Department Mission:

We are dedicated to insure that all of our buildings and their grounds meet/or exceed federal and state inspection requirements; are operating in an efficient and safe means; and that proper preventive maintenance programs are in place. In addition, we strive to make certain that our parks and recreation grounds are clean, safe and present the town in a positive and beautiful way.

Listing of buildings and grounds that we maintain:

	Town Office		Water Treatment Plant
	Library		Wastewater Plant
	Senior Center		Beach House
	Police Department		Cozy Corner
	Fire Department		Williams Field Park
	Highway Department		Canaan Street Beach
	Meeting House		Main Street Common and Islands
	Museum		Canaan Street Common
	Transfer Station

The Building & Safety Committee focuses on safety & building projects to ensure that we meet legal requirements and provide cost effective repairs and updates for the town.

Saftey Audits

The Buildings and Safety Department is actively involved in managing the safety of Town operations.The Health & Safety Committee, composed primarily of employees, meets every three months to monitor work conditions and to organize employee safety training.

During 2012, the Town underwent a town wide safety audit by the NH Department of Labor and numerous corrections were made to the operating environment.



Over the past 4 years, the Safety Committee has performed self assessments in every Department to identify problems and correct them before there is a State audit.



Every year, the Safety Committee organizes up to six Health & Safety Training Programs for all Town employees.



The Safety Committee also looks at Workers Compensation statistical data for Canaan so that we can better manage known worker risks.

Williams Field Playground

 

It's open! A complete reconstruction of the Williams Field Playground offers new activities, challenges and discoveries for all ages and abilities. Thanks go to the parents' Friends of the Playground as well as town businesses, the Williams Field Fund, the Recreation Commission, Selectmen, MVHI, UV HEAL, and the project's lead sponsor, Timken Foundation of Canton.

Senior Center – New Elevator

The Senior Center has a new elevator. The Grafton County Senior Citizens Council uses the Indian River Grange building for their senior center which includes meal preparation, congregate meals, operation of the food pantry, outreach programs, transportation services and public meetings. The Town owns the building and we are responsible for all repairs to the structure of the building.

Meeting House

  

The meeting house tower has been restored. The new beams have been installed and the Cupola replaced on the bell tower. Final repairs were completed in the early Fall of 2012. Now the focus turns to preservation - and we still need your help! Learn more on the Meeting House Page.

Click here. to view the video provided by Carol Bergeron of the tower being lifted off by a crane.

Transfer Station – Change Hauling System to Save Money

The Town has completing the restructuring of the transfer station begun using the live floor trailer. This new system will save the town nearly $15,000 a year.

Learn More on the Transfer Station Page!

Rapid Infiltration Beds – Wastewater Plant – Increase Capacity 36%

The Highway Department completed the installation of new rapid infiltration beds at the wastewater plant in September 2012. The new beds will increase the sewer capacity by 36% allowing us to remove the moratorium on the connection of new users.

FAST Squad Addition – Fix Costs for 5 Years – Allow Over-Night Staffing

The Town is working with the FAST Squad as it prepares its proposal for addition 1,700 square feet to the back of the Police Department. This relatively small addition will stabilize costs over the next five years by allowing the FAST Squad to generate fees for service and will add needed storage space and overnight bunk space for up to 4 people. We are helping them to prepare grant applications for funding that addition.
PDF Version of Plans

Learn More on the F.A.S.T. Squad Page!

Highway Department Salt Shed

The Town Highway Department salt shed has been completed in the Town's gravel pit. The new facility is made up of two large fabric structures that protect our winter sand and salt from snow and freezing water. The shed on right is used to store all of our winter sand which you can see in one of the photos taken from the back. That sand pile is well over 20 feet deep inside of the shed. The shed on the right is used to store salt and will be used as a protected space to mix the dry sand and salt together before applying the mix on the roads. This process should reduce the amount of salt used and keep the sand from freezing into large clumps that will not pass through the spreaders. The shed will also reduce water pollution from rain running off the salt pile and bring us into compliance with state and federal law. The total cost of this project was more than $120,000 with the major share coming from FEMA repayments for repairs after Hurricane Irene.

  

Who do I contact for general questions regarding town buildings?

Town Administrator: Mike Samson. He can be reached 603 523-4501 X5.

Who do I call in case of emergency?

All major fire, health or police needs should be directed to 911! If you have an emergency or safety regarding a building or grounds you should call & page the numbers below. Examples of these emergencies include doors locked or unlocked, toilets, sinks or water issues, trees down, electrical issues, etc.

How do I rent or use a town building?

Each town building has an appointed group or individual to mange this function. If you are unsure who to call, you can contact the Town office or the Building and Grounds contact to get assistance.

How do I generate a request for maintenance regarding a building or park?

Submit a Request for Maintenance to the Town Administrator (The link is to the left). All requests are documented on a "Work Order". This W/O will be reviewed by the B&G department and Select Board if so required. All W/O that are accepted will be scheduled based on need and priority. You can contact B&G at any time for status.

I noticed some people vandalizing town property, who do I contact?

Call 911 or the Canaan Police directly at 523 -7784. Do not take any action yourself.

I went to the park and found someone had vandalized town property, who do I contact?

Call the town administrator at 523-4501 x5.

Why haven't some buildings like the meeting house tower and museum been fixed?

Funding is generally the major issue we face when trying to repair or build new. The town accepts contributions for many of our historic buildings; call the town administrator to learn how you can help. We are currently working with the budget committee volunteer groups and the CIP (Capital Improvement Committee) to put together a plan to fund many of these major projects.

The Town of Canaan enforces the laws of the State of New Hampshire on serious violations of the State's Junk Yard law. See the Town of Canaan Junk Yard Enforcement Policy for what constitutes a junk yard, when enforcement will take place, and what the penalties will be.

Enforcement Decision Tree