Board holds bond hearing for $900,000 additional appropriation to complete Mill Street pump station upgrade

The Wolfeboro Board of Selectmen held a public hearing on Jan. 15 on a proposed bond issue to raise an additional $900,000 to complete the Mill Street sewer pump station upgrade. The project has prior appropriations and ARPA funds committed; engineering and construction bids have pushed the total estimated project cost to about $3.143 million, the town said.

Public Works staff described the pump station as a critical component that conveys wastewater from the collection system to the treatment plant and said the station was last upgraded in the 1990s. The additional funds would allow the town to complete bidding and construction oversight requirements — the latter driven by federal or state funding and loan programs — and to proceed to a planned construction window beginning in fall 2025.

"We've been trying to get it on the docket for construction... We are looking to go to bid on the 1st February for a fall to midwinter construction," Public Works Director Steve Randall said. The presentation noted $672,000 in ARPA funds previously applied, $563,000 raised in prior warrants, and other prior appropriations; the additional $900,000 bridges the gap to current cost estimates.

The Board voted to recommend the bond article and to place the bond request on the 2025 warrant; the Budget Committee was scheduled to vote on the item on the following evening. The board noted the project may be eligible for State Revolving Loan Fund participation or loan forgiveness and that construction oversight and third‑party engineering are significant drivers of the added cost.

Residents were invited to comment at the hearing; staff said technical questions should be directed to the Public Works Department.