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Select Board authorizes limited spending for culverts and equipment repairs
Summary
The Barnstead Select Board approved funding authorizations to address urgent culvert failures and to repair key highway equipment, and it agreed to consider larger paving and culvert needs during budget planning.
The Barnstead Select Board approved short-term spending this meeting to address failing culverts and to repair town highway equipment after staff described multiple collapsed or damaged culverts and out-of-service machinery.
Highway foreman Sarah told the board she had flushed and inspected culverts where possible, identified several with holes or collapsed sections, and asked for additional funds to replace the most urgent pieces. "My goal was to be one a week if I could, but I don't have enough funds," Sarah said, describing prior season expenditures and a shortfall in the culvert replacement line.
After discussion about available budget lines and the expendable trust balance (the board reported roughly $250,000 in the expendable trust), a board member moved and the board voted to allow the highway department to spend up to $10,000 from the operating budget to purchase and install urgently needed culverts. The motion was seconded and the board proceeded with the authorization.
The board also approved two equipment repairs the highway department said were necessary for continued operations. Members voted to authorize up to $5,100 to repair an excavator with a leaking drive hub so it could return to service; the repair estimate was from a local mechanic who had not yet disassembled the unit. Separately, the board authorized a not-to-exceed $2,500 repair for the helper springs and related work on a town truck after staff presented parts-and-labor estimates.
Board members and staff emphasized that the purchases and repairs were unplanned expenses and that they would work to rebalance other budget lines or propose adjustments in next year's budget to reflect recurring culvert and equipment needs. No additional long-term paving or project commitments were made at the meeting; the board said it will prioritize projects when engineering assignments and grant opportunities are reviewed.
