Alton rejoins Lakes Region Planning Commission; town officials highlight free hazardous-waste collection and planning services

Alton Town Administrator Ryan Heath said the town has rejoined the Lakes Region Planning Commission and already paid prorated membership for the rest of 2025 to restore household hazardous-waste services.

"We've already paid prorated membership for the rest of this year, joined their lakes region household hazardous waste collection and we plan to continue in that direction," Heath told the planning board on May 20.

The move followed the death of Alton's long-time household-hazardous-waste coordinator and the town's decision to end a joint arrangement with Wolfborough, Heath said. He said Wolfborough intends to contract through the regional commission and Alton's selectmen agreed to join so Alton residents can use the LRPC drop-off network.

LRPC's director (identified at the meeting as the commission director) described several no-cost services that come with membership, beyond hazardous-waste collection: technical assistance for municipal transfer stations; battery, e-waste and boat-plastic recycling programs; pilot and large-scale composting support; brownfields assessment and cleanup grant assistance; low-impact stormwater design and pilot installations; roadway and culvert condition assessments with GIS mapping; and transportation planning support for state and federal grant applications.

On brownfields LRPC staff said the commission currently operates a three-year Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assessment grant program and expected to apply for another three-year grant in the fall. "We can come in to that property, do that phase 1 and that phase 2, which are both required pieces for cleanup funding," the director said, describing how towns can get EPA-funded assessments and then apply for cleanup money for sites intended for public uses such as housing or parks.

LRPC staff also described stormwater work funded for nine lake communities to audit ordinances and install demonstration pilot sites with interpretive signage, and said the commission helps towns identify water and sewer infrastructure needs and apply for Department of Environmental Services (DES) infrastructure grants. The director said commission services are frequently free to member communities and that, in LRPC's view, membership can be less expensive than running a stand-alone household hazardous-waste program.

Heath and the director answered planning-board questions about whether state budget cuts would stop LRPC services. The director said the state provides roughly $11,000 annually to LRPCs and losing that line is disappointing, but he did not expect the $11,000 loss to affect the specific services described because municipal appropriations and other matching funds support grant applications.

Planning board members asked whether Alton would use mapping, drainage or transportation services; LRPC staff said New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT) and other grant programs often work through regional planning offices and that Alton will be eligible for transportation and other regional funding opportunities as a member. Heath emphasized that a public water or infrastructure project would be governed by state and federal agencies if it becomes a public water system or requires state permitting.

The planning board did not vote on any action related to membership during the meeting; Heath reported the board of selectmen had already approved joining and paid the prorated fee.

Members of the planning board and staff encouraged Alton's planning and public works staff to contact LRPC for follow-up on any specific program (brownfields, transfer-station technical assistance, stormwater pilot sites, transportation grants) that could be of use to the town.

Ending: Board members closed the LRPC discussion and moved to the next agenda item. The town administrator and LRPC director offered to provide follow-up materials and contact information for specific programs.