Public works warns of salt shortage and lagoon permit deadline; board considers reimbursable consultant warrant article

Town public works director TJ reported to the select board on Jan. 13 that recent storms and late-night events have caused repeated overtime and significant salt usage, producing an unusually large invoice: "I just paid a bill for $28,000 for salt," he said. TJ told the board that current storage capacity is approximately 250 tons and that a covered building with a roughly 1,000-ton capacity would reduce the risk of running out between deliveries.

TJ also described repeated calls for municipal crews to sand private developments (identified as Stoneview and Knox Mountain), which he said strains resources and raises fairness questions about using public crews on private benefits. He said he would attempt to work with development contractors informally first and, if that fails, bring the matter back to the board for possible formal action.

On wastewater, TJ and board representatives reported that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services issued a permit renewal with a five-year term for the town’s lagoon/septic facility and indicated no further extensions will be granted beyond that term. That timeline triggered discussion about preparing for closure and potential replacement options. TJ said he will provide supporting materials to board member Brian and recommended a consultant-led closure plan and sewer-rate analysis. He recommended appropriating up to $100,000 for a consultant via a warrant article; he described that appropriation as "fully reimbursed" if the town secures available program funds.

Board members asked for legal clarity about whether a warrant article touching a sewer enterprise fund could be placed on the general tax base or must be borne by user fees; Speaker 1 suggested obtaining town counsel’s legal opinion before advancing any warrant article. Members also discussed phasing the work to control rate impacts and directed staff to return with more precise cost estimates and legal guidance.

Next steps: public works will pursue cost estimates for a salt/sand storage building and seek vendors; TJ will pass lagoon-related documents to board members and staff to pursue consultant scope and potential reimbursable funding; the board requested a legal analysis of financing options before placing any warrant article on the ballot.