By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
NEWPORT, N.H. — Newport voters approved a warrant article at a Special Town Meeting that allows the appropriation of $5 million for the design, construction and upgrade of a wastewater treatment plant.
A 60% majority of vote was required, and the town voted 363-18 in favor of the article. There was a 10% voter turnout for the special election, which was all day on Sept. 24.
Leading up to the vote, town officials were stressing the need to have the article passed. At the deliberative session last month, Selectboard Chair made the motion for the article and discussed the ins and outs to the public.
He explained that $4 million comes from issuance from bonds and notes, and this article authorizes selectmen to issue and negotiate them. It also authorizes the board to apply for, and spend, money from federal and state government to be used. The remaining $1 million comes from federal grants and does not lapse before the project is completed, or by June 30, 2025.
At the last Town Meeting, $23.5 million was approved for the project. Of that, $4 million was a donation from the Department of Environmental Services, which now needs to be authorized so money can be borrowed from the state. This will only be borrowed for an estimated four months, according to town officials.
When the town went to bid in April, they were $5 million short on the engineer’s estimate. The town spoke with the state and were offered $2.5 million in funding, bringing the total to $5 million.
If the article was not passed, officials said the town would have risked losing part or all of the grant funding it was receiving. It would have also lost the low interest rate borrowing at 2% for local funds, as well as favorable waivers on federal construction requirements, the current bid by the contractor, and a year of time before the federally required completion date of 2026.
