Dover Conservation Commission Unanimously Approves $227,021 FY27 Budget Request

DOVER — December 3, 2025 — Dover Conservation Commission votes to submit $227,021 FY27 budget, making consulting costs public for first time. The commission voted 5-0 at its December 3 meeting to send a preliminary fiscal year 2027 budget request that, for the first time, openly reflects the full cost of its consulting services rather than routing them through internal transfers. The largest single driver is a proposed increase in professional services for conservation consultant Janet from $88,000 to $120,000, with the chair arguing the figure is roughly equivalent to hiring a full-time conservation agent with benefits. Town Administrator Cam, attending as a liaison, recommended the commission break out Janet's work for other town departments as a separate line item "to create transparency in the whole process." The commission also voted unanimously to approve Janet's November invoice of $13,430, which included 92 hours of non-applicant work and complex line items including nearly $1,000 for a beaver deceiver installation. Separately, the commission continued an enforcement matter at 21 Chaft Lane, where survey work identified 4,342 square feet of unauthorized disturbance including 745 square feet inside a wetland, with a full restoration plan now required by the December 24 filing deadline for the January 14, 2026 hearing.