OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Bedford Town Council Meeting – September 24, 2025

Town Council — Wednesday, September 24, 2025
BodyBedford, New Hampshire
SessionTown Council
DateWednesday, September 24, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:49:56

Transcript — Verbatim
0:03

Okay.

0:04

Good evening.

0:06

Welcome to the Town of Bedford Town Council meeting on Wednesday, September 24th, 2025.

0:12

Before we begin the meeting, we'll do our traditional row call.

0:16

Over to my right is Councillor Carter.

0:19

Good evening.

0:21

Councillor Beemis.

0:23

Good evening.

0:24

Counselor Besk.

0:25

Good evening, Bedford.

0:26

Counselor Sowell.

0:27

Good evening, Bedford.

0:28

Counselor Griazzo.

0:30

Hello.

0:30

And joining us from a far, far away place in the computer is Councillor Strand.

0:36

Can you hear us, Councilor Strand?

0:38

I can.

0:39

Good evening, Betford.

0:40

There we go.

0:40

All right.

0:41

And I am the council chair, Laurie Radkey.

0:44

So again, thank you and welcome everybody.

0:46

Before we do the Pledge of Allegiance, because we have somebody zooming in, all of our votes will be roll call votes.

0:54

Okay.

0:54

So if I forget that, just remind me.

0:57

Now if we can all stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:00

And Henry, would you mind leading us?

1:10

One nation under God.

1:13

With liberty and justice for all.

1:16

Thank you.

1:17

All right.

1:18

So before we start under new business, is there anyone in the audience that would like to address the microphone with public comments?

1:27

No.

1:28

Seeing none, we will skip that piece and we'll jump right into new business.

1:32

And this evening we're going to start with executive counselor John Steven has is joining us this evening.

1:40

Welcome to the town of Bedford.

1:42

Thank you, Madam Chair.

1:43

And we're excited to have you here.

1:45

So just hand off my card.

1:47

Yeah.

1:47

Take care of that.

1:48

Thank you, Rick.

1:50

Thank you again for coming in.

1:52

Thank you.

1:53

And um I'll be as brief as possible and answer any questions.

1:56

My I'm still new to the council and appreciate the opportunity to speak to you all.

2:01

And my goal is really just to make sure you know where what I'm up to, where I am, how to get in touch, if you need anything for this town.

2:11

I as a as a young gentleman working, living in Manchester, working in the restaurant business, growing up, Bedford always was an important place for my family and a lot of friends, but I also was very much involved with prosecuting the cases in Bedford for four years.

2:27

I met with I worked with your chief closely and I this town is a very special place.

2:32

And so I want you to know that um I've met with almost most of my towns.

2:36

I think 19 as a counselor.

2:39

Wow.

2:39

Um and I've told the same message.

2:42

Look, I'm always available no matter what the issue is for the town councils.

2:46

I know how important it is if there are issues involving traffic safety, motor vehicles, any state agency.

2:53

I wanted to make sure tonight that everybody understands the role of the executive counselor.

2:58

I probably assume you do, but I don't want to assume.

3:02

I just want to make sure you're aware that we handle all the contracts in state government more than $10,000 of value.

3:10

Oftentimes there'll be contracts of emergency management relief, uh highway safety funds, uh Department of Health and Human Services, which I used to oversee has a lot of contracts that go with the substance abuse, the hospitals, the clinics.

3:24

Um have over a hundred contracts.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety█████████████████17%
Technology and Innovation████████████████16%
Procedural█████████████13%
Public Safety███████████11%
Community Engagement██████6%
Public Engagement██████6%
Personnel Matters██████6%
Capital Reserve Funding██████6%
Environmental Protection████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Bedford Town Council Meeting – September 24, 2025

The Bedford Town Council convened on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, at 7:00 PM for a regular meeting. The meeting included presentations from the Executive Council, approval of several contracts, and discussions on the town's capital improvement plan, employee compensation, and other administrative matters. All votes were taken by roll call.

Executive Counselor Presentation

  • Executive Counselor John Stevens (District 4) addressed the council, outlining his role in approving state contracts over $10,000, including highway safety, environmental remediation (PFAS), and emergency management funds. He noted a projected $400 million deficit in the state highway fund, attributing it to past borrowing and reduced gas tax revenue from electric vehicles. He encouraged the town to apply for grants and emphasized his availability for assistance. Council members asked about PFAS response, the highway fund deficit, and local zoning bills. Stevens stated the Executive Council does not set policy on zoning.

Award of Voting Machine Contract

  • Town Clerk Tally Keller and Town Moderator Henry Bayou presented a recommendation to purchase seven Voting Works VX Suite tabulators, a laptop, and printer. The decision followed demonstrations and a mock election, with the town election team voting 10-0 in favor. The new machines use standard paper, handle write-ins efficiently, and are cheaper than the alternative (Dominion/LHS). The state will provide a $3,500 credit per returned AccuVote machine. The council approved the purchase 7-0.

Award of Fire Department Turnout Gear Replacement Contract

  • Fire Chief Frank Fritzel requested approval to replace 55 sets of PFAS-free protective clothing from Bergeron Protective Clothing (Globe Manufacturing, Pittsfield, NH) for $199,727. The gear is NH-made, and the price was held from March 2024. The department has 10-12 sets expiring in December 2025. The council approved 7-0.

Award of 2026 Mowing and Landscape Maintenance Contract Extension

  • Town Manager Rick Sawyer recommended extending the contract with Knott's Land Care for $156,750 for 2026, a 10% increase from the previous year. The vendor has performed well. The council approved 7-0.

