Mistake At New Forensic Hospital Will Delay Project And Cost $5M More, Council Told

By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH

CONCORD, NH — A design mistake that has halted construction of the state's new Secure Psychiatric Forensic Hospital in Concord has set the plan back and will likely cost taxpayers about $5 million, the state's Executive Council was told Wednesday.

Called the single biggest building construction failure in the state in a decade by Charlie Arlinghaus, commissioner of the state Department of Administrative Services, it could have been worse, he said, if construction on the $40 million, now $50 million project was noticed nine months ago halting construction.

Getting further down the road would have meant a higher cost. Attorney General John Formella urged the council to agree to accept almost $10 million from the firm SMRT Inc. for remediation work related to the design and construction which was also approved by the legislative fiscal committee previously.

Corrective work which means more reinforcements and a resumption of construction is expected to begin after the holidays and the completion date is now Oct. 18, 2027.

This is a significant delay for those who are deemed a danger to themselves or others in the state as they are housed at the state prison for men in Concord rather than in a forensic hospital. The state has long sought to change that situation and provide a more therapeutic atmosphere.

Using about $40 million in federal post COVID-19 American Rescue Plan Act funds the state received, former Gov. Chris Sununu advocated for the construction to be adjacent to the state psychiatric hospital which is in Concord off Clinton Street.

Ted Kupper, an administrator for the Department of Administrative Services, explained that the project is about 20 percent complete, including most of the foundation and that $14 million has already been spent and that the $10 million from SMRT Inc. does not cover the entire cost of the delay.

But Formella said it is better to not go down the road of litigation which could cost more money, more time and that project costs could go up dramatically.

Both Executive Councilors Karen Liot Hill, D-Lebanon, and Janet Stevens, R-Rye, expressed concern that there was not enough money to complete the project and that the agreement for the $10 million did not go far enough but in the end they agreed to the acceptance of the funds and the vote was unanimous.

CANNON GETS A NEW WINCH CAT

Cannon Mountain ski area got a compressor for snowmaking, an upgrade to the pump house and the lease of a new winch cat to its four-cat fleet at the meeting Wednesday just as the ski season starts with a significant snowfall and season pass revenue up.

Cannon has a variety of very steep terrain and requires special equipment, said Jace Wirth, general manager. He said the winch cat being replaced is over six years old and the age when mechanical costs begin to increase.

The trade in for the state's winch cat is $103,000 and is being used to reduce the cost of the lease at $468,000. Another item at the state-owned and operated ski area that is getting a boost is in the area of snowmaking.

"This is all about efficiency when it comes to snowmaking," and new technology allows for more snow to be created at warmer temperatures with less energy use, Wirth said. The council approved $104,000 for the snowmaking upgrade. Another $38,000 was approved for the compressor.

STATE FORESTER DISPUTES ESTIMATE OF ANNUAL TREE GROWTH OF 72,000 CORDS A YEAR FOR CONN. LAKES HEADWATERS TRACT

Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield, asked a number of questions of State Forester Patrick Hackley related to the amount of cutting on the Connecticut Lakes Headwaters tract. He asked why the state has not come to an agreement on a 10-year logging plan for the tract.

He was told that in 2023 about 11,000 cords were cut by the new owner but in 2024 that amount increased.

Kenney said that was not enough based on published estimates that the 146,000 acre tract at the northern tip of the state and an easement on it the state holds that looks to make sure that it is open for logging.

Hackley said that the number 72,000 cords is not correct. While he said the amount was too high, he did not offer a state estimate of annual growth rate there and said that negotiations are underway as it relates to how much logging should be expected.

The most recent 10-year harvest plan offered by Aurora was rejected by the state as too low and Gov. Kelly Ayotte said she will not agree to a deal unless it benefits the timber industry in the region and local communities that rely on timber tax revenue to offset municipal and county costs.

WAIT LIST GOING DOWN AT VETERANS HOME

Kim MacKay, commandant of the NH Veterans Home in Tilton, said there are 150 residents now at the NH Veterans Home in Tilton with three pending admissions. But compared to the same time last year there are now 15 more veterans living there thanks to increased hiring that allowed for more beds to be open.
The wait list includes 22 veterans approved with 32 more in the process of application, the council was told.

POSITIVE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM REPORT

Expanding access and affordability is a focus of a report issued by the Community College System, presented to the council. Executive Councilor Liot Hill said she is very concerned about the budget impacts.

Dr. Charles Lloyd, chancellor, said there will be focus on smaller programs, shorter programs and a focus on high school seniors. He also discussed vertical integration with other college systems.

Councilor Stevens congratulated Lloyd for the report and the substantive facts which include a 36 percent increase in enrollment and expanding outreach to high school students.
A copy of the report is here https://media.sos.nh.gov/govcouncil/2025/1203/60%20GC%20Agenda%20120325.pdf

NO WORD YET ON FEDERAL RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION ACT GRANT FUNDS

The state has not heard back yet from the federal government on its bid to get grant money for rural health.

