Ex-Beach Leader Urges Change to Plan with State

The former regional supervisor for the local branch of the state parks system really hopes Hampton selectmen heed his advice when it comes time to finalize a joint operations plan with the state.

Brian Warburton, who oversaw Hampton Beach and the surrounding state beaches from 2005 to 2010, said it's vital that the individuals in charge of the beaches actually live in the community.

Warburton has asked selectmen to revise the proposed joint operations plan in many ways, although his biggest request was to require this kind of local oversight. Warburton said many individuals involved with discussions about the plan aren't aware of key pieces of background information and intimate knowledge about how to effectively run the communities, and having officials living in or near the communities will help with this as well as provide more timely response at crucial times, he said.

"I’ll tell you," Warburton told selectmen this week, "there’s so much more to this subject than what isn’t being discussed. In the end, an operations plan won’t do any good unless the people making the decisions are available (and already in the communities during emergency situations)."

The current temporary joint operations plan — an agreement that governs security, trash removal, street sweeping along Ocean Boulevard, and sidewalk maintenance, among other things — expired on Dec. 31. Selectmen would like to get a new agreement in place soon, although controversy and miscommunication have slowed discussions.

Warburton said the town does an "excellent job providing resources to get the job done" and commended state staff for their work, although he said the sides need to work more closely together and more changes are needed on the state side to really ensure excellence at Hampton Beach this summer.

Warburton had a lengthy appointment before the Hampton Board of Selectmen on Monday, in which he made several recommendations. Selectmen agreed with many of his points, and said they will consider his insight while continuing negotiations with the state.

"The one issue that concerns me is no one is around," said Selectman Mike Pierce, referencing issues with drain issues and public safety problems in past years at Hampton's five-star beach.

Selectman Mary-Louise Woolsey, who served on the Hampton Budget Committee with Warburton, also called for the draft of the joint operations plan to be posted on the town's website in order to provide more transparency and understanding of what the agreement entails.

The draft, posted online on Wednesday, is available here.

Some residents have voiced complaints lately about the amount of oversight and response from the state, although others have said the state has received bad press because officials are working to improve operational issues.

"I like to say that the town of Hampton and the state got married in [1933]," said Bill Bowley, of 252 Landing Road. "The marriage has been OK down the road... and I think the state of New Hampshire has been doing a good job down there. I'll tell you right now — the state is trying to improve.

"This is what we've got to do. It takes a lot of work to make a marriage work. The state is trying very hard and I just hope we can get an agreement."