New Waterfront Tax proposed HB 629-FN

[AC2717]

I was able to listen to the first 40 minutes of it before a meeting, and Descant's summation is great, thank you.

I am surprised that these questions didn't come up:
- Why were the updates and maintenance upgrades done during the leases that were supposed to be apart of the leases
- how did the state knowing and understanding these dams were from the 1800s and 1900s why has nothing been done prior the area was not developed overnight
- if previous maintenance was paid for under bonds, what was actually done
- why is it just the water front owners - the whole state benefits from these dams with tourism, commerce, you name it, without the dams there would be tourism so to speak except for skiing.
- the flood maps show flood plans with results from dams being breach with flood waters- everyone down stream due to development could be considered in this - how DES could say that people are not in flood planes if dam breached is odd to me
- $400,000 million needed but want to take 50 years - wont we be in the same position.
- did not like that they threatened if they don't do this they would just draw down lake ie example Winnipesaukee would drop by 10 feet - great is DES going to allow property owners to extend their docks out to use what they are being taxed on

- many more questions and rebuttals but those were just my top ones

I recognize that dams need to be worked on and managed and the Blame game doesn't solve anything, but I'm sorry I fail to see where everyone in the state does not benefit from the Dams - without the tourism that brings all the tax money, jobs, retail, commerce, everything which also by the way controls value of the property which generates the property tax with market values

Tourism is the second largest industry in NH