Some commenters on a recent post to the Listserv and article in the Lyme Gazette about the School budget have suggested that the increase in the SAU budget is because various positions have been transferred to the SAU from the School administrative lines.

The graph below shows the changes in budgets for the different components of the administrative total. If a position is transferred from the School to the SAU, one would expect to see the increase in the SAU budget matched by a similar decrease in the School budget. This has not occurred.

The bottom line is that since 2022, the total administrative budget has increased by almost 70%, is more than $3500 per student, and represents more than 10% of the total School budget.

David Avery
david.l.avery@dartmouth.edu

The upcoming Lyme School District meeting (Thursday, March 6 at 6pm) is our annual opportunity to provide feedback to the hardworking representatives on the school board, to our SAU superintendent, and to our K–8 school principal.

So, I want to point out a worrying trend. Have you noticed that our SAU costs have tripled since 2022? With administration costs for the K–8 school increasing 11% over the same period, educational administration in Lyme will cost over $1 million during the coming year.

That is about $3,772 per student, or $1,250 per household. The number of students has not increased.

This graph shows the details:

I’m a lifetime fan of public education, and have always supported both our budget and building renovation projects. Lyme values education, and wants to provide the very best. The great reputation of our school (and high schools) show that we are willing to pay for it. But the trend over the past few years is simply not sustainable for a town that is not growing.

You will see here that our SAU cost about $200k in 2022. The budget that we will approve next week shows $600k for the SAU. Are you wondering how this has happened? I certainly am!

Our Town budget has increased by a comparatively restrained 11% over this period. Those who have paid attention to the budget process have seen first hand how hard the various Town boards and committees are working to keep costs under wraps, so that our property taxes don’t drive precious long-term residents away.

My hope is that going forward our School Board, along with the new superintendent and our principal, will recognize that this upward trend isn’t sustainable, will demonstrate real concern for our taxpayers, and will take clear steps to implement cost-saving reforms.

Jan Williams
jlwlyme@icloud.com

The Lyme Gazette solicits signed, thoughtful, original, and truthful articles of interest to the residents of Lyme, NH. You can reach the Editors at editors@lymegazette.com

Editorial Board: David Avery, Susan MacKenzie, Jan Williams

For a couple years around 1995, Michael Whitman worked with a few others to produce a print(!) Lyme Gazette that was mailed to Lyme residents. Here’s a sample issue, or click this link to read the full document.

It may not be a stretch to say that nearly all of the residents of Lyme feel a strong connection to Post Pond. This 112 acre body of water is technically (according to NH regulations) a lake. Visible from the main thoroughfare through town, this beautiful spot offers access to year-round recreational opportunities to us all.

Perhaps less well understood are the various stakeholders in the Pond, those entities and individuals that have legal or official roles in maintaining the Pond’s health and how it is used.

The State of NH owns the water. This is why the NH Department of Environmental Services was involved during this past summer’s cyanobacteria blooms. The State is also responsible for establishing legal speed limits on their lakes.

Landowners own the shoreline. One landowner is the Town of Lyme, which owns our Town Beach and Recreation areas. The Select Board manages beach access and the Summer Pond Program, and the Recreation Committee oversees and maintains the recreation facilities.

The Conservation Commission initiates and helps to fund important projects such as the current effort to eradicate Eurasian Milfoil.

Residents enjoy the opportunities provided by the Pond for all sorts of recreation. These include the kiddos who grow up splashing along the beach, dedicated cross-pond swimmers, boating, fishing, and winter sports enthusiasts who use the ice for a variety of pastimes.

Several months ago, the Conservation Commission suggested that a group of interested individuals might also have an ongoing role to play as advocates for the Pond. While there is still a lot of work to do on milfoil eradication, there are additional concerns that need attention. An announcement was put on the Listserv, and on September 20, 2023, about twenty people met at the Library, and quickly agreed that there is a role for an informal group focused on issues regarding the Pond. Thus Friends of Post Pond (FoPP) was formed.

The group easily agreed on a list of key concerns. Top among them is the eradication of Eurasian milfoil, a highly invasive plant that has taken hold, particularly along the east bank of the Pond. Milfoil is manageable — as shown at Mascoma Lake — but only with an ongoing, concerted effort and lots of volunteer time. Expanding our program, keeping it on track during warmer months, training new volunteers, and providing surface support for divers, requires extensive coordination and oversight.

Wakes and boat speed are another concern, not only of the meeting participants, but mentioned on the Lyme ListServ from time-to-time as well. The State has a process for setting speed limits when it is initiated by citizen petition.

Lastly, the group is just starting to research and share information about the causes and potential mitigation of cyanobacteria blooms.

After reflecting on their initial conversation, the group has established three overarching goals:

• Clean Water: Water and wetlands capable of supporting a full complement of human and ecosystem needs.
• Biodiverse Habitats: Habitats and ecosystems fostering native plant and animal species in and alongside Post Pond, its streams, and its wetlands.
• Public Enjoyment: Responsible, low-impact recreational opportunities protective of Post Pond and adjacent lands in harmony with communal use.

Friends of Post Pond meetings are held at 7 p.m. at the Converse Free Library in Lyme on the third Wednesday of the month. Meetings are in person and also accessible via Zoom. All are welcome. If you would like to be added to the Friends of Post Pond mailing list, please contact Hebe Quinton (hebequinton@yahoo.com) or Sue MacKenzie (susanmackenzie363@gmail.com).

If you have read this far, thanks for your time and attention.

Jan Williams
jlwlyme@icloud.com

[From the Lyme Listserv]

Dear neighbors,

Tomorrow night is our only opportunity to meet and discuss the Solar Energy Systems zoning amendment that we will vote on at March’s Town Meeting. This amendment has been the focus of our tireless Planning Board for many months, and is now ready for public input. The meeting is at 7 p.m. on January 11 at the Town Office, and is also accessible via zoom.

Here’s the amendment https://www.lymenh.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif4636/f/uploads/solar_energy_systems_draft_for_web.pdf

Lyme very badly needs to increase the amount of solar energy that it generates, and most respondents to a survey sent out by the Planning Board recently support this.

There are a couple of potential weakness in the amendment, though, which need more discussion. In general, they are all requirements that could seriously discourage the development of solar here:

1) A Large Solar Energy System may not not located on a site which has an area of over an acre that has been clear cut within the last 5 years.

This prohibition is quite selective, as it does not apply in any other instance of clear-cutting for another purpose. Solar arrays are singled out.

2) Medium and Large Solar Energy Systems may be allowed only if at least 60% of the power generated by each SES will be sold for use at properties in Lyme.

This seems unenforceable, given how our power systems draw on so many different sources.

3) All power and communication lines (both on-site and off-site) serving a Ground-mounted Solar Energy System shall be buried underground.

The amendment already requites installations to be “visually unobtrusive.” This additional requirement would add a significant cost to development.

We all need to reflect on the specifics of this important amendment, as we come together to discuss them tomorrow night.

Thanks for your time.

Jan Williams
jlwlyme@icloud.com

New Hampshire Business Review published a letter to the editor from Rusty Keith that discusses the Current Use law in New Hampshire. Rusty’s letter responds to an earlier article that praises the program but neglects to mention how it shifts the tax burden to property owners who cannot put their property in “current use”. Read more…

Rich Brown laid out some questions that can be used to shape a discussion of what kinds of housing options we would like to see in Lyme. Read more…