The Bedford Town Council voted to move Article 3 — a bond to build a South River Road fire substation — to the town deliberative session and recommended the article by a 6–1 vote.

Town Manager Rick Sawyer read the warrant language at the public hearing, which describes an appropriation and authorizes issuance of “not more than $8,235,000 of bonds or notes” for construction at 300 South River Road and includes $700,000 from a facilities design-build capital reserve and $43,705 for bond issuance costs. Sawyer said the bond payments would begin about a year after issuance and that the presentation estimates a 2026 tax impact of “approximately 17¢ per thousand.”

Councilor Kathleen Bemis, who led the facilities committee presentation, said the committee started over after a larger 2024 proposal failed and narrowed the scope to a substation. “We tossed that out and we started over,” Bemis said, describing the committee’s work to focus on a right-sized facility and site. Bemis and Sawyer said the plan would redeploy existing staff rather than add new hires: four firefighters per shift would be stationed at the South River Road substation while the remainder would stay at the main station.

Why it matters: Officials said the town’s population and emergency calls have grown substantially since the current central station opened, and that moving apparatus closer to the South River Road corridor would improve response times for apartment and commercial areas near the Merrimack River. The council’s recommendation will be posted with the warrant and the article will be debated at the deliberative session on Feb. 3, 2025.

Details of the proposal and discussion
- Warrant language read by Town Manager Rick Sawyer describes raising and appropriating (warrant text includes both $8,935,000 and a bond authorization of not more than $8,235,000; see clarifying details). The warrant refers to the Municipal Finance Act and requires a three‑fifths ballot vote for approval.
- The consultant/construction manager’s estimate shared in the presentation was about $8.9 million for construction; officials said the $8.235 million is the bond authorization figure in the warrant text and $700,000 would come from a capital reserve.
- Layout and operational design: the proposed building is about 10,000 square feet with a four‑bay apparatus area, separate “hot” zones for apparatus and decontamination, locker rooms, fitness/day room, kitchen, and six bunk rooms with room for future expansion. The design includes solar panels and a mezzanine for mechanical/storage.
- Staffing and apparatus: the department currently staffs 11 personnel per shift (with a nine‑person minimum before forced overtime); the plan would relocate one engine, one ambulance and utility/boat assets to the new substation but proposed no new vehicles or new full‑time hires.
- Budget picture: staff displayed a 10‑year debt service chart showing first debt payment in 2026 (estimated in the presentation at about $1,080,000 in year one) and declining thereafter.

Public comment and next steps
- The council opened and closed the public hearing on the bond; no public comments were recorded at the hearing for Article 3.
- The council voted to move Article 3 to the deliberative session (motion by Councilor Kathleen Bemis; second by Councilor Michael Strand). The motion to move passed 7–0. The council then recorded its recommendation on the article: 6 in favor, 1 opposed. The article will appear on the March ballot and requires a three‑fifths vote at the polls to adopt.

Ending
The Town Council’s recommendation sends the plan to voters for consideration on the March ballot; the council’s materials show an estimated tax impact starting in 2026 and officials said the project is intended to redeploy existing staff and apparatus to improve response times in growing South River Road neighborhoods.