Selectmen approve up-to-14-acre clearing at Hidden Springs, waive timber tax and use ARPA funds

The Alton Board of Selectmen voted Aug. 12 to engage Boggs Logging of Ossipee, New Hampshire, to clear up to 14 acres at the town-owned Hidden Springs site at a rate of $5,000 per acre, using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the work and drawing on the town’s capital reserve to cover any remaining cost. The motion, moved by Selectman (speaker 5) and seconded by Selectman (Chair) (speaker 1), passed by unanimous voice vote. The board also approved an amendment to waive the timber tax under RSA 79-C:3 for the clearing. Town Administrator (speaker 4) told the board the conceptual plan shows a 21-acre building envelope and that the 28.5-acre clearing figure discussed previously included space for laydown yards and equipment storage; he stressed that the 28.5 acres would still leave most of the parcel undisturbed and preserve the 100-foot setback to the brook. Selectman Shay (Selectman Shay) and other selectmen debated scaling back the clearing to the acreage needed for Department of Public Works (DPW) operations and monitoring-well access rather than clearing for future recreational fields. "I'm not a big fan of us going in and clearing for ball fields that we are in no position to even consider building for many, many, many years," Selectman (Chair) (speaker 1) said during discussion. Administrators noted the relevant Alteration of Terrain (AOT) permit would be time-limited; a staff speaker stated the permit term is five years. Several board members said they wanted to use the ARPA funds before the federal deadline, but minimize draws on the capital reserve; Town Administrator (speaker 4) said the ARPA allocation was roughly $75,000–$76,000 and the project as bid was roughly $140,000, leaving a potential delta to be covered by capital reserve. The board’s action explicitly directs the town to: hire Boggs Logging to clear up to 14 acres at $5,000 per acre; pay with ARPA funds first and use capital-reserve funds for the balance as needed; and waive the timber tax per RSA 79-C:3 for the work. The motion includes language urging completion within the timeframe that the ARPA funds remain available. No formal timeline for construction of recreational fields was adopted; selectmen agreed the immediate priority is clearing for DPW needs and access to groundwater monitoring wells related to the adjacent landfill. Town Administrator (speaker 4) said the clearing will help maintain access to monitoring wells that require regular testing. The board recorded the vote as a unanimous voice vote. Individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the meeting transcript.