The Capital Budget and Capital Project Overview Committee voted to approve a not-to-exceed $893,000 tranche for Cannon Mountain projects proposed by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Jay Swarth, who oversees Franconia Notch State Park and Cannon Mountain operations, told the committee that $943,564 was available to bond in the Cannon Mountain Capital Improvement Fund and that the requested tranche of up to $893,000 falls below that available principal. Swarth said three submitted projects will use a 50/50 Land and Water Conservation Fund split that reduces the state's net share.

Swarth described the work as including roughly $220,000 for guest-facing facility repairs (floors, decks and bathrooms), replacement of the remaining fixed jaws on a lift grip line, supplies to build an onload/offload ramp to allow a detachable PVD lift to operate as a scenic chairlift (to offset tram revenue losses), snowmaking improvements including a spur line and valve additions, a rebuild of a primary pump, and operations equipment such as a shop replacement and a plow truck.

Commissioner Sarah Stewart and Swarth also provided an informational update on the Cannon Mountain tramway. Swarth said SCJ Alliance is performing structural and load analyses on the three towers, the terminals and footings and is revising the 2023 bid specifications. He reported the initial hypothesis that the existing infrastructure could support a new tramway still stands but that "there are only localized issues on the towers" and the summit terminal requires additional testing. He added the structural engineer will provide a contemporary cost estimate before bidding and that the department is targeting a May bid release.

Committee members questioned whether the 1978 tower designs anticipated current loads and whether a small pool of global manufacturers could delay the schedule. Swarth said that while original designs specify loads, degradation from weather and use can occur and that there are few manufacturers in the market (Leitner-Poma and Doppelmayr); the division is prequalifying manufacturers ahead of bidding to reduce delay risk. Senator Warner asked about a $6,000,000 obligation limit set in statute (2898); Swarth said the commission and advisory group view the limit as "insufficient" and indicated an update has been discussed.

The committee approved the tranche motion. Staff said they would follow up on an unrelated question about the status of projects listed for the New Hampshire Veterans Home in the quarterly report and will report back to committee staff.