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Select Board raises public‑safety and operational concerns after Hillsborough County jail study suggests Goffstown site
Summary
A county jail study presented Hillsborough County’s option to build a new jail on county land in Goffstown; town chiefs cautioned the board about increased EMS/fire transports, training needs and community impacts and the board asked staff to draft a letter of concerns to county commissioners and state representatives.
Hillsborough County’s jail study, which included an option to construct a new county facility on county land along Route 114 in Goffstown, prompted detailed operational concerns at the July 13 Select Board meeting.
Town staff summarized the county presentation and distributed minutes and study materials showing option 3 — a new facility on county property between St. Anselm Drive and Mast Road. The packet indicated the proposed facility would include a jail component and a community corrections center, with approximately 485 beds in the jail component and an additional 70 beds in a lower‑tier community corrections center.
Fire and EMS leaders told the board a new county jail would increase annual call volume based on comparisons with other county jails. DPW and fire staff flagged higher ambulance and fire response demands, extra training needs for correctional‑facility incidents, and logistical questions about transports and releases from a rural site. One DPW/fire summary cited conservative estimates of roughly 39 additional annual fire calls and 335 additional EMS calls for a 485‑bed facility, though presenters warned those are lower‑end figures and procedural decisions (how the county handles transports and releases) would materially change the impact.
Police and fire chiefs also noted duties that currently fall to Manchester PD or the county could shift to local agencies depending on county staffing and release procedures; chiefs asked for clarity on who would handle transports and how courtesy rides or release logistics would be managed from a rural site.
The Select Board asked staff to draft a letter outlining operational concerns — including EMS transport burden, training needs, public‑safety staffing impacts and community effects — to send to Hillsborough County commissioners and the town’s state representatives. Town staff (S2) will circulate a draft before the next meeting.
The county study indicates the county’s FY27 budget does not yet include planning or design funds for a Goffstown site and that next steps would likely depend on the county delegation and future budgeting.
