City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire 2022 - 2024 City Council, 12 May 2022

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From YouTube: 5.12.2022 City Council Work Session

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5.12.2022 City Council Work Session

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All right, thank you. Everyone for coming to tonight's meeting this thursday may.

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12Th, the general government and parking department, city council budget work session.

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My job is easy and that I hand it over to karen kennard our city manager to walk through.

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A somewhat lengthy uh presentation, I think that, given um the presentation, I would only ask that we.

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uh We have the ability to ask questions as we go through um and then it makes it easier.

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To bring anybody up, obviously we could have questions at the end, but if we could.

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Have a break for questions each time that would be great, and I will apologize to the.

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Boston celtics. I thought I was doing it exactly as I did it before.

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But somehow my my hat placement didn't work um I'll be better on friday. I assure you.

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Love it good evening, thank you, mayor and good evening to folks watching uh good evening to.

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The staff it's great to see so many of our team here tonight we're going to walk through uh the.

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General government portion of the budget and as the mayor alluded to and as you can see,.

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There's quite a bit to talk about, there are slides. We are mindful of time. We are.

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Looking to hit highlights and leave time for questions and answers, and so by no means do we.

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Want to rush this, but we just want to make sure we give each department the proper amount of time.

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And you can help us gauge that, so this will be the order of events in the order of speakers.

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So, as you have seen in reading your budget, this is the proposed general government budget of 23.036.

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Million or 21.5 percent of the total proposed operating budget of 106 million 976 thousand.

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And the pie chart is split. As you can see, we've talked about fire and police in on tuesday night.

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We've talked about school department and tonight is the brown wedge of the pie at 21.5 percent.

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So this would this pie chart speaks to allocations of that 23.036 million by department or by area.

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And the areas are flushed out in the chart below by adding by admin general admin.

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Finance regulatory service, which is planning health and inspections.

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Our public works department and community services.

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And the pie chart is about what you might expect it to be, given the the way it's it's divvied up.

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Next would be uh an explanation of the overall increase by lines and I'll call to your attention.

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Some of the ones that look higher than higher than the norm or higher than what you might expect and.

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Those speak largely to the proposed new positions that we want to mention this evening. The standing.

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Up of an information technology department and way at the bottom, emergency management shows.

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An increase of 144 percent, it's where we're showing ppe or personal protective equipment.

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So happy to spend more time on these, as we go through also for a reference for.

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Those of you, following along in the large budget document this chart is on page 115.

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So, as mentioned in our kickoff budget conversation, there are nine positions being sought in the.

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General government portion of the budget and we will speak to them by department, uh the.

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Communication and digital services specialist will be coming up in two more two more slides by by me.

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Suzanne will speak to the four folks in the I.t department. Peter peter rice will speak.

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To the assistant foreman position, shanti wolf will speak to the assistant building inspector.

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Kim mcnamara will speak about our request for health inspector and sean clancy will introduce.

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Himself to those of you who haven't met him as he is taking over for economic development.

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And the last slide that speaks in general terms about what we're looking at tonight is salary.

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And benefits versus other operating so you'll see salaries at the 982 000 and just want to make sure.

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People know that does not include cola, as none of the unions associated with the general fund have.

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Agreed to new collective bargaining agreements, so that is still in play. The total salary and.

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Benefits increase of 1.23 million speaks largely to a combination of new positions, step increases.

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Reclassifications and health insurance premiums and other operating, which is the line that is.

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Up, I'm sorry, I've lost my placement, it's 331 thousand seven hundred and eighty dollars is.

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uh Comp is comprised of many factors, and it may be worth noting. um There are things like software.

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Annual maintenance universal waste, which are items that we have to segregate from regular.

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Waste disposal, postage, ppe repairs, materials, maintenance, smaller increases related to the.

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To the use of postage and phones and supplies, and things like that, other operating major.

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Impacts are solid and yard. Waste is up, 107, 000 or 25.6 percent welfare, notably, is down by 97.

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000 and ellen will speak to that when it's her turn and training in conferences and.

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Education now, as we look to come out of covid, are up 35 due to requirements and training and.

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The ability to send folks to training offsite so with that, unless there are questions in the.

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General overview, I will start with the first department, which is city manager,.

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Okay city manager's office, for we normally don't have slides, but it made sense to have.

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A slide or two tonight because we haven't asked tonight, you all, are familiar with the role that.

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Our office plays- and we are very proud of that role, so this is really the core functions and.

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You'll see a theme in how the departments present we talk about core functions. We talk about.

