The CLPA is actively promoting Salem voters to VOTE YES on Article 5 on March 12, 2019

Canobie Lake Protective Association 

P O Box 627, Windham, NH 03087

                                                         www.CanobieLake.org 

“Working to preserve & protect the Canobie Lake community”

To all of our CLPA Members,

I am pleased to write to our membership with an exciting update as we work hard to support the State of NH Southern Regional Water Line and the Town of Salem buying into it. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the Town of Salem to secure a treated, dependable, and sustainable water source beyond what Canobie Lake can safely yield.

At the December 10thTown of Salem Selectmen meeting, the board charged Roy Sorenson (Municipal Services Director) to establish an AD HOC committee to develop a recommendation for the Board of Selectmen’s consideration to secure water rights and/or capacity by gallons per day as a joint member community of the Southern NH Regional Water Interconnection Project.

The AD HOC committee consisted of Jim Keller (Selectman), Roy Sorenson (Municipal Director), Don Piccirillo (CLPA director), Tanya Donnelly (CLPA director), Howie Glynn (APPA “Arlington Pond Protective Association” director), Phil Cammarata (APPA director) and Bob Campbell (Salem resident).

The AD HOC committee’s recommendation: “That the Board of Selectmen move to purchase drinking water rights capacity of up to 1.5 million gallons per day as a member community in the Southern NH Regional Water Interconnection Project” was unanimously accepted by the Board of Selectmen at the January 7thBOS meeting.

On January 15th, the Town of Salem Budget Committee voted unanimously to support the Warrant article to purchase the water rights for $5.36 million.

This now goes to Town vote on March 12thas Warrant Article #5 requiring a 60% voter support.  The article reads:

 “Shall the Town vote to raise and appropriate the sum of up to Five Million Three Hundred Fifty-Five Thousand ($5,355,000) for the purpose of purchasing drinking water rights capacity of up to 1.5 million gallons per day from Manchester Water Works as a member of the Joint Public Works Agreement for the Southern New Hampshire Regional Water Project and to cover the costs associated with obtaining a bond issue, and to authorize the issuance of not more than $5,355,000 of bonds or notes in accordance with the provisions of the Municipal Finance Act (RSA 33), and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to issue and negotiate such bonds or notes and to determine the rate of interest thereon; and to further authorize the Board of Selectmen to apply for, accept, and expend, without further action by the town, unanticipated money from a state, federal, or other governmental unit or a private source, and take any and all action necessary to carry out any vote hereunder or take any other action relative thereto, including acquiring or conveying interests in real property necessary to complete this work? Requires a 3/5 ballot vote.” 

We are beginning a marketing campaign to gain voter support.  This will be a joint effort by CLPA and APPA sharing the expenses 50/50.  

The CLPA board met and approved the spending of up to $4000 for this effort.

This is a now or never opportunity.  Article #5 either receives voter approval in March or this opportunity simply passes us by. 

We have a new web site “salemswaterfuture.com” up and running explicitly built to inform voters on the article.  The CLPA, APPA and Town of Salem will all link to it so that accurate and consistent information is shown.  

Sincerely,

Don Piccirillo

President, CLPA