Interim Police Chief John Frechette was officially sworn in as the Wilton Police Chief by the Select Board on Monday.
After 24 years with the force and a year in the interim position, the town officialized the role for Frechette.
Surrounded by family, friends and colleagues at the meeting, Frechette happily accepted the position and said one of his goals as police chief is to write a history of the department.
“In my research, I’ve come to find out, I have the honor of being the 17th police chief of Wilton. Thank you very much,” he said.
Application to fund mobile integrated health program
After the celebration, the board got back to business and heard from Danielle Gardiner, Wilton ambulance director, about a federal grant to fund a mobile integrated health program.
In partnership with the University of Southern Maine, the Wilton Ambulance crew has been investigating the needs of the town and found data to support the need for an at-home response unit. The study has not been publicized to the Select Board or residents.
The department has attended quarterly meetings focused on mobile integrated health held by the New Hampshire Fire Academy and EMS.
Gardiner said 25 percent of the population 65 years or older in Wilton do not have access to public or private transportation and need regular EMS response due to chronic illnesses because they cannot get to a doctor.
“We can intercede on that and allow them to stay home and have a better quality of life because we know that they need the care and we can bring care to them,” she said.
Furthermore, Gardiner explained the funding comes from the GO-NORTH state program and the Rural Health Transformation Program, which was enacted last year in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
This grant will allow Wilton Ambulance to provide home care for regional coverage areas, including Lyndeborough and Greenfield, as well as the purchase of lab equipment to provide similar care at a home visit that would be provided in a hospital. The grant also funds training, labor and overtime.
The grant spans five years, with one-year approval for each year.
Gardiner said the grant requires regional coverage and collaboration, so Wilton Ambulance is currently partnering with St. Joseph Hospital for the program.
In the application, Gardiner said she will apply for tier one funding, which is less competitive, with hopes to receive $25,000 to replace the current tool used to manage airways at the station.
Additionally, in the same application, they will apply for tier three funding for the mobile integrated health program. As of now, Gardiner said she is unsure how much to ask for, but plans to request $500,000. The limit for tier three funding is $2 million.
The state of New Hampshire has a total of $204 million for 2026 from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, part of the Rural Health Transformation Program. The Select Board noted the grant will be competitive with the whole state applying for funds.
Originally, the Wilton Ambulance team expected to have until September to apply for the federal grant, but learned at the start of July that the application is due Friday, July 31.
With three weeks to complete the application, Gardiner said she has been working closely with Assistant Ambulance Chief Michael Hutchinson, day and night, to get it done.
The Select Board met this news with questions about the program and sustainability.
Frank Edelbult, the newest member, said he felt concerned about how the program will be funded after five years of federal support.
Gardiner clarified that the funds will come from Medicaid, which pays for home visits, and private insurers depending on the patient’s insurance status.
The grant also requires all equipment and labor bought with the federal funds to be used solely for the program and not used by the EMT section of the department.
Gardiner said the first year will be spent developing the program and training. Later on, they will hire staff and possibly expand outside the current coverage area.
Tom Schultz, chair of the board, said despite having past concerns about the mobile integrated health program, he expects there will be a need for it.
With the recent cuts to Medicaid and future impacts to hospitals and medical care facilities, Schultz said rural care will be essential in the Wilton area.
“Not to play Negative Nancy, but this is all part of the Band-Aid approach … they throw some money towards EMS because there may actually be an increase in demand for this type of services,” he said.
For the future, he did recommend keeping a close eye on funding and contributions from Lyndeborough and Greenfield toward this program benefiting their towns.
The Select Board unanimously approved the intention to apply and will review the application Friday before it is sent.
The town will hear back from the state about the funding in September.
Gateways grant application postponed
The Select Board approved sponsoring and managing a state-funded grant for Gateways Community Services on July 13.
Nick Germain, town administrator, informed the Select Board that the organization did not have a grant administrator as required by the application. Germain said the town does not have the ability to provide one either.
Based in Wilton and serving surrounding towns, Gateways Community Services is a private nonprofit corporation that provides services and programs to children, seniors, and people with developmental disabilities, brain disorders and autism.
The grant is planned to fund an accessible bathroom renovation, driveway rehabilitation and tree removal to preserve the property. The estimated total cost of the projects is $97,250.
Missing the application deadline, Germain said Gateway will try to apply again in January.