By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
DERRY – By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
DERRY – A change in the construction plans for the Hampstead Hospital property to make it more of a “hardened” and “institutional” place for youths when the Sununu Youth Services Center closes in Manchester was scrutinized by Executive Councilors and local officials for the town Wednesday during the meeting of the Governor and Executive Council.
The cost has gone from $21 million to $34 million and the description has changed from being 18 beds to allow for 25, according to an engineering contract for the project.
It was withdrawn by state officials who said it was confusing and poorly worded and assured the census of 18 is not going up.
This outraged state Sen. Regina Birdsell, R-Hampstead, Laurie Warnock, a member of the Hampstead Board of Selectmen, and state Rep. Lilli Walsh, R-Hampstead, who attended the meeting held on the road at Pinkerton Academy Wednesday.
Walsh said her community in southern New Hampshire is not happy about the decision to move the youths at the Sununu Youth Services in Manchester into their community when it closes and does not know why it is moving from its campus in Manchester. And the changes being discussed at the council table would bring more concerns, she said.
She said that the community is rural and residential and does not have the services needed for visiting families from places as far as Berlin, like hotels.
Warnock noted that the property doesn’t even have water lines or infrastructure to it, is full of ledge and is far from State Police and hospitals and is taxing the taxpayers.
Gov. Chris Sununu said the matter is a done deal and that the state has been tremendously transparent with the town.
Lori Weaver, commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services, said while the number of beds may change, the plan is for it to still be between 12 and 18, they just need beds that do not change total occupancy.
Charles M. Arlinghaus, commissioner of the state Department of Administrative Services, had asked the council to authorize changes to make the 100-acre property on East Road in Hampstead but said the wording of the request was problematic and should be changed, and Weaver agreed to withdraw the request.
The matter will likely come back to the table, reworded in several weeks.
The one on the table asked to authorize the Division of Public Works Design and Construction to enter into a sole source amendment to an existing contract with HDR Architecture, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska, by about $617,000 for a total price not to exceed $2,105,952.
It is based on “unanticipated” changes from the original contract signed in 2023 which will increase bed capacity at Hampstead Hospital and design changes.
Arlinghaus said increasingly, the residents of the Sununu Youth Services Center are members of gangs and there is a need to keep them separated on the hospital grounds.
When created, it was a private psychiatric facility for youths and children, before the state bought it using federal American Rescue Plan Act funding.
“The increase in scope will reflect changes made to the size of the facility; number of beds; type of secure construction; and location of the facility on the selected site,” Arlinghaus wrote.
“The original design agreement was based on a new facility between 20,000 square feet and 25,000 square feet and housing up to 18 youth, as well as ancillary support spaces such as recreational, educational and administrative areas. The location of the new facility had not been determined at the time of the original design agreement. Since that time, it has been determined to locate the facility in Hampstead, NH, on the site of the current Hampstead Hospital,” he wrote.
Design work began in September 2023.
By December of 2023, the programming phase for the new facility was complete, a site had been selected, and the first estimate based on the program was produced. During the programming phase, it was determined that the facility needs were greater than initially anticipated. It became clear that additional scope would be required to design a project meeting the needs of the Department of Health and Human Services, and to address a more challenging site than anticipated.
The changes include “moving from the initial residential look and feel of the secure construction to a more institutional and hardened type of secure construction; Moving the building location on the Hampstead site to reduce site development costs; Renovating approximately 6,600 SF in Hampstead Hospital for staff training space, lockers and fitness; and Expediting the project schedule in order to meet the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) deadlines,” he wrote.
“Some of the changes in scope were due to recent shifts in the youth population at the facility. The population is shifting to more gang members, with an increase in gang-related violent crimes, thus requiring a more hardened type of secure construction.
“Also, it is now imperative to not only have sight and sound separation for the youths by gender, but also because of differing gang affiliations. This requires additional, smaller housing units to be incorporated into the facility which, in turn, increases the facility size, complexity and cost,” he wrote.
Executive Councilor Janet Stevens of Rye, a Republican, said she believed there is a statutory limit of 18 beds “and this could potentially go up to 25.”
Arlinghaus said there was no change in the capacity of 18 but due to a “very poorly written item.”
Stevens said social media has been the way people in Hampstead, including members of the public safety committee in the town, were hearing about this.
Weaver, commissioner of Health and Human Services, said the state has been about as transparent as it can be.
“I think the department has gone above and beyond,” Sununu said.
Gatsas said the price has increased by 25 percent and asked why.
Sununu said it’s because of inflation.
Maybe we need to table it, Gatsas said.
Sununu said this is about people trying to delay this project.
Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington, D-Concord, said there are specified changes in scope now, and the first was to increase the square footage then to increase the number of beds, and then moving from the residential look and feel to a more institutional and hardened construction.
She said what we have at the former YDC in Manchester “is not the type of facility that we want” and questioned the word “hardening.”
It is being used as a term to describe the construction, not the type of feel of the facility, Arlinghaus said.
Warmington said she would second Gatsas’s table request but instead Weaver withdrew it.
Warmington said she wants the Manchester facility to close but what was included in this letter is not what she wants to see.
