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Candidates press for wastewater relocation and an Essential Services Complex as part of flood recovery
Summary
At a public forum candidates said moving Hardwick's wastewater treatment plant out of flood zones and building a consolidated Essential Services Complex are top infrastructure priorities; speakers warned these are multimillion‑dollar projects that require careful planning and backup funding.
Candidates at the Judah Vine Memorial Library forum identified the wastewater treatment plant and an Essential Services Complex that would house the town garage, fire and rescue functions as Hardwick's largest infrastructure needs.
Joe Nadell described both projects as "huge infrastructure projects, millions of dollars," and said they "kinda have to be done" to ensure emergency services remain available during floods. Kaylee Galloway Kane called the Essential Services Complex a "brilliant idea," saying it would better support public works, EMTs and the fire department.
Larry Fliegelman, who serves on the planning commission, stressed that the wastewater plant "needs to be higher" and that the town has proposed zoning changes and pursued tier‑1b status to help make housing and growth more affordable over time. Several candidates cautioned that new facilities will need maintenance plans to avoid returning to the same problems in future decades.
Speakers also discussed related downtown improvements such as the Main Street–Mill Street study, rail‑trail connections, sidewalks and crosswalks to manage increased traffic from visitors and new residents. Candidates urged the select board to pair large capital projects with realistic contingency and maintenance planning before committing to construction.
