Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Warming Center Proposal topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Three cities propose county land for warming center; delegation to review plan on Oct. 14
Summary
Mayors and city managers have proposed building a 10,000-square-foot warming center on county land behind the county jail; the three cities would pay construction costs and operate the facility under a long-term lease. The plan will be included in the delegation packet for the Oct. 14 meeting.
County officials told the Strafford County legislative delegation executive committee that three municipalities have proposed constructing a warming center on county property behind the county jail and that the cities would pay most construction and operating costs.
Under the current plan described to the committee, the municipalities would tear down the county's old humane society building behind the jail and construct a roughly 10,000-square-foot warming center. The cities would share construction costs; the county would lease the land to the municipalities for $1 a year under a long-term lease (the presentation described a 90- to 99-year lease term and a prorated reimbursement provision if the county later assumes the building).
"The plan now is to tear down the old humane society, build a new warming center behind the county jail," a county official said. The municipalities have proposed to pay construction costs and to operate the warming center; details of ownership and any future county financial participation are to be determined.
The county official said the municipalities would also seek to sell an existing building (identified during the meeting as a facility owned by the city of Dover) and use proceeds to offset construction costs. The proposal will be included in the delegation packet for the Oct. 14 meeting so members can review contracts and the construction plan before any delegation vote.
Why it matters: Municipalities are statutorily required to provide temporary shelter or services to people without housing; building a consolidated warming center could lower the cost of placing people in hotels and coordinate services, but it raises questions about long-term ownership, operating costs and siting.
Details and next steps County officials said the current plan keeps ownership with the cities, uses county land under a nominal lease, and requires the municipalities to finalize operating arrangements and financing. The county said the municipalities had already paid for concept plans and asked the county to issue a construction RFP.
Committee members asked for the full packet before the Oct. 14 delegation meeting and raised concerns about siting and ownership. One member urged that the delegation is unlikely to bond the project and that municipalities are arranging funding for construction to avoid county bonding.
No formal vote was taken during the Sept. 30 meeting. The warming center proposal and related materials will appear in the Oct. 14 delegation packet for review and possible action.
Sources: remarks by county administrator and staff to the Strafford County legislative delegation executive committee on Sept. 30, 2025.
