Council authorizes town to file intent-to-apply for LWCF grant for skateboard park; councilors debate voter approval and matching funds

The Bedford Town Council on June 11 authorized the town manager to submit an intent‑to‑apply form and to meet with staff from the New Hampshire Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to discuss details for a Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant to support a proposed skateboard park.

Town Manager Rick Sawyer explained the LWCF program requires pre‑authorization before an applicant is invited to submit a full application. The grant would provide a 50% reimbursement, with the town (or project sponsor) responsible for the local 50% match. Sawyer said community fundraising already raised about $100,000 and that fundraising up to three years prior to an award may be applied to the local match.

Council discussion focused on voter intent and taxpayer exposure. Councilor Gail Levesque said voters rejected a prior warrant article for the skate park in March, and asked whether pursuing a grant would bypass voters; Sawyer and staff clarified that the council would still need to accept any grant offer and that accepting would then require the council to identify the source of matching funds (fundraising, capital reserves, borrowing or operating funds). Councilor Levesque and others emphasized optics: they did not want the council to appear to be circumventing the voters’ earlier decision. Councilor Strand and others supported pursuing the pre‑application as a non‑binding first step that preserves options.

Councilor Strand moved to authorize the town manager to submit the intent‑to‑apply form and to continue pre‑application coordination; Councilor Bask seconded. The motion passed 7–0.

Staff cautioned that the state’s initial eligibility review would decide whether the town is invited to apply; if invited and awarded, the council would later decide whether to accept the grant and how to provide the required match.