Government Proposals

Board of Selectmen

Watershed Committee

Purpose:  to provide recommendations that would preserve the quality of Spofford Lake to the Town of Chesterfield Board of Selectmen.  The public is welcome to attend meetings, which typically convene every other Thursday from 9:30-11:00 at Town Hall.  

Minutes:  Minutes of the meetings can be found on the Town's website.

Public Hearing:  On February 15, the Watershed Committee held a public information session at Town Hall.   The Committee's presentation can be reviewed here.

Recommendations:  The Committee has already recommended a number of actions to Town government.  A synopsis of those can be found here.

HB 2 FN--Cyanobacteria Mitigation and Loan Fund

On June 20, 2023--Governor Sununu signed off on the state budget and policy trailer bill, which means that the cyanobacteria mitigation loan and grant fund has been established in law with an initial appropriation of $1 million. Nothing will happen short term as it will take NHDES time to set up the program. 

HB56 and HB602--Landfill Permits/Siting of Landfills

June 2023--New Hampshire will have a two-year moratorium on the siting of any new landfills and a $200,000 study to determine how far they should be from water if the governor signs a bipartisan agreement on two bills hammered out Tuesday, June 20 in committees of conference.

The final bill combines elements of Senate Bill 61 and House Bill 211, both relating to the siting of new landfills. For further details, see the following article from InDepthNH.org.

HB 137--Boating Safety Equipment and Vessel Numbering Rules

On March 7, 2023 --the House Transportation Committee unanimously voted (20 Yea, 0 No) to recommend HB 137 "Ought to Pass."  Since there was an overwhelming majority, the committee agreed to have this bill put on the consent agenda at the next meeting of the full House of Representatives later this month.

This bill would establish a committee to study boat registration fees.  New Hampshire is out of compliance with Federal Coast Guard regulations on how boat registration fees are collected in the state.  Currently, when a boat owner registers their boat in New Hampshire, the state adds on additional fees to the boat registration fee. These additional fees support other critical programs, including the lake restoration and preservation fund. January 2023--would establish a committee to study boat registration fees. 

January -- The Coast Guard has notified NH that its registration fees are not in compliance with Federal law, which puts at risk funding received annually from the Coast Guard. The problem is that NH’s fee includes moneys for other programs in addition to that for boat registration. For example, it includes a fee for the state Lake Restoration and Preservation Fund, which in part helps fund the Lake Host program. Should the Coast Guard pull its funding, it would jeopardize the preservation fund (and other funds as well). The purpose of the committee is to revise the fee to comply with Federal guidelines and thereby preserve Coast Guard funding (which will be maintained for the present).

HB448 -- March 2023.    Committee Voted Against HB 448 to Raise Speed Limit on Lake Winnipesaukee

On March 22, the New Hampshire House of Representatives approved the House Resources, Recreation, and Development Committee's unanimous 'Inexpedient to Legislate' (ITL) recommendation for HB 448.  This bill will not cross over to the Senate - it has been killed!

Page updated June 27,, 2023