Francestown residents will vote on three proposed zoning changes at Town Meeting in March, including possible changes to the town’s open space development ordinance. 

According to the Planning Board, the open space development model “has been recognized as a preferred development model by planners, conservationists and real estate developers.”

OSD ordinances encourage developments with clustered housing in order to preserve wild land and open space, create walkable neighborhoods and reduce costs in infrastructure, including construction of access roads and bridges. Clustered housing also enables more-efficient infrastructure for utilities. 

Currently, Francestown’s zoning ordinance permits only single-family homes in an OSD zone. The suggested zoning change would allow two-family homes in an OSD and allow multifamily homes by special exception. The Planning Board has stated that allowing more flexibility in the ordinance “may help create a variety if housing options for the citizens of Francestown.”

A second zoning change would permit Francestown business-owners to display goods and store merchandise or equipment outside their business with approval by the Planning Board at a site plan review. The town’s existing ordinance prohibits any outside storage or display of merchandise outside businesses. 

In an explanation of the proposed zoning change, the Planning Board states that “allowing small businesses to thrive is important to our community.” The proposal states that abutters will have a chance to weigh in during the site plan review process. If the ordinance passes, the Planning Board will approve or deny outside display and storage of merchandise on a case-by-case basis. 

The town’s final proposed zoning change for 2025 prohibits destruction or moving of any stone wall in Francestown that is used as a property boundary. The ordinance would provide local oversight for state RSA 472.6, which already prohibits altering or moving any stone wall that serves as a property boundary.

Town Administrator Jamie Pike presented Francestown’s budget at the Thursday night budget hearing. 

“Our goals for the year are reducing our budget and minimizing tax impact for residents, managing out capital investments and looking at increasing our revenue streams,” Pike said. “We are also always looking to improve our use of technology, and as always, our goal is total transparency.”

Francestown’s total operating budget for 2025-2026 is slightly more than $2.3 million, an increase of $57,325, or $3.87%. The tax rate would be $4.41 per $1,000 assessed valuation.

Pike said the town’s three major initiatives of the past year included hiring a new full-time police officer, a wage and benefits study and an ongoing analysis of town revenue. 

“We looked at five different positions in five different towns for  the wage studies, and as a result we increased the wages in all five positions to raise them above the median,” Pike said. 

The positions included in the study were road agent, heavy equipment operator, light equipment operator, full-time police officer and town administrator. The impact of the wage increase for town employees has a tax impact of about $22 per household per year. Francestown plans to hire a new full-time police officer in May, which will add $115,000 to the budget overall but eliminate the need for $34,000 in part-time wages. Additional expenses for the new officer include new uniforms and equipment. 

“We really need a new full-time officer,” Pike said. “We have not advertised that position yet.”

Additional increases in the town’s budget include $16,000 in fees from the Peterborough Ambulance Service. Pike said “we don’t have any say in that; Peterborough tells us what it will be.” 

“It’s a lot of money for the ambulance service, but we get good service,” said Select Board Chair Scott Heath. 

The recycling center saw a $14,000 increase due to higher waste-removal fees. The town is also planning a hazardous waste collection day on Aug. 23. 

In the town’s health and public assistance budget, the board proposes a $600 increase to fund Meals on Wheels due to a decrease in state and federal funding for the program. 

ConVal withdrawalfunds on warrant 

Francestown’s Article 16 proposes establishing a contingency fund to support any unexpected expenses tied to the town’s possible withdrawal from the ConVal School District, and to raise and appropriate $20,000 for the fund. 

The funds will come from the unassigned fund balance. Both the Select Board and the Budget Committee recommend the article. Any unused funds would be returned to the general fund at the end of the year. 

The proposal to withdraw will appear on the ConVal ballot at town meetings on March 15. Dublin is also proposing withdrawal from the ConVal district. Both towns requested feasibility studies for withdrawal after a failed March 2024 effort by the district to change the district’s 1967 Articles of Agreement, which could have paved the way for the closure of elementary schools in Dublin, Francestown, Bennington and Temple.

Francestown also added $10,000 to its legal expense budget to support legal fees associated with the proposal to withdrawal and the withdrawal process. Pike said the legal fees line item was previously used for a recently resolved abatement lawsuit with Eversource. The lawsuit impacted 86 New Hampshire municipalities. 

For information about the Francestown 2025 budget or warrant articles, go to francestownnh.org/home/ news/all-things-town-meeting -2025.