Municipal Departments

This page lists all of the Town Departments. Please select one of the listings for more information. Visit the Submit Information page for guidelines.

Town Clerk and Tax Collector: (603) 887-3636

This office collects property taxes, current use tax, timber tax, gravel tax and places municipal liens on personal property. This office also registers your car, registers you to vote, licenses your dog, provides you with your marriage license, fill and dredge permits, provides certified copies of marriage, births and deaths. Keeps all minutes for all Boards in the Town of Chester. Provides absentee ballots for you, collects parking tickets, etc.

As of February 1st, 2010, the Town Clerk's office can take credit/debit cards for car registrations, dog licenses, parking tickets and marriage licenses. The cards we honor are: Master Card, American Express, JCB, and Discover.

Contact:

Barbara L. Gagnon, Town Clerk
Deputy Tax Collector: Linda Mansur
84 Chester Street, Chester, NH 03036

email: chester9@gsinet.net
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Fri 8:00am - 12:30pm.

Tuesday 8:00am - 11:45 am (closing for lunch)

Open Tuesday afternoons: 12:30 pm - 3:30pm.

Voting

Voting Procedures (30k) - NEW - 4.30.06.

Taxes:

Taxes are due July 1 and December 1.

For your convenience, you may pay your taxes online by using the following link:

Chester e-reg taxes online payment option

Vehicle Registration:

On registering a new vehicle to yourself: If the vehicle is less than fifteen (15) years old, you need a Title or a Certificate of Origin and proof that you are a Chester resident. If the vehicle is fifteen (15) years or older, you need proof that you are a Chester resident and one of the following: the old Title, a copy of the previous NH registration, or the form TDMV 19A (Verification of Vehicle Identification Form). If you need the TDMV 19A Form, please call the non-emergency Police phone number (887-2080), and they will come out to check the VIN and bring the Form.

If you are transferring the vehicle, I need the old registration from the car you are taking off the road ( a photocopy is not acceptable, and remember that the person on the registration and the title have to match (a wife cannot transfer a husband's plates or vice versa).

Vehicle registrations expire on the last day of the owner's birth month, except in the case of a company-owned or leased vehicle. In this case, the expiration date is determined by the first letter of the company name. The Town of Chester forwards registration reminders to vehicle owners; however, it is the registrant's responsibility to renew the vehicle in the event of lost or misdirected mail. Registrations being renewed by mail must include a self-addressed envelope in order to avoid mailing delays. There is no grace period on expired registrations.

If you have a special problem with registering a car, please call me during my normal business hours and I will be more than happy to accommodate your schedule by making a 6:30 AM appointment with you on Monday through Friday. In order to assure that I am in the office on the day you wish to come in early, please call me the day before (to avoid inconvenience to you if I am at a workshop or attending a class on the day you happened to come in). It is preferable if you do not wait until the last day of the month to register as there are usually long lines and, therefore, a longer wait for you. Any forms needed like a change of address, duplicate title application, or application for a certified copy of a registration can be picked up at any Town Clerk's office or regular motor vehicle office.

The renewal letters you receive are just a courtesy; and if you do not receive one, you can still register your car by using your plate number here.

E-Reg: Electronic Vehicle Registration System

Participation Sign up Link - click here

Poll Regarding Other E-Services: click here. How can we better serve your needs?

E-Reg Privacy Policy - click here.
EB2GOV and it's participating communities are committed to safeguarding your privacy online.

Marriage License:

For a marriage license you will need to bring in proof of age, if this is second or etc marriage you will need to bring a sealed copy of a divorce decree or a certified copy of a death certificate, whichever applies. A marriage license is $45.00, it's good for 90 days. Both applicants must apply together to start the paper work and arrive at the Town Clerk's Office one (1) hour before it closes in order to fill out the license.

Dog License: Dog License Application

All dogs must be licensed by April 30th each year in order to avoid the added cost of a Civil Forfeiture in the amount of $25.00 plus the license and late fees, per NH RSA 466:13.

Dogs may be registered in-person at the Town Clerk/Tax Collector's Office or by mail. (Click the link above to download an application.) Send vaccination certificate, spayed/neutering certificate, check for the correct amount and a self-addressed envelope to my office. Unaltered males or females are $9.00, spayed and neutered dogs are $6.50 and seniors (65 or older) the first dog is $2.00, then the regular fee after that.

E-Reg: Electronic Dog License Registration System

(Click on the link below to register your dog electronically, please be sure to start with the numbers zero, zero, ("00") for all tag numbers.)

