Here are some things that inspired me this week. Hope you like them.
A note about this post: One of the reasons I started writing the blog was to help people understand our local
government here in Newmarket. This topic came up via social media and I thought it was something people should know more about. Please see this previous post to see why I think you should be paying attention to the CIP.
Recently
someone suggested that we (the Town and School) should save money for
big projects so that we aren't hit with big expenses all at once. The
town does have such a program, called the Capital Improvement Plan
(CIP). Here are some facts about the CIP:
What is the CIP?
The NH Office of Energy and Planning describes the goal of a capital improvement program:
"The capital improvement program links local infrastructure investments
with master plan goals, land use ordinances, and economic development. A
capital improvements program bridges the gap between planning and
spending, between the visions of the master plan and the fiscal
realities of improving and expanding community facilities."
The role of the CIP in Newmarket is spelled out in Section 5.7 of our Town Charter.
Who is on the CIP?
The makeup of the committee has recently changed due to an amendment of our town charter. The
committee will now consist of 6 voting members, including representatives from the
Town Council, Planning Board, School Board, Budget Committee and 2
members of the public at large.
Does Newmarket have a master plan?
Yes. You can find it here.
Does the school participate?
The school has relied on a group of trust funds, but will begin participating in
the CIP plan in accordance with State law and as per the revision to the town charter which was approved
by voters on March 11.
How is money appropriated?
Money is appropriated through the town's budget process. Not sure how the school exactly the school will manage this.
How much money do we have in our CIP accounts now?
Here is a chart with the current amounts:
What does this mean to me?
A couple of things. For one, it's important to know that this community does plan for the future. The CIP and the master plan are more than just documents--they are expressions of how our community sees itself now and in the future. Becoming a member of the CIP is another chance people in our community have to contribute and help move Newmarket forward.
I hope you find this information useful. Knowing the programs we have in place will help us all to understand the process of our local government and where we can best help.
Yesterday I started to write a long post about the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) that we have here in Newmarket. It was a dry post, focused on the what the CIP is, who the members are, etc. I knew it was missing something and it took me a while to realize the crux of why I was writing it.
Here's the thing: People have been talking for months about moving Newmarket forward and the CIP is focused on the future. It's all about saving for trucks and roads and buildings and (for the first time) school facilities. It's about our priorities and how, or if, we choose to fund them.
Though I don't have details yet, there will be an opportunity for two community members to serve on the committee (this is new) and it seems like the perfect time to get involved.
I'll still publish the other post--it did have good information. But I don't want this message to get lost: Get involved. Help move Newmarket forward.
The Charter Commission did a lot of work in a short amount of time. We proposed many changes to the current Charter that will bring us into compliance with State law and clarify language throughout the document. You can find our final report here.
When you vote tomorrow, you will find that there are 18 warrant articles dealing with the Charter on the Town's ballot. Please take a look at the final report and/or the sample ballot to see the amendments ahead of time. Many are lengthy and seeing them for the first time while holding the ballot might be a bit overwhelming.
I can tell you all that I was proud to be a part of this effort and fully support each amendment. I will vote yes for each of these warrant articles.
See you at the polls!
I've been busy and the blog has been quiet. But after last night's Candidates forum, I realized that I have a lot to say (again.)
Some of the comments on facebook have suggested that I should be running for School Board rather then Town Council. The reason being that I care about the school so much. So, here goes:
- Yes. I care about the school.
- I think every leader in our town should care about the school as it will have a lasting impact on our community in the coming decades. It
is the place where the greatest number of town residents gather in one
place on most days, it operates with a substantial budget, and it is
inextricably linked to issues such as economic development,
infrastructure planning, development and more.
- Caring about the school does not and has not stopped me from caring about other issues in our town. I care, and more importantly have worked to understand, our water issues, dam issues, road concerns and the economic issues facing our town.
- I resent the underlying sentiment that because I am a mom, I should serve on the School Board rather than the Town Council. I am a mom. But I am also a lot more.
I look forward to March 11.
