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Nelson Select Board joins Clean Energy New Hampshire; defers HVAC spending pending solar results
Summary
The Nelson Select Board voted 3-0 to join Clean Energy New Hampshire at $300 per year after a request from the Nelson Clean Energy Group. The board said it will wait to see output from a new Town Hall solar array before pursuing additional HVAC installations for town buildings.
The Nelson Select Board voted unanimously on Oct. 2 to join Clean Energy New Hampshire (CENH) at an annual cost of $300 after a presentation from L. Sieverts on behalf of MFS and the Nelson Clean Energy Group.
Sieverts asked the board to place a warrant article on the ballot to fund HVAC units for the town’s fire and police stations. Select Board members noted a new heat-pump air-conditioning unit had been installed this year in the police station and said they preferred to wait a year to assess how much energy the recently installed Town Hall solar array will generate before committing to additional HVAC expenditures. Chair Brenna Kucinski moved to join CENH; Selectman Mike Blaudschun seconded the motion and it passed 3-0.
Sieverts also requested the Town Hall floor be refinished this fall. Don Carlisle, who noted his professional experience with wood floors, recommended postponing the work until 2025. Board members reviewed past rental-rate adjustments intended to offset refinishing costs, including a prior increase from $87 to $95 in 2023, and noted that previous $12 increases did not fully cover refinishing expenses. The board agreed to continue the discussion at a future meeting.
Sieverts asked the sexton to coordinate placement of fire-code 'clear area' tape around new electrical boxes in the Town Hall storage room and suggested the town consider acknowledging a “Citizen of the Year” at Town Meeting. The board took both suggestions under advisement.
The decisions keep the town eligible for technical assistance and grant support CENH can provide while delaying capital HVAC spending until the town can measure the solar array’s performance.
