Public Works and Highways committee holds executive sessions on six transportation bills; all receive final committee recommendations

The Public Works and Highways committee met in executive session to consider six transportation-related bills and issued formal committee recommendations on each, including unanimous or near‑unanimous roll‑call votes.

The committee voted on House Bills 181, 300, 375, 561, 578 and 713. Most motions recommended ITL (inexpedient to legislate) or retention; House Bill 713 (mile markers on Route 112, the Kancamagus Highway) was recommended OTP (ought to pass). The meeting included substantive discussion on the Kancamagus mile markers, a proposal for sound barriers along the F.E. Everett Turnpike, and a request to retain a bill involving transfer of state‑owned property to municipalities to allow a site visit and further study.

Why it matters: the committee’s recommendations shape which bills advance to the next stage of the legislative process and reflect the panel’s assessment of fiscal impacts, existing DOT processes and local concerns. Several items raised questions about available DOT procedures, fiscal notes and local impacts that the committee said warrant further consideration.

Votes at a glance

- House Bill 181 — Opticon systems maintenance: Motion recommended ITL. Committee recorded 18 affirmative, 0 negative; ITL passed. Committee discussion noted an existing Opticon program and that towns are generally provided systems and thereafter responsible for maintenance whether systems are on state roads or not.

- House Bill 713 — Mile markers on Route 112 (Kancamagus Highway): Motion recommended OTP (with fiscal note). Committee recorded 18 affirmative, 0 negative; OTP passed. The fiscal note cited in committee was $287,600. Representative Cloutier, speaking in favor, said the markers could "help avert a tragedy" for lost motorists in an area with poor cell service. Committee members also noted DOT’s standard mile‑marker spacing is 0.2 miles, not one mile as the bill text stated, and suggested amending the bill language for clarity.

- House Bill 300 — Conway branch rail line study and RFP: Motion recommended ITL (inexpedient to legislate). Committee recorded 18 affirmative, 0 negative; ITL passed. Committee members noted that a substantially similar commission and study had met previously and that the Conway branch segment had already been designated suitable for rail‑trail and transferred from DOT to the state rail/trail agency, and therefore argued additional study legislation was unnecessary.

- House Bill 375 — Municipal designation of state/local highways for all‑terrain vehicles (OHRV): Motion recommended ITL. Committee recorded 18 affirmative, 0 negative; ITL passed. Support for ITL cited that an existing process already allows towns to seek local designations and that a blanket, automatic authorization for all municipalities was unnecessary. Representative Cloutier noted constituent complaints under current law as a reason for caution.

- House Bill 578 — Sound barrier along the F.E. Everett Turnpike: Motion recommended ITL. Committee recorded 16 affirmative, 2 negative; ITL passed. Representatives supporting ITL argued the project list should be considered in the DOT 10‑year plan and that projects are prioritized after cost‑effectiveness and comparative analysis. Representative Juris urged that when highways are widened the record should consider barriers for adjacent property owners, saying "at the very least, there should be a bit more of a barrier." The two negative votes were recorded in roll call; the committee recorded the final tally as 16–2 for ITL.

- House Bill 561 — Transfer of state‑owned real property to municipalities (Continental Boulevard/Merrimack): Motion to retain the bill on committee file passed. Committee recorded 18 affirmative, 0 negative; the motion to retain passed unanimously. Representative Cloutier said she wanted to visit the Continental Boulevard site in Merrimack and hear from residents before allowing further action, noting an existing five‑year agreement that limits imposition on Merrimack without consent. Members asked DOT for clearer boundary information on the state‑owned portion of Continental Boulevard and discussed related maintenance agreements.

Discussion highlights and clarifications

- Fiscal detail: The committee referenced a fiscal note of $287,600 for HB713 (mile markers on Route 112). Members also noted that DOT’s mile‑marker standard is typically 0.2‑mile spacing, a detail committee members suggested be corrected in bill language.

- DOT process and project prioritization: Members repeatedly cited the DOT 10‑year plan and environmental review processes, saying site‑specific projects like the HB578 sound barrier should be addressed through DOT’s established prioritization and environmental study procedures rather than one‑off legislation.

- Local impacts and process: On HB561, members discussed the need for local consultation and on‑site review (Continental Boulevard and the Camp Sargent area were both mentioned) before deciding on transferring state property to municipal control. Representative Cloutier said she planned to visit the area and hear from Merrimack residents to inform future action.

What’s next: The committee’s recommendations will be reflected in the committee report. Bills recommended ITL will generally not advance, while HB713’s OTP recommendation sends it forward with its fiscal note. The retained bill (HB561) remains on the committee’s docket pending further fact‑finding and a scheduled site visit.

Representative comments in session were recorded and attributed in the committee roll call and transcript; roll‑call tallies and quoted remarks above reflect the committee record.