Questions answered at Peterborough’s virtual deliberative session

Just a handful of questions from community members made for a short question-and-answer component of Peterborough’s virtual Town Meeting on Tuesday night. It followed an informational session on March 30, and the two events constituted the deliberative session for Town Meeting this year, Town Administrator Nicole MacStay said.

Residents can continue submitting questions through May 10, and answers will be posted to the town’s website, MacStay said. Ballot voting on all articles is scheduled for May 11 at the Community Center.

Although there is a zoning amendment on the ballot this year, Article 2, which seeks to limit the Planning Board’s discretion in Open Space Residential Development proposals by eliminating a line of the zoning code, wasn’t discussed on March 30 because zoning amendments are typically not part of a Town Meeting’s deliberative session, MacStay said.

Another resident asked how the proposed police budget reflected the past year’s community conversations on racism, and state-level police reform talks. The proposed budget includes $15,000 for a Community Resources specialist at the River Center, and $15,000 for training, up from $5,000, MacStay said. Police Chief Guinard will address the state’s recommendations for police reform in his contribution to the Annual Report, which will be available online by May 4, MacStay said.

The town plans to complete the Main Street Bridge project before undertaking other large road rehabilitation projects downtown, MacStay said, in response to another question.

Responding to a question about the broadband expansion article on the warrant, “Our understanding is that 95 percent of CCI’s new broadband customers are satisfied with their service,” MacStay said. The town is still looking into using grants to minimize the tax impact of the article, but taxes are only expected to increase 0.5 percent with all articles passing, MacStay said.

The 100 percent renewable energy petition article will not increase community members’ taxes, MacStay said on behalf of its lead petitioners, nor does it mandate the purchase of any equipment.