During Thursday’s Town Meeting, residents of Wilton learned about the status of two dams in town with “high hazard” classifications that present risks to the town based on their condition. 

Emergency Management Director David Boissonnault addressed residents at the Florence Rideout Elementary School when discussion turned to a warrant article to add funds to the Dam Repair and Maintenance Expendable Trust Fund. The article proposed raising $100,000 from general taxation and was approved on a voice vote. 

“The board didn’t recommend this article because we’re waiting for engineering studies on (the dams),” said Select Board member Kermit Williams. The Budget Committee also did not recommend the article, but when asked to address the issue, Boissonnault shared facts on the integrity of the Frog Pond and New Wilton Reservoir dams. 

“They’re both high-hazard dams,” said Boissonault. According to the website of the Association of State Dam Officials, “dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or misoperation will probably cause loss of human life.”

Williams noted that the water level of the New Reservoir dam had been lowered six feet, which reduced the risk of a breach, but resident Donna Crane expressed concern over the dam if its integrity is breached.

“My house would be the first one flooded,” she said.

Boissonnault echoed her concern.

“It’s a liability for the town,” he said. 

In January 2024, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services sent a letter to the town with the subject heading “New Wilton Reservoir Dam #D254009, High Hazard, Wilton” suggesting steps to be taken so that “deficiencies can be remedied.” Lowering the water level was one of the steps suggested by DES, and Boissonnault said Friday that a fabric membrane has been installed in the dam and engineers are working on an emergency plan for the structure. 

Frog Pond Dam has also been identified as a high-hazard structure, but unlike New Reservoir, which is 10 acres in size and six feet deep in parts, Frog Pond is perhaps 18 inches deep at most. New Reservoir’s proximity to Forest Road in town presents particular cause for attention, according to Boissonnault. 

“If that dam failed, there’d be two feet of water in the parking lot of the Wilton House of Pizza,” he said. 

Town Administrator Nick Germain said at Town Meeting that repairs to the New Reservoir Dam are estimated to cost $1 million. 

On Friday, Boissonnault said that securing the Frog Pond Dam would cost a comparable amount, and that typically, the federal government bears 65% of the cost and local communities shoulder 35%. He added Friday that he monitors New Reservoir Dam weekly and Frog Pond Dam monthly for their structural integrity and efficacy. The town must submit an Emergency Action Plan for addressing the dams’ deficiencies to the DES by June. 

Other business at the Town Meeting included approval of the operating budget of slightly less than $68 million, leases of a tanker and fire engine totaling $390,000 and leases for three Highway Department trucks totaling $474,000. 

“Tariffs could effect when we get certain deliveries of equipment and the replacement of certain parts,” said Germain. 

Residents approved $75,000 for the Public Works Garage Capital Building Reserve Fund, as several town officials spoke to the unheated conditions under which Highway Department staff work, and $35,000 was approved for the Town Hall Fire Protection Capital Reserve Fund. Fire Chief Don Nourse explained that the design of the Town Hall makes the sprinkler systems for the building especially complex.

Speaking to town costs, Ralph Bushman said, “Some of us are being taxed out of the town.”

Nourse and Police Chief Ed Olesen, who are both retiring at the end of this month, were both thanked and presented plaques for their service to Wilton and received standing ovations. Cary Hughes was recognized as Wilton Citizen of the Year for his 30 years of  service to the town, including as chair of the Budget Committee.