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Swansea holds bond hearing for new public works facility as officials stress need to protect equipment and improve compliance
Summary
At a Jan. 13 public hearing, town staff said the current public works building is aging, lacks compliant restrooms and cannot shelter equipment; the Select Board heard a presentation on a proposed bond and public comment urging solar-ready design.
The Swansea Board of Selectmen opened a public bond hearing on Jan. 13 for a proposed new public works facility, with town staff saying the existing building is deteriorating, noncompliant in places and too small to house critical equipment.
Public Works Director Joe Duruso, identified in the presentation, described the operational limits at the current Department of Public Works (DPW) facility, saying the town has equipment that cannot be stored indoors. "We have a state of the art brand new grader that's sitting outside in the weather because there simply isn't room for it," Duruso said, explaining that plows and other apparatus must remain outside, which adds labor and exposure to damage.
Speaker 5 (presenter to the board) and Duruso said the preliminary building design is not finalized but noted an approximate length of 160 feet and that town-owned adjacent property is cleared and 'turnkey' if a bond is approved; construction was discussed for 2026 should voters approve the article. Duruso said the old building could remain as a workshop while a new facility would centralize equipment storage, modern heating, restrooms and locker space.
Bob O'Dell, identifying himself as chairman of the Swansea Energy Commission, urged the board to "support design and engineering to accommodate solar panels on the roof of the new Public Works building" to improve energy resilience and provide backup power to DPW during outages. Duruso said the town is open to the idea but cautioned it likely would require grant funding and structural review.
The presentation placed the bond hearing in the context of the board's broader budget and capital planning work; the board closed the public hearing on the DPW bond during the Jan. 13 meeting and opened the hearing on the 2026 budget and other warrant articles.
Next steps: the board will hold subsequent public hearings and deliberative sessions where voters will consider the bond question as part of the 2026 warrant process.
