Hooksett Economic Development Committee Meeting - August 25, 2026
Hooksett Economic Development Committee Meeting - August 25, 2026
The committee met at 4:00 PM to discuss updates on the TIF (Tax Increment Finance) district plan for Exit 10, potential phased projects, public-private partnerships, and a water supply update. Key votes and decisions were made regarding the use of available TIF funds.
Discussion Items
- Update on TIF Plan for Exit 10: Town Administrator Andre Guerin reported that a previous warrant article for up to $12.5 million failed to reach the required 60% supermajority, receiving approximately 1,300 votes in favor and 900 against (a 1.3% shortfall). The TIF fund currently holds $2.4 million, with an additional $800,000 available from a 2019 bond, totaling $3.2 million. The plan includes extending sewer lines across the Merrimack River from the Martins Ferry pump station to a new pump station on the west side.
- Phased Project Feasibility: Ken (likely a public works or engineering representative) provided cost estimates: $1 million to install a double-barrel pipe under the river, and $2.5 million to build a new pump station (total $3.5 million, short by a few hundred thousand). The committee discussed starting with the pipe crossing and capping it, with the pump station to follow when more funds become available. This would demonstrate progress and support the argument that sewer is coming.
- Public-Private Partnerships & Business Impacts: Several businesses (Bass Pro Shop, Mr. Gas, Walmart) face failing septic systems and are considering costly replacements (Bass Pro at $300,000–$400,000). The committee explored band-aid solutions and the potential for businesses to contribute funds to sewer infrastructure instead. Alden and others suggested reaching out to Bass Pro and other retailers to discuss deferring septic investments in favor of connecting to future sewer lines.
- Bond and Information Session: An information session is scheduled for September 8, 2026, with additional sessions planned before the March election. The committee emphasized that TIF funding comes from businesses, not residents, and that the project is a proper use of TIF.
- Water Supply Update: Mike (likely Water Superintendent) presented a memo on water source challenges. Key points: existing wells near Pinnacle Pond are vulnerable to contamination and drought; an interconnection with Bow (funded via SRF, ranked #11 on DES priority list) is the immediate priority; a river-water recharge project for Pinnacle Pond is being studied; access constraints hinder development of other well sites. The committee noted that water and sewer development are interdependent and that support from this committee may be needed.
- Exit 11 Update: No significant activity on the Granite Woods project (still a hole in the ground) or the Tebow property. Active marketing continues.
Key Outcomes
- Motion to use TIF funds for sewer line under the river: The committee voted unanimously (all in favor) to use available TIF funds (up to $3.2 million) to install the sewer line across the Merrimack River, pending town council approval. The target date to present a plan to the town council is September 23, 2026.
- Plan development: Staff will draft a detailed plan with cost estimates and present it to the council. Andre will coordinate agenda placement.
- Outreach to Bass Pro Shop: The committee agreed to contact Bass Pro Shop to discuss temporary septic band-aids and potential participation in the sewer project.
- Continued pursuit of Bow interconnection: The water department will continue working on an intermunicipal agreement with Bow for water supply.
Meeting Transcript
So without our calls to order, it's four o'clock. All right. So if everyone joined me in the pledge. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. If the members could introduce themselves. Mike Summers. Alden Bushman. Thank you. So just so you know, um, Mike, Anthony's the chairman of the economic committee. Okay. Yeah, we traded emails uh a couple weeks ago now. Yeah. So all right. So what's our first order? Update on the TIFF plan for exit 10. Who's uh addressing that for us? Mr. Garrett. At least I can provide some of that update. If I can uh have Ken to tell you about uh a few of the actual things going on there, but um again goodie good afternoon, I should say. Uh Andre Guerin, town administrator. Um with regard to update of the TIFF plan, as you all know, um last year we intempted to go attempted to go um get a uh put forth a warrant article for um up to twelve and a half million dollars, even though the intent was not to spend twelve and a half million dollars, it was to get authorization to spend up to that amount. And the way we presented the warrant article was um that whatever amount was um uh allowed us the bond to whatever level of the development we had based on the funds we had in an account. So we currently have 2.5 million dollars, uh 2.4 million dollars in the account, and we would only have bonded up to that amount. Uh the attempt was to save time, but so we don't go to the town meeting every every year saying, all right, now we have this amount, we want to bond this amount, now we have this amount, and now we want to bound this amount. We've been going there almost every year. It said, but we know that 12 and a half million dollars takes care of the whole project. So um through the efforts of eDEC and TEF last year, and I know um Anthony realized this that with the information session session that was held, I think made a dramatic impact on those that turned out for the bond, because two years ago the bond for the uh TIFF district failed by four percent. Last year the bond fell by one point three percent. Yeah, the majority of the voters, uh about 1300 voters uh voted for, about 900 against, but it failed to reach the 60 percent needed in order to uh or three fifths needed in order to uh pass. So uh I think we're making headway, and as you all know, we have an info session coming up shortly. So um, so that's what we are. I mean, um, as far as the plan itself, and that is up on the um screen, the plan is laid out, it hasn't changed from what it was uh years ago, and we was developed with the help of uh underwood engineering. We're still looking to bring the uh sewer across the Merrimack River from the Martins Ferry pump station here to a new pump station on the other side of the um river on the uh west side of the river. And obviously these lines that come out there are the actual um sewer lines that are gonna be uh an outreach from that sewer pump station. And um that part of it has not changed. Uh although the bond, given that the bond wasn't passed, um the question was asked, you know, what can we do with the funds? And I know this is later on. I don't know if you want me to skip down to that or not, or just um address what the um plan later on, but so the question was is that we have funds available to us. Um what has occurred so far in the district, um, although um I'm trying to think of the exit 11 is not shown on there in entirety. Oh actually. This over here. Yeah, is the uh tri-town arena. So the infrastructure in and around the Triton Arena, uh, up to um uh up to where the granite woods development is occurred. I mean, that infrastructure is actually in place. Um the sewer part of it, and that was part of a um private part public partnership with Granite Woods for them to start um the third phase of our project before the first phase of our project. So uh that infrastructure was put in there, the a new pump station was created near the I Tri Town Ice Arena. Um the uh sewer piping um was put up uh up cross road and into the property, and um and so that infrastructure is there uh ready to go. Um where the infrastructure is lacking is exit 10 uh area, which was supposed to be our first phase of the development, and uh some of you may remember that um 2020-2021. I believe we were planning a bond then to um to um make the zone one uh project happen, and zone one zone two project happened then.
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