Antrim

The Antrim selectmen met with representatives of Quantum Construction Consultants LLC and contractor Scott Burnside on Monday to challenge the rising costs of replacing the North Main Street Bridge. Change orders mounting up to $174,000 were questioned, as well as why selectmen were not informed within a 15-day period of the extra costs.
The selectmen are considering whether to have Burnside halt work on the project until spring to allow local traffic to use the bridge until then, or continue working on the project despite the extra cost of working in winter.
Both the selectmen and Quantum representatives agree that Concrete Systems Inc. (CSI) is at fault for delays that led to contractor Scott Burnside incurring $24,000 for winter work costs. Other change orders, or unexpected costs, were due to the nature of the soil under the bridge where a large H-shaped footing was poured. The soil was full of boulders and other unacceptable material that had to be replaced.

Antrim Police Chief Scott Lester approached the selectmen Monday with the proposal to build a new police department in town. Property adjacent the Fire Department’s station is being considered the most practical option, so the town would not have to buy land as well as finance a new building.

Chief Lester explained that processing arrests in the tight quarters of the current police department in the town hall building is impractical, especially since there will be a civilian employee working there.

“We will have civilians working in there may be incidents in front of a civilian. We can’t bring them to another area,” Chief Lester pointed out about the small police station. “And what if it got physical? Processing someone is embarrassing enough.”

The first thing Chief Lester wants to do with the police station is fit the front window facing the street with blinds, so that pedestrians can’t see inside.

With Antrim town planner Bradley Houseworth resigning his position as of Dec. 24, the Antrim selectmen are hoping that former town planner Paul Vasquez will fill the position until a new town planner is decided upon.

The selectmen and town administrator Neal Cass agree that advertising for the position during the holiday season would not yield much interest.

“We don’t want to jump into anything,” said selectman Stephen Schacht.

“How much do you think we have to fill the position?” asked selectman Gordon Webber.

“No long,” said Houseworth. “I think we need someone like Paul Vasquez to step in for the next couple of months.

“It seems the quickest we can fill this position is February,” said Cass. “No one is paying attention during the holidays.”

Antrim town planner Bradley Houseworth has announced his resignation and plans to join his family in Michigan to help out with the family business, U.S. Jack, company that manufactures hydraulic jacks for vehicles.Bradley Houseworth will be wintering with his family in Michigan. (Michael Pon photo)

“It’s been a hard decision, but the opportunity to work with my father, Dennis, is something I’d like to do,” said Houseworth, who will continue working for the town through Christmas Eve. “I really love Antrim and had it not been for my family I wouldn’t go. The people in this town are really an amazing group who have been very kind to me and look out for each other and create that feeling of community in town. And it is a progressive town that is proactive about planning and zoning, and they’ve really worked on the downtown improvements, from planting flowers to encouraging new businesses.”

Houseworth said he gave notice on Nov. 24. He first began working for the town in April 2006 as the planning assistant. In June of 2007 he replaced Paul Vasquez as the town planner.

Antrim municipal intern Matt Henry presented a feasibility study for the creation of a Department of Public Works (DPW) position. Although his study was welcomed by the selectmen and department heads, the proposal did not meet with approval.

“I had the unique situation to look at this as an outsider,” said Henry, whose internship was provided by a University of New Hampshire program. “”My task was to analyze the feasibility of the position.”

He pointed out that the rate of population growth in town has begun to take on momentum in recent years, and that with the imminent retirement of Road Agent Bob Varnum the town is at a crossroads. With nearly 2,700 residents, Henry argued that the town could save money by replacing Varnum with a DPW that would oversee several department heads in town.

“I personally don’t think this is the way to go,” said chairman of the selectmen, Michael Genest. “Maybe when we get up to over 5,000 residents.”

“We don’t need anymore chiefs,” said Varnum. “But we could use a couple of Indians to do some more of the work.”

