Belmont upgrades 2 plow trucks with state grant

BELMONT — Thanks to the ingenuity of town leaders, taxpayers were saved at least $200,000 in the outfitting of one public works vehicle, part of a grant from a program of the Department of Environmental Services, and a second truck is currently in the process of being modernized, for an additional savings of $193,706.

The Granite State Clean Fleet Grant program helps with older vehicles flagged for emissions violations, modernizing the machines to build out a more environmentally-friendly fleet. The grant is a competitive reimbursement program funded by the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust to offset excess nitrogen oxides resulting from Volkswagen’s emissions violations. The program reduces NOx emissions by funding projects that scrap and replace older, diesel-powered units with newer, cleaner alternative-fuel or diesel-powered units.

Two town plow trucks are being brought up to current standards, with one ready to keep the streets clear already this winter, and another slated for use in 2026.

After a grant application submitted in 2023, the first upgraded plow truck was put into service in December 2024, after supply chain and manufacturing issues delayed its delivery.

The town was responsible for 20% of that vehicle upgrade, at a total cost of $51,659. The remaining balance of $207,520 came through the grant. According to Town Administrator Alicia Jipson, Highway Block Grant funds were used for the purchase, resulting in "no tax impact on residents.”

“As a taxpayer and a representative of the department, I went through the process and application,” said Brian Jackes, director of public works, in a phone interview. “[DES] awarded us the truck; they paid for 80%.”

The second plow truck’s refurbishment is underway.

The six-wheeler cab and chassis, along with a complete municipal upfit package for the second plow, has been ordered and is scheduled for delivery by the end of this month. For the second plow, DES is paying for 70% of the balance ($193,706.45), leaving Belmont on the hook for 30%, or $83,017.

The plan is to use Highway Block Grant funds again to cover this portion, “pending nothing unexpected,” Jipson said. All told, the town saved approximately $401,226.45 because of the Granite State Clean Fleet Program.

“Once all the components are here, the new truck will be built and placed in service ASAP, so the unit being replaced can be scrapped per the grant requirements,” Jackes said.

Both grants for the Town of Belmont’s Department of Public Works come with quarterly reporting requirements for the next five years, but are a “very minuscule requirement, considering the roughly $400,000 in funding provided toward Belmont’s plow trucks by this program,” he said.

Jipson is happy to see town leaders thinking creatively to save taxpayers money.

“We are beyond grateful and appreciative to have been chosen two times for this grant,” she said. “Town employees work very hard on grant opportunities to save the taxpayers dollars, while being mindful of infrastructure needs and keeping up with equipment.”

Grant restrictions don’t list anything about fire trucks, so Assistant Fire Chief Donald Pickowicz is pursuing an opportunity of his own.

“There’s nothing that says you can't use it for a firetruck. It’s a diesel vehicle owned by a municipality,” said Jackes. “[Pickowicz] submitted for it, and he made it to the next phase, which is basically that DES goes through it with a fine-tooth comb and checks his numbers; make sure everything is square.”

For more information on the grant program, visit des.nh.gov. To read town newsletters, access selectboard meetings and more, visit belmontnh.gov.

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Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.