Keene Committee Backs Safety Grant, Reviews Cemetery Expansion and Power Program Update

City officials said the burial ground has run out of available room, and the proposed expansion would develop about 10 acres.

Keene’s Finance, Organization, and Personnel Committee took up a mix of local spending items Thursday evening, including a highway safety grant, changes to the Keene Community Power Program and a long-range plan to enlarge Monadnock View Cemetery.

The cemetery project drew an informational update first. City officials said the burial ground has run out of available room, and the proposed expansion would develop about 10 acres to add roughly 9,000 burial spaces along with as many as 1,000 cremation spaces. Cemetery trustees have already approved spending up to $1.4 million from Trust Fund B to pay for the full buildout, which includes infrastructure, irrigation and new lots and plots.

Under the financing approach, Keene would initially pay construction bills and then be reimbursed by the trustees as the work progresses. City officials said Trust Fund B currently holds enough money to cover repayment in full. The added capacity is expected to serve the community for about 65 to 100 years, and the city hopes to have new space available by early spring. Bidding is planned for this year, and the work would be carried out under a 270-day contract. Committee members received the update without taking action.

Members later approved a $10,500 annual grant from the New Hampshire Highway Safety Agency. The money will support overtime enforcement tied to speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and seatbelt compliance during the period from October 1 through September 30. The committee authorized the city manager to accept the award and spend the funds.

The panel also unanimously endorsed revisions to the Keene Community Power Program. The changes will affect about 300 customers in the electric assistance program, shifting their default service from Keene Standard to Keene Basic, which is the lowest-priced product in the program.

Customers who previously chose Keene 10 or Keene 100 on their own will remain on those plans unless they decide to switch. Everyone else will stay on Keene Standard unless they select a different option. Because the changes require notification, the revisions will be forwarded to the Public Utilities Commission, but no hearing is needed.