By Ruth Melville

The 2025/26 budget season is here, and at the Feb. 5 meeting of the Board of Selectmen First Selectman Matt Riiska reported that about half the departmental budgets have been received, along with several requests from outside organizations that the town supports. The next meeting of the Board of Selectmen,
March 5, will focus on the budget, which will then be presented to the Board of Finance at their March 11 meeting. Selectman Henry Tirrell added that there will be an informal presentation of the Regional 7 budget on Feb. 26 at Botelle School.

In his selectman’s report, Riiska brought the board up to date on three major ongoing town projects—the River Place bridge, the Smith Road bridge and the Route 44 wall project. Closing for the new loan from NBT Bank for the River Place bridge was held the previous day (Feb. 4), and the bridge is still on target to be completed by April 30. Crews have been working on the weekends to ensure that it will be done on time. Riiska said that it’s “very good news that things are moving along and getting back to where they ought to be,” but noted that the heavy truck traffic has damaged the road, and it will need some repaving.

All the applications for a temporary bridge on Smith Road have been turned in to DEEP and the Army Corps of Engineers. Once approved, the culverts are ready to be put in, and a temporary one-lane bridge will be installed to provide safe access for residents of Smith and Old Goshen Roads.

At the Route 44 site, a trooper is now on duty during the week to discourage drivers from running the temporary traffic lights in the construction area. The one lane currently in use is deteriorating and will need repaving.

Riiska also confirmed a Feb. 20 public meeting to discuss the possibility of consolidation or cooperation between the Botelle and Colebrook elementary schools in Botelle’s Hall of Flags and said that notices of the meeting will be posted in both towns.

In other town business, Elizabeth Borden, Susannah Wood, William Ticineto (alternate) and Rebecca Eaton (alternate) were all reappointed to the Conservation Commission. Lisa Atkin and George Cronin were reappointed to the Friends of the Meadow Committee. On the Planning and Zoning Commission, Steve
Landes, who had been serving as an alternate, was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Tom Fahsbender’s departure. P&Z still needs three more people.