County delegation approves WOW trail, Mill, facilities funding through ARPA

LACONIA — The Belknap County Delegation, after a leadership change bringing Rep. Harry Bean of Gilford into the role of chair, approved just under $600,000 in appropriations of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Peter Spanos, chair of the Board of County Commissioners, said that the delegation’s approval of every proposal was “delightfully unexpected.” 

“The former composition of delegation leadership never looked kindly on those types of appropriations,” Spanos said.

Having more open-minded leadership, Spanos believes, helps delegates “to set aside the politics of a situation, look at the dollars and cents, and decide what’s best for the county.”

Belknap County received $11.9 million in federal ARPA funds in the last two years. ARPA funds can be used for expenditures to offset losses to governments or local businesses and households from the pandemic, to support compensation of essential workers and to invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure. 

Several of the proposals were for investments in county projects. Funding for several of these projects had already been approved by the delegation, which has the final say on county expenditures. Because of inflation and supply chain delays, the projected costs for these projects rose in the time before contracts could be signed for their execution. ARPA funds are being used to make up the difference between what the projects will cost and what the delegation originally approved to pay for them. Such projects include the nursing home skylight, corrections recreation yard repaving and the hot water heater replacement at the jail, among others.

Other allocations went to needed but costly upgrades to county facilities that fit the parameters of ARPA, such as replacement sink and toilet fixtures in the jail, desk phones in county facilities and sewer line replacement at the nursing home.

Representatives from the Belknap Mill, Laconia Airport Authority and WOW Trail spoke with delegates about proposals for ARPA funds to be allocated to their organizations. 

The Belknap Mill replaced its HVAC system recently, a step that improves air quality in a publicly-used space. The Mill took a hit in revenue, both because of a drop in donations and because of its inability to host events and weddings during the pandemic, and the ARPA funds will be used to help pay off the costs of the new system.

The Laconia Airport Authority requested funding for backup generators, which would, in the event of a power outage, make it still possible for aircraft to land there. The backup generators could save lives by allowing emergency medical transport during nights when the power is out.

The most controversial proposal in the meeting among the delegation was for the WOW Trail. 

The WOW Trail is a nonprofit organization with a mission to create walk and bike paths on state-owned property along railroad tracks. The trail currently links Lakeport and downtown, but an Opeechee loop along the circumference of that lake is in planning stages. The ARPA allocation by the delegation would be part of the funding for a small section of this loop along Elm Street from Union Avenue to Franklin Street.

During discussion with WOW Trail President Allan Beetle, members of the delegation expressed concerns about trail safety. They were concerned that, at night, the trail had become a draw, and a facilitator, for drug use, burglaries, and other crime. Reps. Barbara Comtois, Douglas Trottier, Mike Bordes and Bean were most vocal about their concerns. 

“It feels like we’re supporting this behavior: because it’s getting them off the streets and more into the woods,” Trottier said after noting he’d found trash and even needles on the trail.

Beetle emphasized that he felt the right-of-way along the railroad tracks was more dangerous before it was paved for the WOW Trail. Bringing more foot traffic through the area, he said, made it safer. 

Additionally, increased traffic on the trail may make trash, drug use and the presence of people experiencing homelessness more visible. But just because it’s visible, Beetle affirmed, doesn’t mean there’s more of it. He said he worked closely with Laconia police to promote trail safety.

In addition to safety concerns, Bean said he felt the trail around the lake was unfair to those who had originally purchased their property with the anticipation of privacy and quiet lake views. Beetle responded by noting that the railroad tracks that the WOW Trail follows are in-use tracks, meaning there is already disturbance from the train.

In fact, many of the property owners that had been apprehensive initially, Beetle said, were glad to have the trail near their property after it was completed. 

Few of the projects received a unanimous vote, but all were decidedly approved. 

Bordes ended up voting for WOW Trail funding. He emphasized that he still wanted to sit down with Beetle and talk safety, but this funding would only go to a small section, which is already paved and part of Lakeport. Bean voted against. 

The delegation also approved a pay scale adjustment for employees of the county’s four unions. The new pay scale was negotiated after a study revealed that county employee wages lagged behind those offered by other counties and in the private sector for similar positions. 

Under the agreement, merit-based pay increases were shaved down, but, in exchange, employees are guaranteed an annual cost of living adjustment. 

“We knew our wages were lagging behind what was being offered by other counties and in the private sector,” Spanos said. “We are looking to keep the county competitive. We can’t buy our way out of workforce shortages, but we can put ourselves in a place to better fight against the attrition we’ve been seeing.” 

Using ARPA funds to cover cost increases on county projects and to support nonprofits that benefit residents, Spanos said, puts no demand on county taxpayer funds.