Boscawen to seek approval for fire station expansion funding at Friday town meeting

A $784,000 addition to Boscawen’s fire station is the big-ticket item on the town’s warrant this year, which will go before voters on Friday.

Town leaders will ask residents to approve a warrant article covering 80% of the project cost, though a portion of that allocation would come from last year’s unused funds. The rest of the project is set to be covered through money previously added to a reserve fund for the project.

The construction would add new wings to both sides of the High Street building. The addition would include new space for existing equipment and gear, an office for the fire chief and an area to wash equipment after fires. It would also bring the restrooms and entrance into ADA compliance.

The current building does not have enough storage space, which can cause delays when the department has to get specialized equipment out the door during an emergency, according to Chief Tim Kenney.

“We are out of space and to build a new fire station would be far more expensive than just adding on to our existing station,” Town Administrator Katie Phelps said in an interview.

In addition to the fire station project, the operating budget is set to increase 5% from last year, to $5.2 million. If all warrant articles pass, the town portion of the tax rate would be an estimated $7.65 per $1,000 of property value, or $3,060 for a property valued at $400,000.

Currently, the tax rate is projected to increase 32% from last year, according to figures from a town presentation, though in recent years, a significant portion of the budget has not been spent. The unspent funds ultimately significantly reduce the projected tax rate.

The most significant increase comes from Boscawen’s ambulance service, the nonprofit Penacook Rescue Squad. The town’s anticipated payment for its ambulance services has grown 47% since last year, even after the county agreed to chip in $50,000.

The number of calls for service to locations in Boscawen continues to grow, according to the town’s annual report, though a significant portion go to the county nursing home and jail.

In addition to the emergency services components of the budget, the personnel administration budget line is set to go up 11%, due to insurance increases and cost-of-living and other salary adjustments.

In an effort to keep the tax burden from further increasing, Boscawen plans to fund its library through proceeds from the sale of the 1913 Library building.

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