Hampton Fee Increases Lead to Selectmen Argument

Two members of Hampton's Board of Selectmen got into a short verbal disagreement earlier this week during a conversation about increasing several town fees in order to better cover the cost of disposing certain items at the Hampton Transfer Station.

Selectman Mike Pierce briefly stormed out of the board's meeting room Monday night after he and Chairman Dick Nichols repeatedly tried to talk over one another while evaluating the proposed increases.

Nichols raised his voice at Pierce while asking to "have the floor," which he later said he did to make sure Pierce — who began talking first — wasn't about to comment based on faulty information because the board received two different e-mails about the proposed changes Monday.

"I simply wanted to let him know there were two e-mails today, and I couldn't get it out to him," Nichols told the board after Pierce left the room.

Pierce took exception to Nichols' attempts, returning minutes later to vote against the fee increases "because of interference from the board — especially the chairman."

"I was [aware there were two e-mails]… but you weren’t letting me finish, Mr. Chairman, which you frequently do, which irritates me to no end," said Pierce. "I’m not going to tolerate [it] anymore."

The fee increases passed 4-1, and are as follows:

• Stuffed furniture (chair or loveseat): increased from $3 to $7
• Stuffed furniture (couches, sofas, sofa beds): $5 to $10
• Appliances (washers, dryers, stoves, water heaters, dish washers, furnaces, refrigerators): $5 to $10
• Twin-size mattress or box spring: $6 to $10
• Full-size or large mattress or box spring: $10 to $15