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Selectmen hear updates on transfer-station gate, well pump repair and police office renovations
Summary
Town officials told the selectmen the transfer station gate installation is nearly complete, a town well pump was replaced after failure and the new police office renovation is nearly finished; the board also discussed transfer-station permitting and recycling practices.
Town staff and selectmen provided operational updates at the March 3 meeting on the transfer station, town wells and police department facilities.
Transfer station: The board heard that a new gate has been installed at the transfer station and remaining finishing work is expected to conclude this week. The gate was moved back about 15 feet to allow haulers room to pull up; the unit is solar powered and will be operable from trucks using an access code. Staff said the change aims to prevent vendors and haulers from accessing the site outside scheduled hours and to eliminate safety risks when haulers stop partly in roadway while accessing the gate. The transfer station is operating under a “permit by notification” arrangement with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) that allows the board to change hours and accepted commodities without separate state approvals; staff noted two annual reports were required under the new permit and that reports were submitted for January 5 deadlines.
Water system: Selectmen were told one of the town’s large gravel-pack wells lost a pump and a new pump was installed. After the pump was replaced, contractors inspected the well screen with a camera and reported it as unusually clean. The town also reported hauling about 1,500 tons of grit/sand to the highway garage because local grit supplies were constrained; staff said increased on-hand grit does not spoil and helps winter operations.
Police facilities: The police office renovation is nearly complete, described by staff as roughly 95% finished. The chief and highway department staff contributed many hours to organizing and moving equipment; the Highway Department built office space and painted it, and staff discussed installing an epoxy floor product compatible with the building’s radiant heating.
Recycling and town hall: A resident asked why the town hall had no recycling; staff said the town’s recycling program had been scaled back at the transfer station because certain materials (mixed paper, plastics 1–7) were being disposed as MSW due to market and cost constraints. The board voted to place a metal-can recycling container in the town-hall lobby for public use.
Why it matters: These operational items affect daily services such as public safety, winter road operations and solid-waste access. Gate changes and well repairs address safety and infrastructure reliability; recycling changes reflect market realities for municipal recycling streams.
Ending: Staff said they will continue to monitor road conditions through spring thaw, complete transfer-station finishing work and finalize the police-office finish details.
