Hampden pursues grants and negotiates cable capital requests; gaming mitigation allocation likely $75,000

Town officials said a recent meeting with the gaming commission’s community mitigation grant staff indicated Hampden’s outdoor recreation and marketing proposal is likely to receive a $75,000 block grant for the town.

At the March 24 meeting a speaker said the gaming commission staff noted uncertainty about future funding because the governor’s budget did not include the community mitigation grant program; statewide allocations could be reduced in future years.

Staff also reported speaking with the Piney Valley Planning Commission about the state''s one-stop grant program. Expressions of interest were being prepared; staff said they planned to submit two expressions of interest: one for improvements to "TWB" (discussed as a municipal building) and another for reuse planning for the current municipal building to study highest-and-best use. A speaker emphasized that expressions of interest give feedback rather than commit the town to construction.

Separately, board members said cable franchise negotiations are near conclusion except for two outstanding capital requests; the town expects a written response from the cable company within one to two weeks. A staff member also reported a closed digitization grant and a draft memorandum of agreement for invasive species removal at Rockham Brook and an adjacent downtown parcel; the board said it will take that MOA up at a future meeting.

Ending: Town staff said they will follow up on the gaming grant confirmation, file expressions of interest for state planning grants, and continue cable negotiations over outstanding capital items.