The Antrim Select Board hosted a public hearing Tuesday night to seek public input on a proposed warrant article requesting the town bond for $1.2 million for street repairs in 2026.

The board approved moving the proposed article forward for discussion at the public budget hearing on Feb. 9 at 6 p.m. in the Little Town Hall. All Antrim voters are encouraged to attend.

The draft warrant article, which is supported by all three members of the Select Board, proposes the town vote to raise and appropriate $1.2 million for the purpose of engineering and road reclamation projects, and authorizes the Select Board to negotiate and determine the terms of the bond and to apply for any applicable federal or state aid to assist with the road repairs.

The warrant specifies that if the bond is not approved by a 3/5 ballot vote at Town Meeting, Article 4 , which is Antrim’s operating budget, will be amended by $125,000 to increase the highway street paving and road improvement budget.

Seven members of the public attended the Tuesday night hearing.

On Aug. 25, 14 residents of Old Pound Road and Old Carr Road attended a Select Board meeting to express concern about the condition of the two roads, which had been damaged by heavy rain in the spring. Resident Ken Rubin spoke about the presence of decaying culverts on Old Carr Road, which were causing hazardous conditions.

At that meeting, DPW Director Tyler Tommila said that the Southwest Regional Planning Committee had previously assessed all paved roads in Antrim for long-term maintenance needs, and that, according to the assessment, Old Pound Road was slated for complete replacement in 2031.

Several residents in attendance at the August meeting said that Old Pound Road needed repair before winter, as it was becoming unsafe to drive. Tommila and the Select Board agreed that the road needed repair as soon as possible, and Tommila identified three sections of the road that could be leveled and repaired by “shimming.”

At a Select Board meeting on Nov. 10, Town Administrator Scott Lester outlined the advantages of bonding for the cost of major road repair projects in 2026, which would enable the town to put complete road replacement projects out to bid. Lester noted that doing so would enable the DPW to focus on ongoing maintenance and minor repairs throughout town rather than dedicating all resources to one major road replacement project over the course of a year.

For more information about the Antrim Select Board got to antrimnh.org.