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Tamworth Select Board orders design of ADA bathroom, keeps transfer-station planning on track
Summary
After a lengthy discussion of Sanborn Head cost estimates and options for storage and operations, the Tamworth Select Board voted to hire Sanborn Head to design a minimum ADA-compliant bathroom attached to the current transfer-station office and to commit ARPA funds; the board also extended the project authorization for one year.
The Tamworth Select Board on Aug. 8 voted to engage Sanborn Head to design a minimum-size ADA-compliant bathroom attached to the town's transfer-station office and to use American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to pay for the design work.
The decision follows a wide-ranging discussion about a recently delivered set of conceptual plans and cost estimates from Sanborn Head, which the board said arrived only about an hour before the meeting. Select Board members said the larger 70-by-70 conceptual building was priced at roughly $1.2–$1.3 million on the cover memo, and members questioned some line items — notably a quoted bathroom addition of nearly $200,000. “The cost estimates, in my opinion, are not working much like that,” one member said during debate, urging a deeper look at specific line items.
Why it matters: the town must commit ARPA funds by year-end to preserve the option to build a larger transfer-station project next year. Board members and transfer-station committee members said they need both a near-term solution (a functioning bathroom and eyewash station for staff) and clearer cost and operational data before deciding on a large permanent building, a scale, or other investments.
NRRA presentation and infrastructure options informed debate. Representatives from the Northeast Resource Recovery Association (NRRA) outlined options for small-town recycling operations — from «milk runs» that consolidate truckloads across towns to using trailers or refurbished balers for storage — and described the trade-offs between single-stream and source-separated systems. NRRA said many New Hampshire towns of similar size operate source-separated systems and that creative storage solutions (shipping containers, trailers, quonset-style fabric buildings) can reduce upfront building costs.
Board action and next steps: the motion to engage Sanborn Head to design an ADA-compliant bathroom attached to the existing office passed by roll call; the board subsequently moved to extend the Town Meeting authorization for transfer-station improvements under RSA 32:7 for one year so planning and bidding can continue. During the meeting a board member provided a scale estimate from vendors — about $60,000 for the scale itself and roughly $60,000 for associated site work — and said that some towns have recouped scale costs in a short period.
Financial context and clarifications: select board members identified roughly $160,000–$170,000 in local capital reserves and ARPA commitments available to the transfer-station project (members noted an existing capital-reserve balance in the ~$60,000–$70,000 range and a previously committed $100,000 in ARPA funds). Several members asked staff and the transfer-station improvement committee to return with more detailed cost breakdowns, alternative vendor quotes for balers and storage, and operating-cost projections. The transfer-station improvement committee expected to vote on a recommendation at its Aug. 21 meeting and return to the board at the next select-board meeting.
The board's vote to commission design work preserves an immediate path to install a permanent restroom and eyewash station while the larger capital decisions are refined. The project remains contingent on final designs, bids, and formal appropriation of construction funds.
