BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. – The Rockingham Selectboard held their regular meeting in the lower theater on Tuesday, March 19. Chair Peter Golec called the meeting to order promptly at 6 p.m.
After no public comments were presented, town manager Scott Pickup began his report with a request for volunteers to serve on town committees, expressing that many empty seats would be available as of April 1. He invited anyone interested to email him directly at manager@rockbf.org.
Kaytlynn Monroe of National Grid gave a presentation on the River Valley Reliability Project. The scope of the project spans from the Wilder Substation in Hartford, Vt., through New Hampshire, and into Bellows Falls. Monroe said there will be 509 structures replaced, resulting in improved electric reliability, and the reduction of future maintenance and repair costs throughout the region.
Field work, land surveys, and construction reviews began in fall 2023 and are ongoing, with permitting to start during 2024-2025, and construction scheduled to begin December 2026, extending through March 2030. Pickup encouraged everyone to call 833-874-6988, or visit www.rivervalleyreliabilityproject.com for more information.
Regarding the lease and purchase agreement for the Bellows Falls train station, Pickup reported that the draft of the agreement would be presented on April 2 to the newly-elected selectboard for review. $75,000 has been approved by voters to go toward the purchase of the station, with other money coming from the general fund to pay for engineering costs, including funds from the planning and development offices, budgeted with the intention of covering the costs of predevelopment, research, and planning work.
The project consists of three stages. The predevelopment work and purchase are part of the first stage. The second stage includes exterior work, like restoring the masonry facade, windows, and doors, in accordance with the U.S. Department of the Interior historic preservation standards. This portion is fully funded by grants and matching funds.
The board considered the proposal from Main Street Arts (MSA) to the Saxtons River Trustees, to gift the MSA building located at 37 Main Street to the Village of Saxtons River. Board member Rick Cowan reported that MSA had received a quote of $60,000 to demolish the building.
With funds from a municipal planning grant, the town had conducted a feasibility study which identified top projects supported by residents, including a multi-use building, a park, and a fire station. Cowan discussed hiring a consultant to see what other towns have done, and assess the impact of such a proposal, before moving forward.
The board concluded that more information was needed before acting on the proposal.
Pickup informed the board on multiple grant updates, including the 2024 Sustainable Energy for Schools and Municipalities Program application, which paid for the reinforcement of the town hall roof. The grant requires a local match of $20,000 for project completion, and comes with an expected savings of $200,000 in energy costs.
Tuesday night was board member Susan Hammond’s last meeting, as announced by Cowan, who thanked her for 10 years on the board.
The Rockingham Selectboard will hold its organization meeting on Tuesday, April 2, at 7:30 p.m., and a regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16.