SUMNER — After being made aware of hazardous bridges in town last year, the Sumner Selectboard is moving forward with fixing them. At their March 25 meeting, the board discussed taking out a bond for the bridges.

A bridge on Tuell Hill Road and a bridge on Redding Road have been acknowledged as not being up to standard. Sumner is now budgeting the cost of fixing both bridges.

The town is planning to bond $250,000 to be paid over 10 years. The interest for the ten-year bond would be nearly $28,000.

“Ten years seem to be an acceptable amount of interest to pay over the life of the bond at that level of bonding,” said Town Clerk Susan Runes. “Interest rates will vary depending on the length of the bond.”

The town is budgeting $150,000 to fix the Twin Bridge, and $100,000 to fix the Redding Road bridge.

If the town were to engage in taking part in the bond, it would be coming out of the budget for the upcoming year, starting in the fall.

An article on the warrant for the town meeting would allow the selectmen to enter into an agreement to take part in the bond. The dollar amount to fix the bridges would need to be specific in the article.

“That’s an important piece, an piece that has to be done,” said Runes about placing the article on the warrant for the town meeting.

Because of the lengthy process for bonding the bridges, Runes said she would need to get started on the bond in May of this year. The board did not take any action on the bond at their March 25 meeting.

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