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Highlights of the year and challenges or things we're trying to deal with so.

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Here's a broad overview of core functions in the city manager's office and what we're.

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Looking for this year is the proposed edition of a communications and digital services, specialist.

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And that person is really sought to augment the work of public information officer, stephanie.

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C cord who splits her contracted time between general government and I'm sorry, all departments.

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And dpw, if you will and we need, we need help in the communications department. We want to.

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Spread the word better: we want to have more of a two-way line of communication from and two people.

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And so that person will be in charge of that and really work amongst all the departments. I see.

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That person working closely with I.t, I work to see that person working closely with everyone who has.

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An admin role throughout the departments, whether with our online permitting and that person can.

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Learn from the great examples that the library provides to us with their wonderful communication.

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As well as our recreation group, so that person will be will really be spread amongst all the.

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The realms, if you will but um report up through the city, manager's office, the other thing I'd.

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Like to point out is that 80 percent of the deputy city, manager's position comes out of.

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This budget they're in past years, it's been allocated more broadly. 80 sits here. 10 percent.

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Comes from water and 10 comes from sewer, so that's it for my department and I'll take a pause here.

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Any questions counselor didn't a comment and a question: the communications and digital.

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Services, specialist that type of position was actually created several years ago.

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By the former city manager and I'm simply curious, if you had any discussions with him.

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Regarding recreating this type of position, I haven't talked to john about that that doesn't.

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Mean I wouldn't because I'm sure he would be helpful with that. I think there was a a a re.

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A renewed appreciation for that role and and in trying to effectively communicate.

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We need more resources, we need more bandwidth and we've done a great job of.

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Providing sort of the vital services, but now we've got to get into the more next generation. If you.

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Will ways of communicating finding other ways to speak to people uh rather than the traditional.

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Ways and um where we're great at some things and and I think in some things, we're missing.

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The boat and need to come come up to speed with how other people are handling their communication.

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Thank you sure, counselor bagley yeah. I just want to speak in support of this position as some.

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People may know you know communicating city, facts and information is something I do in my personal.

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Time and it's the the more information we can give to the public in easy to digest. You know graphs.

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uh Short blurbs, instead of you, know a 751 page budget book that comes out once a year. I think.

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The more engagement that we're going to have so by having a position that does this, they can take.

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The fantastic work that our finance department does and break it down into smaller bites. As my.

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Daughter would say, you know she does tick-tock and and that's you know, a very small bite or.

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uh Instagram, where it's just a photo, and I think we need to evolve the communication from where.

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We were in the past to where you know, society is today and if we want to engage the youth of the.

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Community in city government- which I think we all want to do- I think this is an important position.

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I think we all look forward to the city manager being on tick. Tock.

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I may already be out there. I have a 23-year-old, you have to look really hard.

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I also voice support for this position as much as communication, I mean we say, communication.

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That's certainly having people understand the efforts of the city, but also understanding.

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The means of communication to the city and being better uh receptive, uh whether it's.

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Surveys- or uh you know, social media being able to draw in the feelings of the the.

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Community, uh so that we can do our jobs at responding to that better, I think, would be.

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Useful to have a a dedicated person- I guess I do have a question on the the type of.

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What what do you see, city manager for the higher in this qualifications,.

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What are you looking to, uh where is the talent pool for this, and what are you trying to.

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Tap into, I think the talent pool would be someone who can write, who has an appreciation.

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For not only social media but all forms of communication, I think this person could equally.

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Be from the private sector or the public sector, and um they need to be creative and.

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And push us on on getting creative and they need to have maybe some graphic design skills.

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I I don't know that we've pigeonholed this person but they've got to know how to write.

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There's also going to be a a key element of political, small p savviness, what's appropriate.

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What's not appropriate and that's going to be a challenge, but also a good opportunity. So.

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A lot of different skill sets in there the good part is this person would have tons of people to.

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Work with and learn from because we have some great staff who do this in in in their silos.

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um And I hate that word silo. uh They do that for their own divisions and they're they're happy to.

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Share their knowledge and this person would would take that and run with it so to speak. Thank you.

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Counselor- and I know we have a lot of slides so I'll just make one further comment.

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I learned from the mayor early on not to mention other municipalities when I have something.

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Negative to say, but when we were looking at the budget book, I looked at a lot of neighboring.

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Municipalities and some of them, you know they have the budget up, but the slides are turned 90 degrees.

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So as you scroll through you're, going to have to turn your head to the left other towns, you have to.

