a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve education outcomes for our children. Moreover, a smaller tight-knit school district allows greater voter input and control over education costs and curriculum, and shorter bus rides for Groton’s students. Sometimes smaller is better.

Next Steps.

The new law sets out a series of sequential steps over the next two years culminating in the July 1, 2025, operational date of the new school district.

The first step requires our select boards to appoint a withdrawal committee to begin administrative planning for the new district prior to the 2024 withdrawal adoption vote.

This committee will create a draft school budget and coordinate high school tuition agreements, superintendent services, and activities. The goal is to provide as much information as possible to parents and citizens prior to the withdrawal vote.

The next step takes place at our 2024 annual town meeting. After the vote by the 3 towns to adopt the provisions of this act, the State Board of Education issues a “certificate of withdrawal” from the Newfound Area School District.

After the withdrawal vote, follow-on steps include a special election for a new 3-town school board and budget committee. The act requires new school board members and district officers to organize promptly “to take any action necessary to carry out the provisions of this law.”

Transparency.

An informed citizenry makes their communities better. Our select board will strive to provide you with the knowledge and resources to help you help our community make this new and exciting educational opportunity for our children a reality.

As the process evolves, our selectman plan to hold “face-to-face” meetings to update you on progress, answer questions, and listen to feedback.

Our Vision.

As noted from the outset, our vision is simple: we aspire to improve educational outcomes for our children with an innovative alternative to a traditional Middle School. We strive to do this by fulfilling the provisions of this act to establish our own 3-town school district and reconfiguring the Village District School to a K-8 model.

A smaller tight-knit school district allows greater voter control over education costs and our citizen’s tax burden. It also allows for more intimate input over curriculum and administrative policy, and shorter bus rides for Groton’s students. As noted above, sometimes smaller is better.

-----------------------------

For more information on HB 349, please review the following position papers linked here:

· Frequently Asked Questions

· Final Facts

Sincerely,

John Rescigno, Tony Albert and Ron Madan

Town of Groton

Select Board

SCAM ALERT

There is a current scam going on in the area where someone will call the house pretending to be a family member that has been arrested. Someone will get on the phone representing themselves as an attorney or some other official to make arraignments to pick up cash bail money. ALLWAYS verify directly with the arresting agency identified. Bail normally is posted at the location of incarceration or at the court of jurisdiction. Attempt to contact the family member in question and always notify your local police department.

FREE COVID TESTS

If anyone needs a COVID test, the Emergency Management Director and the Deputy Director put some on the table at the Town House inside the door. They are free so please help yourself!

HEBRON FIRE RECRUITMENT

Hebron Fire provides services to the Town of Groton and they are looking for firefighters. Click here to view the recruitment poster. If you are interested in becoming a firefighter they could use your help!!

SOCIAL SECURITY SCAM
Please be aware that there is a new social security scam where they are using the Town Clerk's name to get you to pick up the phone. Please do not give any information and if you are not sure if the call is legitimate, please hang up and call the Town Clerk back at 603-744-8849 to see if she did in fact call you for some reason. Be safe out there!

Select Board meetings: The Select Board meetings are at 7:00pm on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month.

Town Clerk/Tax Collector
(603)744-8849
(603)744-8803 (fax)

Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Closed Friday, Saturday & Sunday
For other times, call for an appointment

Police (Non Emergency) (603) 744-3703 (Dispatch) (603) 536-3566 (Fax) (603) 744-7894 police@grotonnh.org