Loudon selectmen accept state lightning-warning grant, approve Memory Lane as town road and several other measures

Loudon — At their Jan. 21 meeting the Loudon Board of Selectmen voted to accept a $10,408.50 grant from the New Hampshire Department of Safety, Homeland Security and Emergency Management for a lightning-warning and detection system at the town’s playing fields and Landry Baseball Field, with a required town match of $3,469.50.

The grant will fund early-warning units intended to detect nearby lightning and sound alerts so people on the fields can leave. The board was told the units would be mounted on poles above the snack shacks at both fields. The board voted to accept the grant and authorize the necessary signatures; the motion passed with unanimous “ayes.”

The selectmen also completed a public-hearing item to accept Memory Lane as a town-maintained road, subject to three conditions laid out by town counsel and staff: conversion of an existing construction bond to a five-year maintenance bond in the amount of $22,500; payment for a title search; and execution of a revised warranty deed by the owner, Alvin Davis, within 10 days of the meeting. The board noted it currently holds approximately $38,000 and will convert the construction bond to the required $22,500 maintenance bond and return the remaining funds to the owner after closing the accounts. The motion to accept the road with those conditions passed by majority vote.

The board accepted a donated AMKUS battery-powered combination cutter/spreader — described at the meeting as an AMKUS ICT 716-style tool — purchased and presented by the Loudon Firefighters Association. The association reported it raised about $17,100 through grants, memorial donations and local fundraising. Selectmen voted to accept the donation into town service; the motion passed unanimously. During a demonstration, members noted the tool is battery-operated, uses the DeWalt battery platform shared by other town tools, and was described in the meeting as weighing roughly 42 pounds and offering run-time on a charge in the range discussed by the presenters (a span given during the demonstration was “about 15 to 45 minutes,” as reported at the meeting).

On financial housekeeping, the board voted to write off 25 ambulance/accounts receivable items from 2023 that the town’s collection agent deemed uncollectible, totaling $15,656. The selectmen said collection efforts had been ongoing for over a year for many accounts and that the amounts are not recognized as revenue because they are not collectible.

Separately, selectmen agreed to provide a letter of support for Comcast’s application under the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, which would direct federal grant money to extend broadband service to underserved and unserved locations in Loudon. The board discussed that Comcast’s application targets 28 locations identified as eligible in town; selectmen agreed the town should sign a support letter to enable the company’s grant application.

Other items: town staff informed the board of a Department of Environmental Services letter approving closure of a septic facility permit for the town’s site on 42 Dump Road; that item was informational and required no action. The board also reviewed a departmental notice that the fire department is projecting line-item overexpenditure risk in part-time wages because of vacancies and academy staffing; selectmen were advised the department plans to reallocate from regular salary lines to cover part-time wages.

Votes at a glance

- Accept New Hampshire Department of Safety/Homeland Security and Emergency Management grant for lightning-warning and detection system ($10,408.50 grant; town match $3,469.50). Outcome: approved (ayes). Motion text: accept grant and authorize signatures. Mover/second: not specified in record. Vote tally: yes 3, no 0, abstain 0.

- Accept Memory Lane as a town road (conditional). Outcome: approved (ayes). Motion text: accept Memory Lane as a town road contingent on conversion of construction bond to a $22,500 five-year maintenance bond, payment of title-search fees, and owner signing revised warranty deed within 10 days. Mover/second: not specified in record. Vote tally: yes 3, no 0, abstain 0.

- Accept AMKUS rescue tool donation from Loudon Firefighters Association (purchase funded by donations/grants, approximately $17,100 raised). Outcome: approved (ayes). Motion text: accept AMKUS tool donation into town service. Mover/second: not specified in record. Vote tally: yes 3, no 0, abstain 0.

- Write off 25 uncollectible ambulance/accounts receivable items (total $15,656). Outcome: approved (ayes). Motion text: authorize write-offs as detailed in the department submission. Mover/second: not specified in record. Vote tally: yes 3, no 0, abstain 0.

- Authorize town letter of support for Comcast BEAD broadband application (no town match or expenditure required). Outcome: consensus to provide letter. Motion text: authorize town to provide letter of support for Comcast BEAD application. Mover/second: not specified in record. Vote tally: consensus/agreement to proceed.

What it means

The lightning-warning system grant obligates minimal local funds and is intended to improve park and athletic-field safety by providing automated detection and audible alerts. Accepting Memory Lane places the road on the town’s maintenance list but only after legally required conditions are satisfied by the property owner. The AMKUS tool donation adds battery-powered rescue capability to a town engine without immediate budget impact. The write-offs reflect long-running collection efforts that the town concluded are no longer collectible and therefore cannot be counted as revenue.

Documents referenced at the meeting included the state grant award letter from the New Hampshire Department of Safety, Homeland Security and Emergency Management; an as-built plan and revised warranty deed for Memory Lane; a town attorney title-search invoice pending payment; and a collection-agency returned-accounts list supporting the ambulance write-off request.