Select Board update: front‑porch railings delayed; Plains electrical contract awarded to Kingston Electric pending Sanborn Head test wells

At the start of the meeting the Select Board reported two infrastructure updates: a delivery/manufacturing error delayed installation of new railings for the town hall front steps, and the board awarded a contract for electrical work on the Plains to Kingston Electric, with work scheduled to begin after Sanborn Head completes test‑well work.

A Select Board member said the railings were delivered “not manufactured to spec,” the town caught the error, and the contractor and architect are coordinating a correction. The board said it expects the railings to be resolved and installed before a planned ribbon‑cutting.

On Plains utilities, the Select Board member told the commission that electrical work was awarded to a local firm, Kingston Electric, but “the work won't start until after the test wells are dug by Sanborn Head” and that the work likely will occur late summer into early fall. The member added that the Plains’ existing old electric infrastructure had been disconnected “from the firehouse down” and that “the bandstand is separate; it’s on a separate circuit.”

Commissioners and attendees asked whether scheduled events (including the town’s Kingston Days) would be affected; the Select Board member said at present there are no scheduled events on the Plains during the planned work window but that any event requests will need coordination with Sanborn Head’s schedule. The member said electrical service at the bandstand could possibly serve event needs depending on the location and type of event.

Why it matters: the Plains is a central public space; the timing of test wells and subsequent electrical work affects event planning and public access. The railings delay affects building access until corrected.