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Go to the town hall to get a printed out budget book. If you haven't taken the time to go online.

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And see how interactive our budget book, I really would encourage you to do that. It's it's really.

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A tremendous asset that we have from the finance department to put this information out there and.

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I don't think it's appreciated as much as it should be, especially if you take the time to look.

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At how other towns and cities much larger than ours are doing it and how much more accessible.

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Ours is and how much more, intuitive and easy to get to the information that you want to see.

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Is so um just kind of tooting the horn of the the people that put that all together for us.

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And counselor bagley any more questions to the city manager or tooting of any horns.

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All right, all right with that. Thank you mayor. We will head to human resources with kelly harper.

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Good evening, mayor city, council and city manager, canard, I'm kelly, harper human resources, director.

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And I'm happy to present to you the fy 23 human resources budget. The hr department supports.

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Over 1400 active employees between the city and school department, there are over 1800 active on.

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Our health and dental benefits, and we also support over 600 retirees on the retiree health coverage.

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Some of the services we provide are in areas of recruitment.

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Benefits: administration, training, implementation of policies, risk management and labor relations.

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Communication to staff was a key component to our success. These last few years, employees have.

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Enjoyed our quarterly newsletter monthly wellness tips and keeping them up to date on the latest.

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Protocol with covid workers, compensation claims have improved with staff missing less time at work.

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After getting vaccinated for covid, we've also seen a drop in claims for back related injuries.

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And slips and falls due to what we believe is better training and safety. Education.

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Between the city and school, there are 16 different collective bargaining agreements.

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We are currently in negotiations with 7 out of the 10 expiring collective bargaining groups.

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We are continuing to evaluate and update citywide policies.

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We most recently updated our ethics and code of conduct policy and mandated training for all and.

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We recently helped the school streamline their hiring process by utilizing our.

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Civic hr applicant tracking system we put in place on the municipal side a few years ago,.

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Like many other organizations, the last few years have been a challenge for the department in the.

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Area of staffing, however, we have worked hard to fill positions, utilizing social media to advertise.

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Recruiting agencies when needed and partnering with diverse platforms like seacoast outright.

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To promote our jobs, the turnover rates shown include retirements and involuntary termination.

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But a good percentage of the turnover was from staff taking other opportunities for higher.

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Wages, we also noticed resignations during the pandemic, because staff just wanted a life change.

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While we have always believed we are paying fair and reasonable salaries based on.

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Economic conditions and the labor market, the labor market, changed so quickly recently that.

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We have been unable to keep up, we are looking forward to addressing the salary needs through.

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Negotiations and also the requested wage adjustment for fire and police.

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While the hr department has been able to maintain a high level.

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Of services, we have also moved forward on a lot of initiatives to bring consistency and set.

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Expectations throughout the city and school, we are also working on a great deal of cross.

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Training to allow the department to be more efficient and we continue to review ways to.

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Streamline practices, our team is strong and we are looking forward to many new initiatives in fy 23.

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And so with that, I'm happy to take any questions and thank you. Thank you. Kelly.

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Kelly in the hr department, I should mention here that the staff is going to stay in case.

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You have questions at the end that you thought shoot. I didn't ask it at that time. So thank you.

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Very much and we will go on to judy belanger and the finance department thanks. Thank you.

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Great um good evening, mayor city, council, members and members of the.

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Public, I'm actually very excited to be here tonight to talk about the finance department.

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You often hear me talk about city-wide financial policies, fund balance, budgeting and financial.

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Results but I don't often get the opportunity to speak about the functions of the finance.

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Team and how our roles interact with all of the departments, our citizens and our business owners.

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Overall financials the fiduciary responsibility and the accountability of the city's asset.

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My role as the director of finance administration overseas. Excuse me the divisions of the finance.

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I also hold the role as the treasurer, and I also wear the hat as the purchasing agent. The finance.

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Department is made up basically of four major divisions. I have with me here tonight andrew.

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Pargo who's, the deputy finance director, charge of finance and accounting division. I have roseanne.

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Lentz, the city assessor, I have nancy bates- is actually not with us tonight, but she is the tax.

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Collector and revenue administrator and also with us tonight, is judy renault she's. Our enterprise.

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Controller and she does a lot of work with the trustees of the trust funds.

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Finance as a whole must follow very strict regulations and laws established by the state of.

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New hampshire, the state statutes the department of revenue administration, assessing standard boards.

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Generally accepted accounting principles, government accounting, standard standard boards, we.

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Also follow guidelines and best practices provided by government finance officers, association or gfoa.

