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Select Board signs off on recycling repairs and PSNH settlement, backs rail-trail support amid cost surge
Summary
The board authorized small capital withdrawals for a recycling-center water-line repair and approved paying a $263,373.05 settlement to Public Service of New Hampshire; members also authorized a letter of support for rail-trail kiosks while noting an engineering cost increase on a trail segment from about $1.8M to $2.9M that would raise the town’s 20% share to roughly $580,000.
At its meeting the Swansea Select Board approved several routine and nonroutine expenditures and authorized a support letter for a rail-trail grant proposal while flagging a substantial rise in estimated repair costs on a trail segment.
Recycling center: Staff presented a completed repair to the recycling center’s main water line after repeated freezing and steaming out about 25 feet of ice; technicians recommended and installed heat tape. The board authorized a $4,049.10 withdrawal from the recycling center capital reserve fund to cover the cost. The motion passed by voice vote.
Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH/Eversource) settlement: Staff updated the board on a multi-year assessment dispute dating to 2017–18. Negotiations produced a liability of $263,373.05 that the town must pay; staff recommended using fund balance to avoid accruing interest. The board voted to approve payment.
Rail trail: Staff asked for authorization to submit a support letter to the Granite State Wheelers grant committee for installation of three informational kiosk panels along the Monadnock Region rail trail in Swansea. The board authorized the town administrator to send the letter. Board members also reported an updated engineering estimate for a trail/bridge section that grew from a conceptual $1.8 million to about $2.9 million, increasing the town’s 20% share to roughly $580,000. Staff will follow up with the state and report back on possible additional funding sources and whether the project can be re-scoped.
Officer elections and committees: The board also completed annual officer elections (Jim Tempesta nominated as chair, Mark LaBelle as vice chair, Jay Ward as secretary) and assigned members to standing committees; these organizational items were approved by voice vote.
Why it matters: The PSNH settlement moves a sizable, previously uncertain liability onto the town’s immediate fiscal plan. The rail-trail cost increase represents a significant potential capital ask that staff must reconcile with state funding rules and the town’s priorities.
What’s next: Staff will consult state contacts on the rail-trail estimate, continue to seek grant opportunities for energy projects and report updates to the board. The board scheduled follow-up discussions with DPW and the sidewalk committee for resident sidewalk requests.
