Department Functions

The Town of Meredith has adopted the International Residential Code governing residential construction. Commercial and industrial buildings are subject to the International Building Code (2015 edition). Building Permits are required prior to construction in order to determine compliance with the applicable codes. The Building Official is designated as the local authority to administer the provisions of the building codes.

The Planning Board has been authorized by Town Meeting to develop and amend a recommended program of capital improvement projects. The primary purpose of the Capital Improvement Program is to aid the Selectmen in their consideration of the annual budget by providing them with priority-based recommendations for capital improvements. The CIP recommends improvements over a 10-year period and includes projects such as major road reconstruction, sewer and/or water utility replacements, new public facilities, land acquisition, major equipment replacements, etc. Capital Improvement Programming has been in effect since 1998. In many instances, implementing capital improvements serves to advance facility, infrastructure and conservation goals of the adopted master plan.

Code Enforcement is the compliance side of land use regulation. The Code Enforcement Officer is responsible for ensuring compliance with land use decisions, the zoning ordinance, building codes and health codes. Compliance measures may range from verbal directives to formal cease and desist orders. The Code Enforcement Officer position encompasses the duties of the Building Official, Zoning Administrator and Health Officer.

The Planning Board reviews proposals seeking to: (1) subdivide land, or (2) develop or use land for non-residential purposes. This is accomplished through local regulatory authority enabled in state law. Public hearings are conducted by the Planning Board on each application. The Board strives to balance its public duty with applicants' property rights and the interests of those that are impacted by development. When all conditions imposed by the Planning Board are met, a project is then allowed to proceed to construction.

The Community Development operates and maintains a planning-level Geographic Information System known as GIS. This system integrates geographic features that have a specific location on the ground with data about that feature for mapping and analytical purposes. Our GIS function supports the needs of many internal customers including the Assessing Department, Conservation Commission, Water and Sewer Department, Public Works, Community Development and several volunteer committees.

It is the duty of the Planning Board to prepare and amend from time to time a master plan to guide the development of the community. The master plan is a non-regulatory document that articulates a future vision for the community and includes goals, objectives and recommendations intended to help the community achieve its goals. Recommendations may be both regulatory and non-regulatory in nature. Considerable effort is applied to implementation activities that help advance the goals of the master plan. The most recent master plan (aka Community Plan) was adopted in 2002. The Planning Board is in the process of updating the Community Plan.

Public Health Overview

Public health promotes and protects the health of people in the communities where they live, learn, work, and play. Environmental health is a subset of public health, focusing on the interrelationships between people and their environment. A network of people, organizations, and agencies contribute to and support improvements in public health. At the municipal level, the local health officer is an important component of the network.

• Public and Environmental Health A to Z (PDF)
• Public Health System Partners and Resources (PDF)

Health Officer

The health officer is state-appointed upon the recommendation of the Board of Selectmen. The health officer works closely with the NH Department of Health and Human Services on a variety of matters including pandemic planning, public health advisories, complaint resolution, daycare licensing, and other public health-related issues.

Roles & Responsibilities of the Health Officer

• Inform and educate the public about public and environmental health issues
• Investigate health problems and Complaints (PDF)
• Coordinate and serve as the liaison with regional and state public health system partners
• Perform inspections and enforcement
• Participate in emergency response planning

Health Officer Contact Information

Jonathan Trull
Community Development Department 
Phone: 603-677-4217 
Email Jonathan Trull

The broadly stated statutory purpose of zoning is to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the community. This is accomplished by guiding the location, type and nature of development in the community via a locally adopted regulatory document known as the zoning ordinance. The zoning ordinance includes a number of zoning districts and provisions which govern building heights, lot line setbacks, lot sizes, population density, land uses, the protection of natural resources, etc., etc. Zoning has existed in Meredith since 1971. The zoning ordinance is administered by the Zoning Administrator. Appeals regarding the zoning ordinance are made to the Zoning Board of Adjustment.