"We are waiting with bated breath," NH Health and Human Services Commissioner Lori Weaver said.
She said on the HHS website it is the "meat" of what the state is asking for.

If and when the state gets money, it will be handled by the GONORTH program out of the governor's office. It will allocate and prepare funding the moment it is available for both mental health and rural medical health care.

"Even after we get the money awarded we have to track that performance," Weaver said. In July the state got word that there could be millions of dollars available. The state had a deadline to provide its pitch and sent it out last month.

Ayotte said there have been a number of stakeholder meetings with officials in the North Country before submitting the grant and there could be a number of opportunities which will go out to bid.

"We will be very transparent and public," she said. "You will see a lot of contracts that come through this council," she told councilors.

NEW STATE REP SWORN IN

Marc Tremblay was sworn in as a new state legislator by Gov. Ayotte Wednesday after winning a special election in Berlin by five votes. He is a Republican and replaces a Republican who stepped down.

TEN YEAR HIGHWAY PLAN VOTE POSTPONED

A meeting to vote on a 10-year highway plan was scheduled for Wednesday but due to the absence of Executive Councilor John Stephen, R-Manchester, it has been postponed until Dec. 17 at the State House Executive Council chambers.

Stephen suffered a cardiac event Sunday and is hospitalized. At the meeting, governor Ayotte asked for people to keep him and his family in their prayers. He did not attend the meeting either in person or remotely.

The Executive Council forms the GACIT or the Governor's Advisory Commission on Intermodal Transport. A link to the plan and what projects are envisioned is here https://www.dot.nh.gov/projects-plans-and-programs/ten-year-plan.

The requests for funding for the 10-year plan far outweigh the funds available and councilors are having to discuss whether to increase tolls to pay for more needs.

Councilor Kenney said the longer the state holds off on projects the more they cost, expressed concern about safety and is hoping for smaller red listed bridges in his northern district.

The top priority is to demolish and rebuild the bridge on Route 1A in Hampton. It came in much higher than anticipated.

RESILIENT FOOD SYSTEMS GRANTS AWARDED

Grants to farms and companies in Bartlett, New London, Weare, and Dover through the federal Resilient Food Systems grant program were approved by the council Wednesday, 3-1. Voting against them was Executive Councilor David Wheeler, R-Milford.

Councilor Kenney asked what the program is and who can benefit from it. He was told the program started at the end of 2023. It provides federal funding distributed by the state Department of Agriculture. New Hampshire got $2.5 million from the federal program and of that $500,000 for supply chain generation.

HONORS

The governor and Council recognized several individuals including former Nashua Mayor Donna Lee Lozeau and Robert MacLaren of Raymond for special honors.

Lozeau was a House Representative in Concord and was Deputy Speaker for two terms. She also served as mayor of Nashua and is retiring after years in social service leadership. MacLaren was honored for his many years of service to his town and country, including his service in the Navy and as a leader in Boy Scouts.

HOUSING FUNDS APPROVED

A $750,000 Community development block grant was approved for the former Roosevelt School at 438 Washington St. Keene.
Executive Councilor Karen Liot Hill, D-Lebanon said it will allow for about 20 units of housing and is exactly the kind of work that shows progress on how the state can address the housing shortage.

GOVERNOR PULLS CONTROVERSIAL CONTRACT OFF THE AGENDA

For the third time a $3.5 million contract to provide monitoring for health care professionals who face addiction and need to get clean to return to work was expected to be debated by the Executive Council and voted on, but the governor pulled the contract again from the agenda.

Ulliance Inc. of Troy, Michigan, was one of only two bids with the other being the existing contractor, the NH Health Professionals Program.

At previous meetings, Councilor Stevens said the decision disregards the existing vendor and is dangerous. That sentiment was also shared by Councilor Liot Hill.

“I recognize this would be a big change,” Liot Hill said previously. “I often say that New Hampshire is a really small town. There is something very meaningful and valuable to an entity that has real roots.”

It was tabled in June 4-1 with Councilor Kenney, dissenting. Deanna Juris, executive director of the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, wrote in a letter to the governor that the contract will actually save the state almost $500,000. The vendor is paid by a $28 fee for each health care provider from midwives to optometrists, to dieticians and she said that fee could go down to $20 a year if approved.

While she did not do the scoring, a panel of three chose Ulliance after it outscored the New Hampshire firm on areas of program structure and budget justification.

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO EXECUTIVE COUNCILOR JOHN STEPHEN

Both at the beginning of the meeting and at the end, the council and Ayotte expressed hopes and asked for prayers to help Executive Councilor John Stephen, R-Manchester and his family as Stephen recovers in a Florida hospital from a major cardiac event while running on Sunday.

Councilors were told that Stephen is making progress.

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.