Meredith Selectboard approves ambulance contract, street closures for Halloween

MEREDITH — The selectboard approved the town’s ambulance contract, as well as the closure of several downtown streets for trick-or-treating on Halloween, which will continue in subsequent years.

The board also approved setting a pair of public hearings regarding fire department grants at its meeting on Monday.

Ambulance contract

Fire Chief Ken Jones met with the selectboard on Monday night, to request they vote to approve the emergency medical services contract with Stewart’s Ambulance Service for the next five years. He came before the board on Aug. 10, and then again on Aug. 24, to stump for the proposal.

At the Aug. 10 meeting, Jones recommended reengaging with Stewart’s rather than putting out a request for bids. He reminded the selectboard of a neighboring community which opted to bid out for services several years ago, and are now paying for it. He also said this was the right step forward, knowing the board doesn’t have a desire to create their own EMS district.

Jones told the selectboard at that meeting the Four Town EMS committee had been looking at the contract with Stewart’s, which expired June 30. Two, 30-day extensions had been granted. The committee, through discussions, agreed they wished to stay with Stewart’s.

Stewart’s Ambulance Service represents Meredith, Center Harbor, Moultonborough, and Sandwich. The company will provide at least two basic life support ambulances, licensed by the New Hampshire Department of Safety Division of Fire Standards and Training and Emergency Medical Services. Each would include an advanced life support unit, and maintained and garaged in heated accommodations.

One ambulance would be located in Meredith, and the other at the Moultonborough Public Safety Building. In the event Moultonborough was not involved, the second ambulance would be relocated to a mutually agreeable location.

Cost is based on each town’s call volume percentage, with Meredith at just over 63%. While the new contract price has yet to be established, with Jones saying he expects it to be done by Nov. 30, the town currently pays $406,805.

“The deadline for the extension of which we had with Stewart’s is up at the end of the month, so I’m looking for an approval and move forward with this contract at this time,” Jones said.

The contract was approved unanimously with a 4-0 vote, as selectboard member Jim Gregoire was absent with notice. The contract started July 1, and runs until June 30, 2031.

Halloween

The selectboard voted 4-0 to authorize the annual temporary closure of Main Street, as well as Waukewan Avenue, Cross and High streets, and parts of Lake and Waukewan streets, from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., every Halloween moving forward.

Town Manager Judie Milner confirmed this meant every Oct. 31, as this is the day Meredith has historically held its trick-or-treating.

Police Chief Michael Harper said this is to avoid the need for an annual request ,unless the board finds a reason to change it.

“We’ve been closing Main Street the past two years,” Harper said. “It’s been very successful. Very positive. It really separates pedestrians — kids, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman — from cars and people, and dogs, and all of that. We don’t have to worry so much about them going door-to-door.”

Harper said it has been so successful, they organize a candy drive for houses that see the most trick-or-treaters. He said closing off the roads has made things safer, and decreased headaches for officers.

“It doesn’t impact my staff any more than what I have already been doing for Halloween the last 30 years,” Harper said. “The alternate would be the way we had it before, with all of us out there trying to make sure nobody gets hurt, nobody gets run over. It’s been a great success, and I want to continue to make it an annual thing.”

Selectboard member Mike Pelczar agreed with Harper, calling it a “total success,” and saying the timeline of four to five hours on a night makes it safer for all involved.

The board voted 4-0 in favor of Harper’s request.

Fire department grants

The selectboard approved setting a public hearing for 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26, to consider accepting and appropriating $10,758 in grant funds the town received through the New England Fire Chiefs Association SAFER grant.

Jones said several years ago, the New England Fire Chiefs Association applied for the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response, or SAFER, grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He said $3.4 million was divided between the six New England states.

“The main backbone of the whole grant is recruitment and retention,” he said. “So, underneath that recruitment and retention, we can pick up items to help us recruit, and obviously try to keep them around for a few years.”

Jones said anyone hired after Sept. 24, 2025, can get physicals, training, and personal protective equipment up to a certain amount. He has applied for this, and the department has received some of the funds, so he is asking to use funds received through the grant to be put into the budget.

According to information provided in the agenda packet, Jones was seeking reimbursement for a 10x10 tent, an 8x10 background cloth, and two tablecloths, amounting to $1,708.12. He has also been able to provide one physical, which is $400. In the immediate future, he plans to invoice through the grant for physicals and turnout gear.

“With everything that I foresee coming down the road immediately here, through this grant, we would be over $10,000,” Jones said.

The selectboard also set a public hearing for Monday, Oct. 19, regarding the Assistance to Firefighters Grant he applies to each year, which totals $37,819.42.

Jones said they have been successful in receiving the funding each year, and this year, he put in for forestry PPE. The department was notified last week they would receive the funds, with a department match of $1,890.98. This makes the total grant $39,710.40.

“We have 30 days to accept or deny this grant,” Jones said, putting that date at Thursday, Oct. 22.

To keep within the timeframe, the board voted to set the public hearing on Monday, Oct. 19, during the upcoming workshop to discuss the differences between a town manager and administrator government structure.

Selectboard member Jeanie Forrester expressed her thanks to Jones for applying for grants.

“It mitigates costs to the taxpayers.”