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Others that are not listed here are irs regulations in other state and federal laws. The.

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Finance department is the hub of the city. We work with every department, everything that affects each.

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Department and the economy, whether it's growth, development, federal grants awards and so on. One.

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Way or another impacts the finance department, the finance department has about 24 staff, but we fund.

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22.33 full-time equivalent and one part-time, very talented professionals who serve our citizens and.

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Our business owners and I'm actually very proud to work with this team. It is just such a great team.

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The finance department um this year includes one less position than last year.

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Our application, specialist cindy chase will be reallocated to the it department you'll.

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Hear about that um soon, but we'll still she'll still be with us servicing the finance department.

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The assessing department's core responsibility is the annual assessment of all city properties. This.

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Team of seven have a direct contact with servicing the city citizens, business owners, developers.

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Investors, realtors and so on, they're out on the field following up on building permits measuring.

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And listing attending to taxpayers, questions and needs. I have a table here for our total valuation.

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Just as a statistic here for our tax year, 21 our fiscal year, 22 that we're currently.

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In we have 8863 parcels, billable parcels and out of that number of possible 16 make up the.

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Commercial in 84 make up our residential side. But if you look at the total value which is currently.

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At 6.4 billion dollars, the commercial side makes up 42 percent and 58 for residential. Currently.

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Revenue and tax collections core function. We have five members of this department who work.

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Very closely with our citizens day in and day out, through the whole covert, they were here still.

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Processing everything that they could online and their core function is billing and collection of.

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All the property taxes each member of this staff are certified with the state of new hampshire as.

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Municipal agents for motor vehicle registrations- and I just want to point to the chart here.

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We've seen an uptick in fy 21 versus fy20, but still higher than the number of registrations.

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That we've done over the last several years. We closed fiscal year 21 at 26, 000 registrations.

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Motor vehicle registration is our second highest revenue source outside of property taxes, but.

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Second, highest revenue source which is brings in about you, know, give or take a little bit.

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Five million dollars school tuition is, is the highest revenue source outside of property taxes.

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uh We also do this division. Does all the collection for water sewer payments.

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um Collection of any other municipal revenues and donations and they're also the central collection.

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Depository for all of the revenues collected like from recreation, fire, police, school and.

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Any of the other general government departments.

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And just quickly our core functions for the accounting department. We do payroll.

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Both for the school department and the city department of all city departments, so we do.

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Payroll start to finish: it's all done in-house. We have accounts payable for all the departments.

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Accounts receivable financial reporting, which I'll talk about in a little bit records management.

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This is maintaining our historic records and the restoration of our records that date back to the.

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1600S, we also implement and retain our record retention policy that we create created and in.

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Story storing these documents, which has really become quite the problem uh for our facilities,.

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In the in the space that we need to store some of these documents, um finance also is in charge.

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Of purchasing- and we do a number of rfps and bids and process the contracts working with the legal.

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Department and the number of purchase orders that are processed uh through this department.

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Water sewer billing, we do about 8, 600 water sewer bills, monthly. This is really mostly done by.

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Two individuals: this is quite the task and then we also do, as I mentioned earlier,.

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Assisting the trustees of the trustees of trust funds with their investments in their meetings.

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Now I've talked many times about our gfoa publications, and this includes our annual.

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Proposed budget document annual comprehensive financial report and our popular annual financial.

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Report, but what I wanted to really mention here is that these publications are completely optional.

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There's no requirement by law to produce these documents in the format that we produce them.

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Basically, what we're required to do is do the basic budget document, which would just.

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Include revenues and expenditures and a message from the city manager.

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And instead of the annual comprehensive financial report, we would just do basic financial reporting.

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And the popular annual financial report is not required at all. We um we produce these documents.

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Because they're very comprehensive and they go above and beyond the legal requirements.

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But we prepare them to educate and to inform our stakeholders of this community.

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Council bagley gave us a good punch there with our interactive documents that we have online.

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uh We implemented this a few years ago and but each year we continually make enhancements to.

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That, because I think it's just so important, the documents are big they're, comprehensive.

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And they they can be clumsly clumsy. To handle a book, but to be able to move around is is great.

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But also there are hard copies available in the public library in the city clerk's office. If.

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Somebody doesn't have access to the internet, some of the really good point. Other financial functions.

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That we do is we prepare the capital improvement plan working with the planning department and the.

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Planning board: we also do our bond issues in the finance department. We prepare all the bond ratings.

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Of the prepare, the big document, which is our official statement and the continuing disclosure.

