Committee approves up to $125,000 from Harbor Dredging Fund to replace Rye Harbor recreational pier dock

The Capital Budget and Capital Project Overview Committee voted to approve Pease Development Authority’s request to spend up to $125,000 from the Harbor Dredging and Pier Maintenance Fund to replace a 99-foot deteriorated floating dock at Rye Harbor.

The request, presented as Capital Project 205‑15 by the Pease Development Authority Division of Ports and Harbors, sought prior approval to draw on the Harbor Dredging and Pier Maintenance Fund under RSA 12‑G:46, GRAMA numeral 3, to replace the recreational pier dock as described in the authority’s September 10, 2025 request.

Richard Hartley, acting director of the Pease Development Authority Division of Ports and Harbors, told the committee the dock “is used for unloading and offloading thousands of passengers each year for various charters and whale‑watching tours.” He said the division provided photos in the committee packet to show the dock’s “state of disrepair” and obtained an estimate from a local marine construction company for the replacement.

Representative Edgar moved approval and Representative Wyler seconded. The committee chair called for the vote; members responded “aye” and the motion carried with no opposition recorded in the transcript.

Hartley closed by extending an invitation for committee members to visit Pease facilities, including the deep‑draft terminal in Portsmouth and recreational and commercial piers such as Portsmouth Fish Pier, Rye Harbor and Hampton Harbor.

The committee recorded the request as a capital expenditure from the Harbor Dredging and Pier Maintenance Fund for capital project 205‑15; the packet included photos and an estimate, but the contractor name, exact procurement method, and the final construction timeline were not specified on the record.