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Maintenance director flags sewer, security and life‑safety repairs at Riverside and Hider hospice
Summary
Strafford County maintenance staff told the subcommittee that Riverside’s buried sewer pipes show severe deterioration and that Hider hospice needs wander‑guard, sprinkler flushing and a new roof; Kane asked the delegation to prioritize life‑safety repairs while items are bid and refined.
Doug Kane, director of maintenance for Strafford County, told the subcommittee that multiple facility problems at Riverside and Hider hospice require near‑term attention and inclusion in the capital plan.
On Riverside, a camera inspection found sections of buried clay sewer pipe with significant erosion and reduced capacity. Kane said a vendor estimated lining roughly 1,250 feet of pipe using a cured‑in‑place method that would rehabilitate most runs but that some junctions might require excavation and spot replacement. Vendor estimates discussed in the meeting were in the mid‑$200,000s with a 10 percent contingency for inflation and unforeseen work.
Kane outlined additional life‑safety work at Riverside: a perimeter panic alarm and centralized door‑locking/badge access to secure medication rooms and sensitive areas, upgraded cameras with more resolution and storage, and replacement of old breaker panels to address units that no longer trip reliably.
At Hider hospice Kane recommended a wander‑guard/elopement detection system and keypad access for select doors so the facility can accept respite patients who currently must be turned away. He also described a sprinkler piping issue discovered after a leak: sediment accumulation in a dry sprinkler run that requires flushing and regrading to ensure sprinkler heads do not plug on activation. The group discussed a full roof replacement and parking‑lot regrading options that would be sensitive to wetlands and stormwater runoff.
Clinical and operations staff added equipment requests: Mike Morris, physical therapy director, sought bariatric lifts, Hoyer lifts and stand lifts to safely move residents and reduce staff injury; Jen Hogan, dietary director, said the facility’s dish machine is roughly 30 years old and sometimes lacks replacement parts, and she recommended a new unit and walk‑in cooler repairs to avoid state survey deficiencies.
Kane characterized the collection of items as infrastructure and life‑safety priorities and said county crews will perform some work to reduce cost, while other items must be competitively bid. The subcommittee voted to forward the capital plan for executive committee review; the executive committee will review bond language and may alter allocations before a full delegation vote.
