At the most recent Hudson Board of Selectmen meeting one of the agenda items was in regards to a proposed warrant article related to the Lowell Road and Birch Street intersection.
“At their meeting on Dec. 10, 2024, the Board of Selectmen discussed Warrant Article #10 for the construction of intersection improvements to the Lowell Road and Birch Street intersection which did not make it onto the 10-year State highway plan,” Acting Town Administrator Steve Malizia wrote in a memo to the Board of Selectmen. “As 80% of the funding for this project was coming from a NHDOT Federal grant, the Town cannot afford to pay for the project without the grant. Based on this information, the Board of Selectmen discussed deferring the withdrawal of Warrant Article #10 from the FY 2026 Warrant until Jan. 14, 2025, pending additional information.”
The warrant article states:
“Shall the Town of Hudson vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $2,553,000 for construction of intersection improvements? This project will be funded with $2,042,400 (80%) from NHDOT federal grant and $510,600 from the Lowell Road Corridor Fund, Zone 1 and Zone 2. This is a Special Warrant Article, per RSA 32:7 VI, reflecting an appropriation that will not lapse until the monies are expended, or June 30, 2031, whichever is the earliest. This appropriation is in addition to Article 2, the Operating Budget.”
Malizia explained it was ultimately up to the Board of Selectmen as to whether or not they should forward it to the Deliberative Session, by moving it forward as a warrant article or not.
“The question in front of you is are you still willing to forward this to the fiscal year 26 warrant,” Malizia said.
It was explained by Board of Selectmen Vice Chair Dillon Dumont, that he thinks the idea should be to put the warrant article forward to the voters, to see if they support it or not, and if they support it, they would have a better chance of getting approval from the State in terms of any potential funding for the project.
Dumont said he thinks they would have a better chance of getting approval from the State if they had the funding available from the Town as well for its contribution.
Board of Selectmen Chair Bob Guessferd said he is concerned about the amount of money already expected to be on the ballot, from different warrant articles, and is concerned with the amount it may impact other things.
Regardless, he said he thinks the project needs to be completed.
“I think this project needs to be done,” Guessferd said.
The Board of Selectmen ultimately voted 5-0 to recommend the warrant article.
The boards next meeting is on Jan. 28 at 7 p.m.