Award of Traffic Signal Improvements Bid

  • Assistant DPW Director Brian DeFosis presented a plan to convert six intersections (including South River Road at Meeting House Road) from wire loop/radar to camera-based vehicle detection systems, and upgrade two cabinet controllers. The total cost is $164,712 to Dagle Electrical Construction. Funding sources include $62,500 redirected from loop replacement, $25,000 from a developer, $54,212 from CIP, and $23,000 from highway maintenance. The system will enable signal coordination and improve safety. The council also approved a separate agreement with NHDOT for the state-owned signal at Market & Maine. Both votes were 7-0.

Approval of Development Agreement for Ridgewood Road Sidewalk

  • A development agreement with Van Solwood Realty LLC was approved for construction of a sidewalk along Ridgewood Road and Atwood Drive, at no cost to the town (developer-funded, estimated $143,443.50). The 400-foot sidewalk will improve pedestrian access. The town will accept ownership and maintenance. The council approved 7-0.

Award of Taser Devices and Body Worn Camera System Contract

  • Police Chief DeWitty and Deputy Chief Monahan requested a five-year contract renewal with Axon Enterprise for tasers and body cameras, totaling $516,484.60. The contract includes new tasers, 43 body cameras, unlimited cloud storage, training, and replacements at 2.5 years. The chief noted that competitor pricing was not significantly lower and that the bundled service saves about $100,000. The council approved 7-0.

Approval of 2026 Employee Compensation Wage Ranges

  • Human Resources Director Pam Hogan presented the annual adjustment of non-union pay ranges. The maximums will increase by 3.2% (regional CPI), while minimums remain unchanged. This does not affect individual salaries directly; merit increases will be part of the budget process. The council approved 7-0.

Submission of Draft 2026-2035 Capital Improvement Plan

  • Assistant Town Manager Gene Walker submitted the draft CIP. The total 10-year CIP is $72.3 million, with $8.5 million in 2026 (including $2.1 million debt service for local roads). No new facility construction is included. The plan is flexible and will be refined through budget discussions. The council received the plan for review.

Appointment to Complete 2025 Perambulation

  • The council appointed the town engineer and GIS coordinator to conduct the statutory perambulation of town boundaries, as required by RSA 51. The vote was 7-0.

Acceptance of Donation

  • The council accepted a $100 donation from Bedford Martial Arts Academy to the Parks and Recreation Department, per RSA 31:95-b. Vote 7-0.

Approval of 2026 Council Meeting Dates

  • The council approved the 2026 meeting schedule, with the December meeting moved to December 9 (from December 16) at the request of Councilor Carter. Vote 7-0.

Updates to Fee Schedule

  • The council approved changes to the fee schedule, except for the Historic District Commission abutter notification fee, which was deferred pending further discussion. Vote 7-0.

Approval of Minutes

  • Minutes from August 13, 2025 (public and non-public) were approved 6-0-1 (Councilor Strand abstained for absence). Minutes from the September 10, 2025 retreat were approved 7-0.

Town Manager Report

  • Rick Sawyer provided updates: the town's facility needs survey is open until October 17; drought conditions are worsening (Bedford is in "abnormally dry" category, bordering moderate drought); a statewide outdoor fire ban is in effect; upcoming events include the Fall Fair at Joppa Hill Farm (Sept 27), 10-Year Plan hearing (Sept 30), Police/Fire Open House (Oct 2), library concerts, and Halloween (Oct 31, 6-8 PM).

Councilor Comments

  • Councilors gave updates on committee meetings (Conservation Commission, Historic District, Parks and Rec, Energy Commission) and reminded residents about school bus safety, local control meetings, and the volunteer appreciation breakfast.

Key Outcomes

  • All formal votes were unanimous (7-0) except for the August minutes (6-0-1).
  • The council approved contracts for voting machines, fire gear, mowing, traffic signals, tasers/body cameras, and a sidewalk development agreement.
  • The 2026 wage ranges and meeting dates were adopted.
  • The draft CIP was received for further review.
  • The fee schedule was updated with one exception.
  • The council will discuss the skate park warrant article at a future meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Okay. Good evening. Welcome to the Town of Bedford Town Council meeting on Wednesday, September 24th, 2025. Before we begin the meeting, we'll do our traditional row call. Over to my right is Councillor Carter. Good evening. Councillor Beemis. Good evening. Counselor Besk. Good evening, Bedford. Counselor Sowell. Good evening, Bedford. Counselor Griazzo. Hello. And joining us from a far, far away place in the computer is Councillor Strand. Can you hear us, Councilor Strand? I can. Good evening, Betford. There we go. All right. And I am the council chair, Laurie Radkey. So again, thank you and welcome everybody. Before we do the Pledge of Allegiance, because we have somebody zooming in, all of our votes will be roll call votes. Okay. So if I forget that, just remind me. Now if we can all stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. And Henry, would you mind leading us? One nation under God. With liberty and justice for all. Thank you. All right. So before we start under new business, is there anyone in the audience that would like to address the microphone with public comments? No. Seeing none, we will skip that piece and we'll jump right into new business. And this evening we're going to start with executive counselor John Steven has is joining us this evening. Welcome to the town of Bedford. Thank you, Madam Chair. And we're excited to have you here. So just hand off my card. Yeah. Take care of that. Thank you, Rick. Thank you again for coming in. Thank you. And um I'll be as brief as possible and answer any questions. My I'm still new to the council and appreciate the opportunity to speak to you all. And my goal is really just to make sure you know where what I'm up to, where I am, how to get in touch, if you need anything for this town. I as a as a young gentleman working, living in Manchester, working in the restaurant business, growing up, Bedford always was an important place for my family and a lot of friends, but I also was very much involved with prosecuting the cases in Bedford for four years. I met with I worked with your chief closely and I this town is a very special place. And so I want you to know that um I've met with almost most of my towns.

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