By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org

CONCORD – A special meeting of the state’s Executive Council is set for Saturday to address several tabled contract items from Wednesday’s meeting, including a $700,000 contract to repair a critical bridge in Charlestown which is down to one-lane delays.

Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill, D-Lebanon, whose district includes Charlestown, expressed anger that the item was tabled at the meeting Wednesday and accused councilors of holding the project hostage over an argument some councilors are having with the governor.

Executive Councilors David Wheeler, R-Milford, Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield and John Stephen, R-Manchester, voted to table the item claiming lack of adequate information in the request from Gov. Kelly Ayotte and its was among a record 21 contracts that were tabled.

This is part of a growing, multi-month dispute that has been going on between the majority councilors and the governor as Ayotte has attempted to modernize the process of the council agenda and move toward less paper and more online data.

In addition to the Charlestown project, another contract which will be on the agenda is a $1 million road project in Raymond which was also tabled.

The project would extend the life of a bridge on NH 107 in Raymond over the Lamprey River using federal funds and the contract was awarded to the low bidder, R.M.Piper of Plymouth. The council has to vote to authorize it and the project is currently tabled.

Executive Councilor Janet Stevens, R-Rye, said she was not in favor of tabling the project and voted also with Liot Hill to support it going forward.

“We’re going in,” Stevens said of the Saturday special meeting.

“I was not in favor of tabling these projects, especially the one in Raymond which is important to economic development,” she said. “It’s critical that we keep moving it forward.”

On Thursday afternoon Ayotte announced she called a special meeting of the Executive Council to be held Saturday, October 18, at 12:30 PM at the Bridges House in East Concord and she issued a message.

“I am happy that the Council will be getting back to conducting the State’s business as we continue to work towards modernizing our Governor and Council process,” she said.

“In Washington, politicians are shutting down our government and critical funding is being held in limbo. Here in New Hampshire, our leaders come to the table to deliver for Granite Staters despite any disagreements we may have. I hope that Washington can look to New Hampshire and learn a thing or two about settling disagreements.”

As of 4 p.m. Thursday there was no agenda posted.

Councilor Liot Hill forwarded to InDepthNH.org an email from Councilor Wheeler who said he now has the necessary documents for him to vote. He did not specify what those documents are.

“I agree with Councilor Liot Hill that the Route 12 project is imminently important and the work needs to be undertaken immediately. Commissioner Cass tells me the contractor is ready to begin Monday,” Wheeler wrote to fellow councilors.

Liot Hill responded, “Thank you, Councilor. I am glad the Commissioner was able to provide those documents promptly. I will send a note to the Governor asking her to call a special meeting asap.”

The contract is to authorize the Department of Transportation to enter into a contract with Bazin Brothers Trucking, Inc. of Westminster, VT, on the basis of a low bid of $708,113 to reconstruct  a roadway slope along NH Route 12 in Charlestown, NH, effective upon Governor and Executive Council approval through April 1, 2026.

The project will use state funds if approved.

“The purpose of this contract is to reconstruct and stabilize the roadway slope adjacent to NH Route 12 in Charlestown that experienced a slope failure on May 10, 2025, and necessitated the roadway to be restricted to one lane controlled by temporary traffic signals,” wrote Commissioner of Transportation William Cass. 

“This section of roadway was partially rebuilt in 2022 following storm events, but due to complications involving the active rail line, the full extent of those repairs could not be accomplished. This project will address the embankment between NH Route 12 and the Connecticut River, reconstructing it to stabilize the system without affecting the rail line,” he explained.

He said there is a planned project in the current draft Ten Year Plan to more comprehensively address this area of NH Route 12 with construction funds in 2028 and 2029.

It wasn’t clear what data was missing from the contract that Wheeler was looking for though he summarized a series of issues he has had with contracts lacking information related to insurance for the contractors, whether they were in good standing with the state and what prior contracts looked like for the same scope of work.

Councilor John Stephen said though he is fine with the governor’s ideas to go almost paperless but mostly electronic in the council process, he said he does support Councilor Wheeler’s concern that not all the documents necessary to approve a contract are always in the packet.

He said Thursday that having a Department of Justice say that they have reviewed all necessary documents, for example, “is not good enough.”

He said he welcomes the Saturday meeting and thinks Gov. Ayotte’s actions call for it “appropriate.”

Stephen also said if the governor calls a meeting whenever and wherever “I’ll be there.”