Shall the Town of Hampton vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $4,242,000 for the purpose of constructing the necessary replacement of the two (2) wastewater force mains between the Church Street Sewer Pumping Station and the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The first force main is made of ductile iron and was installed in 1987. This ductile iron force main ruptured, as discovered in February 2016, due to a penetration in the pipe made by an errant rock presumably left near the pipe during its initial construction, and was repaired out of necessity. The second force main is made of asbestos concrete and was installed in 1969. It is necessary to have two force mains operating during the summer to transport the normal sewerage flow to the Wastewater Treatment Plant during six (6) months of the year to prevent backup and overtopping of the sewer system at Hampton Beach. The complete and reliable functionality of these force mains is essential to ensure the structural integrity of the sewer system serving Hampton Beach, which is critical to the environmental and financial well-being of the Town of Hampton. Unless these force mains are replaced, there remains the potential for a similar rupture to occur in the future, which would cripple, if not entirely shut down, the Hampton Beach area. The proposed replacement force mains are to be constructed along State Highway 101 from the Church Street Sewer Pumping Station to the Wastewater Treatment Plant, therefore ceasing use of the pipes that are located in the Marsh; and
Such sum to be raised by the issuance of municipal bonds or notes for a period not to exceed thirty (30) years under and in accordance with the Municipal Finance Act (RSA 33); and
To authorize the Board of Selectmen and the Town Treasurer to issue and negotiate such bonds or notes and to determine the rate of interest thereon in accordance with the Municipal Finance Act (RSA 33); and
To authorize the Board of Selectmen to apply for, contract for, accept and expend any Federal, State or other available funds towards the project in accordance with the terms and conditions under which they are received and to borrow in anticipation of the receipt of such funds and or the issuance of such bonds or notes as provided in the Municipal Finance Act (RSA 33); and
To authorize participation in the State Revolving Fund (SRF) (RSA 486:14) established for the purpose, and to authorize the Board of Selectmen to apply for, accept, and expend such monies as they become available from the Federal and State Governments; and
To authorize the Board of Selectmen to implement such cost effective solutions as are presented in the future that they deem to be in the best interests of the Town that may result in a lesser amount of expenditure than is authorized by this warrant article; and
To authorize the Board of Selectmen to take any and all actions necessary to carry out the project in the best interests of the Town of Hampton? (3/5ths vote required)
Fiscal Impact Note (Finance Dept.) Since the above bond would not be issued until later in 2017, the first, estimated, principal/interest payment of $342,809.54 will not occur until 2018. The total of the bond’s principal and interest payments over the 30-year period are estimated to be $7,032,009.54.
What it means: This will relocate both sewer force mains that serve Hampton Beach so that, instead of being buried in the salt marsh, they would run from the Church Street Pumping Station along Rt. 101 and across Tide Mill Rd. to the Waste Water Treatment Plant.
Those in favor say: This relocation would allow DPW to monitor and maintain both force mains more efficiently and regularly. With the current force mains in the salt marsh, inspection and maintenance is difficult and expensive and makes the timing of work very tricky because it is dependent upon the tides.
We have been mandated by the State to repair these force mains by the end of this year. Upgrades to the current force mains in the salt marsh would not solve the issue of inaccessibility for inspection and maintenance, nor would it solve the issue with the tides interfering with work. The Hampton Beach Village District voted unanimously to support this warrant article. There is a concern that another leak could have a negative impact on the stellar ratings Hampton Beach has earned for clean waters. There is also concern about the impact on Hampton Beach residences and businesses if there were to be another leak in peak season when both force mains are in constant use.
Those against say: The current force mains have not been inspected to determine the risks, and whether this was a one-time problem. So is this expense really necessary?
Fiscal Impact: The average Hampton home valued at $404,000 would bear an increased tax cost of $42.02 per year starting in 2018 without consideration for possible offsets. The funding for this Article will impact future budgets, as a 30-year bond is planned.