WEEKS STATE PARK UPGRADES
Lancaster’s Weeks State Park is about to get an upgrade first for its stone tower which is used for forest fire detection and coming forward, over $3.2 million for a renovation of the Weeks Estate which is not yet finalized but likely coming soon.
STORM DAMAGE IN THE NORTH COUNTRY
Kenney said the trail system used for recreation in the Pittsburg area is still heavily damaged from last summer’s storm and the money to fix the trails has been delayed.
He said he has been meeting with business owners who are concerned.
Brian Wilson, parks director, said there was legislation this past session for $1 million in storm damage and that application took place in April and June and early July, the clubs were informed of the awards under ARPA.
One of the concerns is that the ARPA money needs to be spent soon.
“There has been a loss of business activity up there,” Kenney told the parks director.
Communication could be improved, he said between Concord and snowmobile clubs and the state needs to address this.
“We understand the frustration,” Wilson said, noting the problem was a completely new program and knowing when “the green light” was.
Kenney recommended a streamlined process which is more responsive.
Down in the southwest part of the state in Swanzey where there has also been recent damage to the rail trail from storms, they have just received some funding, Wilson said, to help in repairs.
BORDER SECURITY
Kenney asked Commissioner of Safety Robert Quinn about the state’s border security efforts and said the business community up near the border with Canada is very happy with the program.
Sununu said if you make the investment and the message is there it really works.
Quinn said local law enforcement have been trained, working together with federal partners. “I believe it will be a deterrent,” for illegal entry.
Warmington asked how many apprehensions they have had. Quinn said he was not aware of any.
Sununu said that was great.
“We invested the money not for apprehensions but to get it to zero which is fantastic,” Sununu said.
PPNNE FUNDING CONCERNS
Warmington noted that there is information that Planned Parenthood of Northern New England is facing dire financial challenges and may be reducing services including cancer screening.
Trish Tilley, deputy commissioner of DHHS, said the state will continue to provide services for those agencies who the state currently contracts with, though that does not include PPNNE.
She asked about whether there have been conversations with PPNNE and Tilley said the state would welcome that.
DELAY IN NURSING HOME PROJECTS APPROVED
Federal ARPA money must be spent soon but major nursing home projects in various counties of Carroll, Coos, Sullivan and Hillsborough that are using money are facing project delays. The council approved requests for delays. More than $45 million has been allocated for those projects through the post COVID-19 federal program.
Warmington of Concord, a Democrat who is also running for governor, asked about extensions of time for expansions of nursing home projects and assurances that the money would still be available with the deadline looming.
Taylor Caswell, who is in charge of the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery, said labor issues, cost increases and supply chain delays are the reason for the delays.
He said these are instances where they will need more time to complete and asking to extend in some cases through June 2025 makes sense.
Warmington said she has asked the state’s congressional delegation to allow for some flexibility.
Caswell thanked the councilor for her intervention.
Joe Kenney, executive councilor for District 1 and a Republican, also asked about federal ARPA money for transportation for COAST bus service and other projects and asked how much money is likely left to be spent.
Caswell said there could be some money that can be reallocated but there is about 2 to 3 percent of the $994 million received through ARPA which is left, or about $24 million.
“But that is not definitive because there are a few agencies that need to provide more data so that there is not a ‘stranded invoice.'” Caswell said.
“Obviously, the ARPA project money is not going to last forever,” Kenney said and Taylor said, yes, by about October that will be the end.
Executive Councilor Ted Gatsas of Manchester, a Republican, asked about the Manchester Animal Shelter and his hopes to secure funds for that facility.
“It’s on the list to be discussed,” Sununu said, referring to Gatsas request for “his furry friends.”
One area where there may be some money not disbursed is to child-care centers where there may be $4 million left from an opportunity in which more than 700 centers and fewer than 60 applications were received. The council was told a contractor failed to perform well in the task and that impacted responses.
“We are in a crisis in this state for childcare,” Warmington said, urging the department to do more to get that money spent to improve child care centers.
RESIGNATIONS CONFIRMATIONS AND NOMINATIONS
Carleton Simpson of Hampton, who has served on the Public Utilities Commission for the past three years, has resigned citing family considerations. He wrote in his letter that he and his wife are expecting a second set of twins and will have four children under the age of three when they arrive.
Lindsey Stepp of Holderness was reappointed as commissioner to the Department of Revenue Administration.
COMMENDATIONS
The governor had two commendations at the meeting.
The Center for Life Management was honored for its community service. It serves 11 communities in the Derry area which serve more than 6,000 individuals annually.
The group worked on the state’s new 10 year mental health plan.
Sununu also commended the State Police K-9 unit following a demonstration outside the meeting at Pinkerton Academy.
The agency has 28 dogs of varying breeds and their handlers in the NH State Police K-9 unit. The teams are involved in over 1,000 missions a year from wanted criminal suspects, to the missing and injured.
Sununu honored them for “unwavering dedication” and “substantive service.”
Executive Councilor Stevens said while they retire the dogs don’t get benefits. The organization nhcta.org is out there to help retired dogs. The K9 association supports food and medical bills.
At a press conference after the meeting, Sununu said he has been looking to the future and considering career choices in the private sector including in the media. He hasn’t made a decision, he said.
