Sunapee schedules hearings on highway grant, town fee changes

Sunapee’s Selectboard will take up two hearings on May 4 that could affect both what residents pay and how the town manages one of its most visible environmental concerns: road salt.

The first hearing, set for 6:35 p.m. in the Town Office Meeting Room at 23 Edgemont Road, will cover acceptance and expenditure of $17,835 in unanticipated revenue for the Highway Department. The money would come from the Lake Sunapee Protective Association and would fund a fleet pilot system for salt management. For a lake community, that is not a small technical upgrade. Salt use affects road safety, plow operations and runoff that can reach waterways, so the decision carries both budget and watershed implications for Sunapee and Lake Sunapee.

The second hearing, scheduled for 6:45 p.m. in the same room, would amend the town fee schedule. The posted notice says the changes would affect police department fees, transfer-station fees, alcohol-permit fees and use-of-town-facilities fees. That means the hearing could touch everyday costs tied to town services, from disposal and permitting to how residents and organizations use municipal property. In practical terms, it is a review of how Sunapee balances the cost of delivering services against the revenue it collects from users.

Taken together, the two hearings show the Selectboard weighing both sides of municipal finance at once: outside funding for a specific Highway Department project and a new look at user fees across several departments. The first item is being considered under RSA 31:95-b, while the fee-schedule amendment falls under RSA 41:9-a. Residents who want to be heard can attend the meeting and speak before the board acts.

The timing also matters. The Selectboard meets on the first and third Mondays of the month in the Town Office Meeting Room, and the May 4 meeting is listed from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., with both hearings built into that regular session. Sunapee amended and approved its 2026 fee schedule on February 23, with changes effective March 1, and the town says those fees can rise up to 10% a year at the board’s discretion. The May hearing suggests another adjustment, not a one-time cleanup.

The Highway Department says its work includes highways, sidewalks, stormwater collection systems, bridges, dams, intersection signalization and other town infrastructure. The Lake Sunapee Protective Association, which focuses on water quality, watershed protection and education, has already worked with Sunapee on lake-related efforts, including the Georges Mills Beach shoreline stabilization project. That history makes the grant more than a stand-alone donation; it is part of an ongoing relationship shaping how Sunapee protects roads and water at the same time.