Selectmen set follow‑up on one‑year Honeybee Hollow lease while town addresses repairs, grant work

Nicole Les, vice president of the Honeybee Hollow nonprofit, asked the selectmen to approve one of three short‑term lease options so the childcare program can remain open while the town addresses building problems and the nonprofit pursues grant funding.

Les said the board of Honeybee Hollow prefers a one‑year lease at $1,500 per month with the nonprofit continuing to pay utilities; the rent balance (an extra $500 in Good Energy’s example) was intended to give the nonprofit flexibility for fluctuating oil prices and smaller urgent repairs. She said the nonprofit is at or near capacity and that maintaining affordable rates for families is a priority.

Town facilities director Joe (recorded in the transcript as Joe) reported he has obtained a quote for a corrected door in the range of $2,500 to $5,000 depending on whether a double door is required; he is also working on groundhog/rodent exclusion measures and other items the nonprofit flagged. Les and board members described an energy audit and an estimated scope (an Eversource audit figure of roughly $160,000 for a full retrofit appeared in earlier materials) as a long‑term solution to reduce utility volatility.

Selectmen asked for more detailed cost estimates and asked that Honeybee Hollow and town facilities staff meet with the board at the July 15 meeting so the board can review quotes and finalize the lease terms. The selectmen did not adopt a lease at the July 1 meeting; they scheduled the matter for follow‑up and asked staff to include the facilities director’s input in the packet.