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Council approves Eagle Scout’s solar charging station at Twin Bridge Park
Summary
The Merrimack Town Council unanimously approved a life scout’s Eagle Scout project to build a solar‑powered phone and USB charging station at Twin Bridge Park, authorizing the town manager to sign required paperwork. Fundraising and maintenance details were discussed during the presentation.
Evan Carlson, a life scout from Troop 401, presented a plan to build a solar‑powered charging station at Twin Bridge Park and the council voted to approve the project. Carlson described a single larger station (roughly 10–14 feet tall, about 6 feet wide and 22 inches deep) designed for vandal resistance, maintainability and public safety, and said the bill of materials is about $2,200.
Carlson told the council the electronics box will be locked and managed by Parks and Recreation, wiring will run through PVC conduit to discourage tampering, the support posts will be set in concrete using sonotubes, and he estimated battery replacement cost at about $440 for a pair of lead‑acid deep‑cycle batteries. "I am Evan Carlson. I am a life scout from Troop 401," Carlson said in his opening remarks, then walked through siting, construction and maintenance plans.
Council members asked technical and logistical questions about lumber, footing details and charging ports. Carlson said the installed ports are standard USB‑A fast‑charging outlets, with the possibility of adding a USB‑C port at build time. He explained that users will need to bring their own cables and that leftover fundraising proceeds would be discussed with Parks and Recreation if any funds remain.
Nancy Murphy moved approval of the project and Tom Thornton seconded the motion. The motion, which included authorization for the town manager to execute any required paperwork, passed by voice vote 6–0–0.
Next steps: Carlson may proceed with fundraising (he mentioned plans for a pancake breakfast) and Parks and Recreation will coordinate beneficiary approval and maintenance responsibilities once the project moves into the construction phase.
