Mount Sunapee Sewage Lagoon Study Approved; DES Commissioner Nominated For Another Term

By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH

CONCORD, NH — The state's Executive Council approved a contract with Weston & Sampson Engineers of Portsmouth to conduct a feasibility study of the Mount Sunapee Ski Area sewage lagoon Wednesday.

It also approved funds for a new EV station in North Woodstock, a $9 million contract for GO-NORTH and honored nurses who are with rape victims in their time of need.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte also nominated DES Commissioner Bob Scott for another four-year term.

The $237,978 contract will use 100 percent state park operations funds but the study is a prerequisite for future funding through the federal Clean Water State Revolving Fund and there is a potential that $100,000 in funding may be awarded for this project.

The lagoon system for the ski area was constructed by the state in the late 1960s and is nearing the end of its useful life. The state leases the ski area to Vail Associates but the land is owned by the state.

Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill, D-Lebanon, said in an email: "I'm very excited to see the feasibility study coming forward for Council approval regarding wastewater treatment at Sunapee. The current system - open-air lagoons - is over 50 years old, and a significant brook - Beck Brook - goes right by it on its way down the mountain to Lake Sunapee which provides drinking water to the Town of Sunapee. Newbury and New London are also part of the Lake Sunapee watershed, and there are a lot of folks who have been advocating for a long time that it's time to replace this outdated system for the sake of public safety. Lake Sunapee is a very well-loved source of recreation!"

She also noted in a Tuesday email to InDepthNH.org that "the State has done testing regularly and has not identified any problems with the current lagoons. However, the Newbury Conservation Commission has also done testing and found problematic results. So there does appear to be conflicting information. Based on this and the age of the lagoons, this planning study makes a lot of sense so that we can identify potential alternatives, as well as associated costs of what we will inevitably need to do — which is to replace this aging infrastructure."

Doing this study now, she said and using federal funds to cover nearly half of it is an important step forward to identify alternatives and costs "so that we can ultimately negotiate with Vail about covering the cost of putting a modern wastewater treatment system in place and give the public confidence about the safety of the water going into Lake Sunapee."

Executive Councilor Janet Stevens, R-Rye, said she was fully in support of the contract. Interim DNCR Commissioner Adam Crepeau said he met with Newbury officials on the feasibility study recently.

"We are looking at replacing it in the future. This will look at alternatives and current deficiencies...this will help get us there," Crepeau said.

Liot Hill said there is a lot of concern in her district.

"I think this was a really positive step forward," she said.

Crepeau said if the federal funds come in he would return to get authorization along with some additional funding to repay the Parks fund.

He noted that work could begin next week and will ask the Mount Sunapee Advisory Commission for input.

Dan Wolf, a member of that commission, said Tuesday that he is in support of the feasibility study.

Liot Hill said Mount Sunapee is a state treasure that belongs to all and this information will get all the information to do good planning for the next 50 to 75 years.

"It's a good day for us to plan for the future," Liot Hill said.

HEADWATERS UPDATE

The state is still reviewing a purchase and sales agreement to sell the 146,400-acre Connecticut Lakes Headwaters from Aurora to Manulife with the state considering a right of first refusal on the $68 million sale.

The state has 45 days to respond to the purchase and sales agreement and the governor said even if the state does not exercise that, she expects existing easement and timber plans will be assumed by the new owner. The state holds a conservation easement which was designed to allow the property to be used for logging and recreation.

TRAM PROJECT NOW OUT TO BID

Dec. 1, 2028 is the requested date for completion of a new tramway at Cannon Mountain, as the project has just gone out to bid.
But that time frame would depend on what bids are received, said Crepeau.

He said he is hopeful that the public will not have to go through three ski seasons without the tram and that it would be limited to two. The current tram has been retired and this would be the third tram.

GO NORTH UPDATE

A $9.1 million contract was approved between the state and the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago to work with the Governor's Office of New Opportunities and Rural Transformation or GO-NORTH.

Donna Lee Lozeau, who is heading up the new, five-year program to improve rural health, said New Hampshire is one of the first states to be considered by Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services to operate the GO NORTH hub model.

She said the program is still staffing up and now has streamlined reporting documents required and are on track for new RFPs to be coming out.

Lozeau said one of the first steps needed for GO-NORTH is this contract, an evaluator contract and that person will be able to prove to the federal government that we are meeting performance standards to be able to hold on to the funding received.

"This is critical to help us and the hubs," she said. "We can't manage what we can't measure."

