On Tuesday, Jaffrey Select Board accepted $45,291 from the state’s Department of Transportation Block Grant, to put towards the maintenance of town roads.

The board held a short public hearing, during which time members of the board asked Town Manager Jon Frederick about the uses of the funds, but received no public input.

The funds can be used for the maintenance and construction of Class IV and Class V roads in Jaffrey. Frederick said the current plan for the funds is to add it to Jaffrey’s current paving budget, noting that in terms of the expense of roadwork, $45,000 is a relatively small amount.

Selectman Kevin Chamberlain asked if the funds could be put toward costs of paving projects completed this past summer, and Frederick clarified that they can only be used for future projects.

Selectman Charlie Turcotte asked if could be used for sidewalks or curbing. Frederick said typically, the funds are used on the road system, and that anything “beyond the fog line” such as sidewalks is the purview of the town.

The board unanimously approved a resolution to accept the funds.

Dog licensing fees increasing

In other Select Board news,  board members agreed to increase the prices on the town’s dog licensing fees by $1.

Frederick said the additional revenue would be included in the revenue from the town clerk’s office, and would generate roughly $800, which would account for the time spent by staff processing the dog licenses and late fees.

“I’ve been with the town for 10 years, and the fees have never changed,” Town Clerk Kelly Rollins said.

The Select Board offered no objection to the increase, and unanimously approved the fee change, effective Jan. 2, 2024.

In other Select Board news, the board unanimously approved a resolution to hold the town’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade again in 2024. The parade is scheduled for March 17 at 2 p.m. on Jaffrey’s Main Street. The board approved the resolution in a 3-0 vote, with the condition that an organizing meeting be held between organizers and the town Police Department, as requested by Police Chief Todd Muilenberg.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.