Costs for the construction of the North Main Street Bridge in Antrim may be running over by as much as $174,000. Originally, the cost for the project was estimated to be about $700,000. The increase is mainly due to the overage in tonnage of material excavated from the soil below the bridge.
Although the state’s bridge program pays 80 percent of costs for bridges, the possible hike would still be nearly $35,000 on top of the already expected $140,000 cost of the bridge to the town.
Scott Burnside of Landsite Corp., the contractor who is putting the bridge together, pointed out that $24,000 of the increase is due to unexpected winter conditions during the job created by a two-month delay by Concrete Systems, Inc. According to Burnside, that company was contracted to deliver the large precast cement pieces of the bridge by Sept. 17. But the precast pieces did not arrive until Nov. 17, two months late.
With $24,000 of the increase due to cold weather problems, the actual possible overage due to unexpected boulders, rock and other unsuitable materials is $150,000.

The Northbranch Bridge just off Rt. 9 in Antrim has been closed since early fall. The selectmen will be holding a public informational meeting in December to discuss whether the town should replace the bridge or upgrade River Road.
To replace the bridge would cost approximately $1 million of which the state bridge program would pay 80 percent, leaving the town with $200,000 to raise and appropriate for the project. An upgrade to River Road is estimated to be much more costly. The selectmen are leaning toward replacing the bridge.
Representatives of Quantum Construction Consultants met with selectmen on Monday to discuss the options, which boil down to a bridge replacement or an upgrade to the narrow access to the area River Road offers. River Road is a Class V road and is maintained by the town. But with the presence of the Maharishi Academy of Total Knowledge on the old Nathanial Hawthorne College Campus, the selectmen question whether the road will be able to handle the traffic generated by a high school with 750 students. Presently it is the only access to the campus. The replacement bridge would provide another access.

The Antrim selectmen reviewed the draft budget on Monday. After interviewing department heads for each department in town, the selectmen are questioning salary increases and other proposals. They are recalling the Library Trustees and the Recreation Department to discuss salaries and a grounds-keeping tractor.

“My feeling about this fiscal dilemma we’re in, is – and I know this is not popular. But I would rather not see anyone get any raises,” said selectman Gordon Webber.

Webber also suggested the selectmen vote to cut their $2,000 yearly salaries in half as a token measure. Although he admitted it wouldn’t make much of a dent in a $5 million budget.

“Clearly we’re not doing this job for the money,” said Webber. “As a gesture, would we consider reducing out salaries, considering we’re not doing this job for the $2,000?”

Chairman Michael Genest pointed out that the selectmen’s salaries were doubled several years ago to put them in line with what other selectmen in the area are paid.

“If all the departments cut their budgets by eight percent, I’ll vote to cut our salaries in half,” said selectman Stephen Schacht.

The 2008 Antrim Town Report won third place in its category in the Local Government Center’s annual Excellence in Annual Report Awards.

The populations of each community divide categories for the award. Antrim fell into the 1,501 to 3,000 residents in a community category. Newbury won first in the same category, as New Durham placed second, ahead of Antrim.

“It’s exciting, and I think it shows that all the staff here has been doing an excellent job at keeping people informed,” said Antrim town administrator Neal Cass. “The town report is one of our big ways of providing residents with information.”

The Local Government Center (LGC) recognized 18 towns in the state, from communities with 750 or less residents to those with 7,501 or more residents, as well as three cities, Portsmouth for first place, Rochester for second and Nashua for third.

A day after John LeFrancois turned 17, he dropped out of high school in Manchester and joined the Army.John LeFrancois chats with Fred Davideit During his service in Korea, he sustained several injuries and saved many lives, but although he received the Korean Service Medal with three Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantry Badge, his one regret is that he never received a Purple Heart. Nevertheless, on Veterans Day he was in full uniform, paying his respects to all those who have served their country.
LeFrancois left his French speaking family in Manchester to join the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team. He was a paratrooper, and they were called the Rakkasans, Japanese for “man with umbrella.” But his duty was mainly to be a driver for the Chaplain, Father Joseph C. Rowan, a colonel, and provide for his safety.