Bow Times August 2015
The legislature passed a law in 2014 providing that the State will no longer be liable for meeting its obligation for red-listed bridges in order to prevent lawsuits. Town options are to use funds that are left in our budget or petition the State Department of Revenue Administration to exceed our bottom line budget and specify how we will cover that difference between a fund balance and a future tax bill.
The State DOT has offered to swap the Birchdale Bridge with Dunklee Road’s bridge budget for 2025 funding. $600,000 is what the State says is needed to fix the Birchdale Road Bridge.
Town engineers Dubois and King are preparing a proposal for a study which would need to be approved by the State. $273,000 is currently in our bridge fund. The town may be able to go to town meeting and use funds from the Capital Reserve fund because there is $442,000 in the highway construction fund.
Long-range planning for these bridges is contained in the Capital Improvement Plan. Dubois and King will have the scope of work and fee for the next Selectmen’s meeting. Town Manager David Stack is to determine how the State DOT calculated its $600,000 estimate for the Birchdale Road Bridge.
At the Selectmen’s meeting on August 18 our Senator and State Representatives will attend to discuss the State’s role in funding repairs.