E-reg dog licensing - Town of Chester

All Vital Records:

On vital records, all requests by mail require a $15.00 payment check for the first vital record and $10.00 for each duplicate copy. Please send a check and the information on your request; and we will search the records and mail you back the certified copy of the event. Applications may be downloaded and printed for your convenience by clicking on the appropriate link below:

Application for a Copy of a Marriage License

Application for a Copy of a Birth Certificate

Application for a Copy of a Death Certificate

Please click on the following link for requests by credit cards or ACH:

https://www.eb2gov.com/scripts/eb2gov.dll/EPay/Main?towncode=810&source=VR

Fill & Dredge Permit:

On a fill & dredge you need to bring in the completed application per the application sheet. You will also need a check for $10.00 made out to the Town of Chester and you must have the envelope that goes to the State, weighed and have the correct certified postage.

Board of Selectmen: (603) 887-4979

» See the expanded Selectmen page for specific information

Elected Town Officials:

Moderator: Michael Scott 2012
Assistant Moderator: Andrew Hadik
Town Clerk/Tax Collector: Barbara Gagnon 2014
Treasurer: Rhonda L. Lamphere 2014

Road Agent, Highway Dept:

Michael Oleson 2013

Phone: 887-2133 or 887-3099

(Download Request for Action Form by clicking on the following link:) Request for Action Form

Assessors Office: (603) 887-4045

Contact:

Jean Packard, Assistant Assessor

Phone : (603) 887-4045

Fax : (603) 887-4404

E-Mail : chesterassr@gsinet.net

Property Cards can be requested via e-mail to be sent by either e-mail or fax.

Office hours: Mon thru Fri 8:30am –4pm

The assessing dept is open during the above hours, but please call ahead to ensure availability. Please be aware that the Assessing staff is out of office at times to conduct property inspections and property cards may not be available immediately. If we are unavailable, a request can be left and we will fax or e-mail upon our return to the office.

Current Tax Rate 2010: $18.79 per thousand

Equalization Ratio 2010: 122.5%

Zoning R1 – Minimum Lot size 2 Acres, 290’ Frontage

Municipal Resources, Inc. of Salem, NH - Contracted Assessing Agents:

Scott Marsh, Chief Certified Assessor. Available in Chester every other Tuesday.

Chester's Assessment Information is now available via the Vision Appraisal Website. Please click on the following link to access:

http://data.visionappraisal.com/ChesterNH/search.asp

Listing of all Chester Properties, Last updated 6/6/2011

Chester Properties - Updated 6/6/2011

View Exemption/Credit Information

property sales Feb - April 2011

property sales Dec - Jan

Abatement Application

Zoning Board of Adjustment: (603) 887-4343

Contact:

Janet Boyden, Administrative Assistant
Hours: Wednesday and Friday 8:30am - 12:30pm.
Fax: 887-3699
E-mail: chesterzba@gsinet.net

The Board meets and holds public hearings on the 3rd Tuesday of the month (unless otherwise noted) in the Meeting Room at the Municipal Building beginning at 7:00 P.M.

- Chester's Zoning Ordinance requires a Building Permit before beginning any construction, alteration, repair (other than ordinary maintenance) or replacement of a structure on a lot.

The following applications for appeals can be downloaded:

Appeal From An Administrative Decision

Application for a Special Exception

Application For A Variance Use

Application For Equitable Waiver Of Dimensional Requirements

Recreation Department: (603) 887-5773

Contact:

Sharon F. Mulrennan
Recreation Coordinator

84 Chester Street

Chester, NH 03036

603-887-5773

email: sharon@chesternhrec.org
Office Hours: Tuesdays from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM and Thursdays from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM.

Find us on Facebook as Chester NH Recreation Department

http:///www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=111603705908&ref=ts

"No one stands as tall as when they kneel to help a child"

Chester Recreation Zumba - New Session Starting January 16, 2012

Zumba
New six week session
Starts January 16, 2012
Mondays 5:45pm and/or Wednesdays 7:00pm
Chester Town Hall -MPR
$40.00 for 1 class per week

Double your fitness only
$65.00 for 2 classes per week

Instructor: Amy Hazelton

$8.00 Drop-in per class

For information contact

Sharon F. Mulrennan

603-887-5773

sharon@chesternhrec.org

Chester Recreation Senior Wellness Program - Starting September 12, 2011

Senior Wellness Program -Free to Seniors
Starts September 12, 2011
Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:30 – 2:30
Town Hall -MPR
Instructor Kim Cremin

