Conway Village needs income surveys to secure $500,000 grant

By David Carkhuff

Residents of the Conway Village Fire District should not be shy about responding to a district income survey; the results could save taxpayers money, said Heather Shaw, assistant to the district superintendent.The district hopes to qualify for a community development block grant providing $500,000 annually toward water-system upgrades.In 2006, Conway Village Fire District voters at their annual meeting approved a warrant containing $44.8 million worth of sewer and water system improvements, including extension of a water line up to Burger King and a collection system for sewer treatment in the area.The bulk of money to pay for a new pipeline in Conway Village will come from state and federal agencies, officials promised. The district is applying for these funds through grant applications with N.H. Department of Environmental Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and now the community development block grant program."That's tax money that everyone pays into their whole life that's actually coming back into the town that they can use that will directly benefit everybody on the district," Shaw said. "It will ease the burden of the cost of the project overall. It's not something that was really factored into the 70-75 percent grant money that we had promised everyone. It's an additional $500,000 every year as long as we qualify that will just help to keep the rates lower throughout the district."April 1 is the last possible date for the district to submit income surveys to the state. These surveys will indicate a district ranking in terms of economic need, helping to improve the odds of receiving the grant."We have two weeks left to get those surveys back. The biggest section that we're targeting is the Lamplighters mobile home park because they're about 247 units," Shaw explained.Also targeted are the Evergreens development, Bensons and Conway Mobile Home Park.A meeting is scheduled at the Lamplighters mobile home park, in the community center, at 2 p.m. Monday, March 26. Also, the district plans a followup meeting at the Conway Village Fire Station at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 27. For more information, call the district office at 447-5470.Surveys are needed from district residents north of the Saco River up to the area of the Elks Lodge, where the system improvements are planned."What has to happen is we did the first round of surveys back in February, and we only got about a 27 percent return, we need at least a 67 percent return on those," Shaw explained.So another mass mailing will occur this week in hopes of a better return. The meetings on Thursday also aim to increase response by better informing voters of the purpose of the surveys and providing a sealed box where the surveys can be deposited. Nobody at the district will read the customer information, Shaw said. The survey results aim to show the state that Conway Village qualifies for grants."The only thing the names are used for is to confirm that it was sent to the appropriate number of people and that we got the appropriate percentage of return back. Other than that, that information isn't used for anything else," Shaw emphasized.Under an agreement, approved by the voters of both precincts but still under legal review, Conway Village Fire District plans to tie into the water system of North Conway Water Precinct for emergency use only. Conway Village hopes to install 12-inch water mains to provide emergency water backup to the fire district, particularly areas north of the Saco River. (Details of the work are contained in the minutes of the 2006 district annual report.)Superintendent Thom Steele recently explained that lawmakers were convinced to revitalize an old surface water rule, allowing communities that make an effort to interconnect their systems eligible for a 25 percent matching grant. Because it will cost around $11 million to pay for all of the village's proposed water-system improvements, it's critical to receive 25 percent state assistance, Steele explained.In recent years, Lamplighters mobile home park asked for water to allow an expansion at the back of its property, but the district had to refuse; the water system can't handle the extra demand, Steele explained. Likewise, Steele had to tell the Mount Washington Valley Economic Council that growth at the technology village would be limited until an interconnection created additional water capacity."We want desperately to go to these people and say, 'Start building,'" Steele said, but the water hasn't been available.With the half-million-dollar community development block grant, the district could move that much closer to finishing the work."We're hoping to go out to bid probably late summer, early fall, hoping to start construction of spring next year of the interconnection project," Shaw said. "Wastewater (work) is still about a year behind that, same time schedule but about a year off. As soon as we can get that out to bid, we're going to break ground as soon as possible."Assistant Editor David Carkhuff can be contacted at david@conwaydailysun.com.