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Bartlett group readies new BRIC application for Dugway Berm after engineer withdraws from shoreline plan
Summary
Flood Hazard Mitigation Committee members told the Selectmen FEMA BRIC funding is available for 2026 but the town needs a new design; HEB engineer Josh McAllister declined to do the shoreline route, and the committee asked the Selectmen to re-engage McAllister or recommend engineers before the July application deadline.
Val Rothen, representing the Flood Hazard Mitigation Committee, told the Board of Selectmen on April 15 that FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) funding is available for 2026 and the Town must reapply to compete for the Dugway Berm project on the Upper Saco River.
Rothen said the group currently lacks a completed design and is asking the Town to help secure engineering support ahead of a July application deadline. “FEMA is ready to work with us,” Rothen said, and the committee would like to meet with HEB engineer Josh McAllister to discuss a new design that could qualify for BRIC funds.
Selectman Gene G. Chandler said McAllister has told the group he will not perform the shoreline engineering route the committee is now considering. The minutes record that McAllister’s view centered on permitting constraints and that the wetlands route he had favored was not considered permittable by an NHDES representative. Committee member Bill Fabrizio expressed confusion because McAllister had prepared the original design, and the group asked for a follow-up meeting to understand what changed.
Selectman Vicki L. Garland recommended contacting Dena Norman at the New Hampshire Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for engineer recommendations; Norman had notified the committee that BRIC funds were again available. Administrative Assistant Amanda R. Gagnon was asked to reach out to McAllister to arrange a meeting and then schedule a follow-up with Redfish Engineering for a question-and-answer session if needed.
Why it matters: The Dugway Berm work could affect flood risk along the Upper Saco River and may require a new engineering study and permitting approach before the town can seek federal BRIC funding. The Selectmen noted the town has an active BRIC application for Razor Brook (a bridge project) and that the Dugway effort would require a separate, new study to be competitive.
What’s next: The Flood Hazard Mitigation Committee will seek to meet with McAllister; if he declines, the Selectmen will ask Dena Norman for engineer referrals and pursue an alternative engineer to produce a design suitable for a BRIC application.
Attribution: The reporting in this article is based on remarks recorded in the April 15, 2026 Selectmen meeting minutes and statements by Val Rothen and Selectmen Gene G. Chandler and Vicki L. Garland.