Chester Recreation Free Adult Co-Ed Pick-up Volleyball - Wednesday Nights

Chester Recreation is offering
Free Adult Co-ed
Pick-up Volleyball
Wednesday Nights
8:00pm
Town of Chester - MPR
Contact the Recreation Department for more
information 887-5773 or sharon@chesternhrec.org

PACT (Public Access Community Television)

Cablecast on Ch 20 Government Television, Ch 21 Public Television, and Ch 22 Education television in Chester. Announcements regarding not-for-profit events and information are welcome to be included on the community calendars, and will be posted no sooner than 2 weeks prior to events. Chester residents are encouraged to contribute recorded programs of general interest as well as volunteering to help in the locally produced programs created at the studios of Channels 20 & 21. No television experience is required.

Contact:

Hilary Hall, Chairperson

Bob Grimm, Co-Chair
Address - 84 Chester Street, Chester, NH, 03036

Phone: 603-887-2288
Website: http://www.chesterpublicaccess.org

Email: pegtalk@chesterpublicaccess.org

Transfer Station: (603) 365-8245

Contact:

Lloyd and Bonnie Healey
Raymond Road, located on Route 102.
Saturday 7:00am - 2:00pm, Wednesday 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Permits available at the Transfer Station.

This is a drop off facility.
Type of collection: cardboard, glass jars, bottles, magazines, metal cans, mixed paper, newspapers (no glossy inserts), phonebooks (remove covers), plastic (# 1 and 2 only), scrap metal, used motor oil, propane tanks, batteries, TV's, computer monitors and printers, tires, and yard waste.

Household Hazardous Waste Collection

FIRE Department: Emergencies 9-1-1

Contact:

Non Emergency: (603) 887-3878
Fire Chief: Richard Antoine
Deputy Fire Chief: Michael Willinsky
Address: 27 Murphy Drive
E-mail: chesterfire@comcast.net

Full-time station coverage: M-F 7:30 am - 6:00 pm.

Residents are reminded that a burn permit is required for all outside fires. Burn permits are provided at no charge and must be obtained on the day you plan to burn. The state determines, daily, whether burning is allowed or not. Seasonal permits are available for campfires. For full details of the ordinances for burning, please see the Chester Burning Rules & Regulations.doc.(Chester Burning Rules & Resulations) Call 887-3878 for questions regarding burn permits or 365-7184 after hours.

On-site inspections of gas and oil heating systems, chimneys, woodstoves, pellet stoves, and sprinkler systems are available by appointment. Installation of these systems requires a permit from the Fire Department. Call for permit fees.

Need chimney cleaning brushes? We lend them out on the honor system - call 887-3878.

Life safety and daycare inspections are provided by appointment at no cost.

CPR classes are available at our station every month. Limit 15 per class. Please call to sign up.

Fire Wire Newsletter June 08
Fire Wire Campfire Safety Tips
Fire Department Newsletter JAN 07 - Emergency Safety Tips
Fire Department KIDS Newsletter June 08 - Safety and Prevention Tips
Chester Fire Permit Rules

Police Department: Emergencies 9-1-1

»See the expanded Police Department Information page.

US Post Office: (603) 887-3798

5 Chester Street
Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 5:00pm, Saturday 7:30am - 11:30am. Closed Sundays and Holidays.

Great Hill Cemetery: (603) 887- 3546

Contact:

Darrell F. Quinn, Trustee 887-3546

Joanne Millsaps, Trustee 887- 3740

Great Hill Cemetery Rules & Regulations

Animal Control:

Contact:

Contact: Police Department
For emergencies: 911
Non-emergencies: 887-2080

Health & Welfare Administrators:

Contact: Board of Selectmen's Office: 887-4979. Barbara Dolloff & Marjorie Gould

Statewide Electric Assistance Program provides qualifying members with assistance based upon the household gross income and the type of space heating in the home. Call 1-800-639-3896 for information.

Community Caregivers of Derry will provide the following services to Chester residents who are in need of the following:

Transportation

Grocery Shopping Assistance

Light Chores

Friendly Visiting

Meal Preparation

Call: Cindy at (603) 432-0877

Website: www.comcaregivers.org

Public Notice: The Chester Clothes Closet will be closed Wednesday, February 8th due to the School Deliberative Session.

Please see the link for the Announcement from Sarah Care, a Veterans Administration Approved Adult Day Care Sarah Care - Adult Day Care.

Town of Chester Request for Welfare Application

Finance:

Contact:

Interim Finance Director: Joanne Smith

Telephone: (603) 887-4277