Also on today’s menu:
The Bristol Board of Selectmen canceled their plans to extend municipal sewer lines to Newfound Lake, with Chair Don Milbrand saying, “The general consensus is that the numbers just don’t line up to be an affordable solution at this point.”
The town still plans to extend the Lake Street line from Millstream Park to the intersection with Riverdale Road, utilizing an economic development grant to cover the cost, and another $500,000 grant will cover basic repairs to the Central Street pumping station. Selectmen plan to go forward with a full replacement of the pumping station as well as to replace the pressure line leading to Summer Street. Otherwise, Milbrand said, it “would just put a Band-Aid on something that’s going to need to be replaced downline, and it doesn’t address the weak pressure lines, as well.”
The scaled-back project is estimated to cost $16.9 million.
Election Results
In Bristol, incumbent Selectman Leslie Dion was returned to office with 263 votes in the March 8 election, and Carrol M. Brown Jr. was elected to succeed J.P. Morrison, with 232 votes. Morrison had not sought re-election this year.
The tally for other candidates seeking one of the two three-year slots on the board are: William “Bill” Dowey, 192; Danica Spain, 115; Richard Talbot, 78; Randall Kelly, 57; and Steven Coffill, 13.
In the only other contested race — a one-year seat on the Bristol Budget Committee —Rob Glasset defeated Patrick Allen, 40-20.
New Hampton Town Clerk Regina Adams reports that Bruce H. Harvey defeated Maurice Schofield for the three-year selectman’s seat by a 184-152 tally. It was the only contested race on the ballot.
Limiting Power
Boscawen residents attending Town Meeting banned selectmen from buying or selling property but voted to allow the conservation commission to purchase interests in land outside the town’s boundaries, with an eye on the Walker Pond Dam in Webster which the town can pick up for $1.
The article requires the conservation commission and planning board to review any land purchase before the selectmen can vote on the purchase.
The town previously purchased two shorefront parcels on Walker Pond and the town wants to buy and maintain the dam as well, to “prevent the pond from becoming a stream.”
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