There is over $200 million obligated but future funding is predicated over the next five years on performance, Lozeau said.

Liot Hill said she is concerned to hear that Manchester may be applying for these rural funds.

"My hackles are a bit up right now," she said, "when I have hospitals on the verge...I hope we will be able to discuss this..."

Lozeau said there is no evidence Manchester is trying to apply for funds through GO NORTH but to help with some experience with emergency medicine.

Executive Councilor Stevens said she wanted to make sure that her providers had a seat at the table as well.

Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Lancaster, asked about the construction of a new Coos County Nursing Home and the process going forward with GO-NORTH that can help with that project.

"I don't like the phrase 'claw back,'" Kenney told Lozeau, and she said she would work to make sure none of that happens.

EV CHARGING STATION APPROVED FOR NORTH WOODSTOCK

The Council approved $753,210 to install an electric vehicle charging station in North Woodstock, which will be used to improve tourism in the White Mountain region.

RAIL TRAIL ISSUE UPDATE

Associate Attorney General Chris Bond said his office intends to file action in court "very soon" to ask a judge to open the rail trail in the Andover area after a property owner placed Jersey barriers blocking the public right of way to about a one mile section of road, with no safe or approved alternative for bicyclists and other pedestrians to use.

MADISON ROAD DAMAGE

A tremendous rain storm last week that dropped more than five inches of rain in a short period of time in Madison and tore up roads and culverts is being addressed, Councilor Kenney was told.

David Rodrigue, commissioner of the Department of Transportation, said his agency is working with local officials to fix damage and it was an extraordinary event.

In an effort to determine the extent of damages from the storm that started June 10, the Department of Safety’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency to conduct a joint Preliminary Damage Assessment.

“Following the flooding in Madison and surrounding towns, our state agencies quickly acted to assist local officials and assess initial damage," said Ayotte. "Based on these findings, I’ve asked Director Buxton to request a joint Preliminary Damage Assessment with FEMA to determine whether a disaster declaration is needed. I want to thank our Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, New Hampshire Department of Transportation, and everyone involved in this response.”

PDA teams consist of officials from FEMA, HSEM and local emergency managers. The teams jointly document damage to determine the resources needed to help recover from a disaster.

“The assessments are a critical component of making a request for federal relief funds,” said HSEM Director Robert Buxton. “We have been in contact with communities affected by this storm to determine whether we will meet the state threshold of $2.67 million in damages, and we would like to thank those communities for participating in the process," a press release issued earlier this week reads.

MOU BETWEEN LABOR AND JUDICIAL BRANCH ON INDIGENT EVALUATION

The council approved a no-cost memorandum of understanding between the state Department of Employment Security and the Judicial Branch to provide limited, view-only access to wage records in an effort for the court to verify qualification for public defenders due to a person's indigent status.

MORE MONEY FOR PRISON OVERTIME

Another $8 million was approved by the council Wednesday to cover shortfalls through 26 pay periods through June 11, 2026 to pay overtime or prison employees due to a lack of staffing.

Executive Councilor Liot Hill, expressed concern that this continues to be a problem and that a little over $25 million has been approved so far this year and another likely $25 million needed for next year. The fiscal committee also has to sign off on the payment and it meets on June 19 to consider the request.

The council also approved a sole source contract to renew with Androscoggin Valley Hospital Inc. in Berlin for $4.4 million in medical services for inmates.

LEFTOVER ARPA FUNDS FOR HOUSING

The council approved an agreement with the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority by increasing the funding amount $1.7 million from $2.2 to $4 million with no change in the completion date in order to reallocate de-obligated ARPA SFRF funds to use for affordable housing projects. This post-COVID-19 money was allocated for various projects but if not used the state agreed to reallocate those funds for housing.

GREAT AMERICAN STATE FAIR PARTICIPATION

The council approved a donation of almost 2,000 bottles of maple syrup from the NH Maple Producers Association valued at $5,760 to give away during the Great American State Fair June 25- July 10 on the National Mall.

The state will participate in the event which is expected to attract more than 2 million people during the 16-days and will feature the state's role in the origin of the nation, its First in the Nation Primary, Mount Washington, arts and parks and other travel opportunities, said Crepeau.

BASS NOW IN POND AT VETERANS HOME

After the trout were eaten by predators like blue herons and turtles, the council was told that the Fish and Game Department is now stocking bass, though some trout are still in the pond at the NH Veterans Home in Tilton. The pond is pretty shallow, the council was told.

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.