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Annual report, many communities in new hampshire use the new hampshire municipal bond bank.

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They use the same advisors that we do for southwest financial and lock lord as the.

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Bond council, but we do a lot of the leg work here in the house. We set the tax rate with.

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The department of revenue we provide the monthly report to the council and online and our treasury.

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Function is the oversight of all our revenues and expenditures, cash management and, most importantly,.

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The safeguard of city funds against fraud, we have a lot of internal controls and a lot of.

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Banking products that we implement had implemented to protect the city's funds.

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Some of these highlights that I think have been great improvements that we've offered.

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This year we introduced our paypal and venmo payment methods.

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uh And and then we also have like the bitcoin payments or um cryptocurrency payment methods.

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Through paypal, we do not handle it, we do not do the transaction, it's all done by paypal, so we.

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Don't put our hands on that? What we introduced this year is our online stores. We call them the.

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Web payment portals the library stores where someone can go in and register for a membership.

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Or pay a library fee, and then we also have buttons online for donations, library, donations.

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Community scholarship donations, the portsmouth new hampshire 400 and the skateboard park donations.

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A couple of things coming up that have been very exciting. I I know public works is very.

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Excited about this, we are working in very close to adding a transfer station store, so you could.

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Go online, if you have a bulky waste item that you need to either bring down or schedule for pickup.

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You can pay for that disposal online print out your receipt, bring your bulky waste down to the.

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Transfer station and then they'll scan it and then directly following that is the credit card.

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Payment at the transfer station so right now we don't accept cash. It's either check.

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A lot of people don't carry checks on them, it's credit card. They have to go inside and pay.

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During office hours, but now we're working very closely to get those handhelds so that.

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People can just swipe their cards right there and that's going to be a great convenience.

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What are the future considerations that I wanted to point out is that there is an rsa out there.

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That allows us to um do paperless invoicing. One of the restrictions in the in the rsa is.

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That it has to be approved by the governing body, but we're working with invoice cloud.

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Where we want to get a little bit closer to be all set up for our paperless and then we'll come back.

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To the governing body to the council to see if you'll approve a paperless, this.

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Will be optional, of course, to everybody, so this this will be an individual who is who.

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Wants to do paperless, who wants to sign up and they'll, have to manage their account. That way.

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And then my last slide uh here because, as there's been a lot of talk about, we are, you know going.

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Into a revaluation period, so I did want to point out our tax relief programs. This slide.

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This picture in this slide is a direct snippet of a page 94 of the budget document. Someone.

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Can get some information here? You can actually click some of these links for more information.

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But we offer a number of veterans: tax credits, the elderly exemption and deferment programs, disabled.

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Exemptions and alternative energy exemptions, of course, you can always call the assessing office.

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To get more information they'll be very helpful in in and assist anyone who needs assistance.

B

Thank you judy any questions: counselor denton and councillor tavern. Thank your honor.

D

I've received numerous complaints that the city is doing this again.

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That the uh city is accepting cryptocurrency simply do the amount of electricity that.

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It requires to use. Can you just confirm what I've been telling people that it's a.

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It's paypal, that's allowing us to do this, so we signed up for paypal and paypal is offering it.

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We it's because it's so volatile too, you know in and we do not handle it ourselves. We get.

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The funds from paypal it is cash to the city, we don't do anything, we don't. We don't deal with.

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Any of that so thank you, councillor tabor and then councilor party thanks mayor. um One comment.

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I did want to make you know the longer you get to sit on the council. The more you appreciate the.

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Capital improvement process and the cip because, as you can imagine, we have hundreds of pieces of.

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Infrastructure that need to be maintained and we have new infrastructure to build, and this.

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Means you know you hear about infrastructure in many parts of the country being neglected and our.

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Cip doesn't allow that to happen. It keeps it top of mind with priorities based on you know, our road.

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Condition, evaluations and things like that. It's just a great system and it's also.

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Held in in check by our policies of how much debt we incur as a percent of operating budget, so.

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It's a wonderful system um that people may not appreciate unless they really take time to see it.

H

The 23.3 ftes I was comparing that to other communities, but it helped me understand.

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Who's included, when I look at some other communities their size, they have.

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Fewer people in finance, but I don't think they include as many functions right as we do right.

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So I've done a lot of comparison myself in that particular area to see where we fall in line and.

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One thing that to do that analysis, you really have to see you know, compare apples to apples right so.

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Some finance departments have hr some do not some um some have I.t some do not so in a lot.

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Some of our larger communities like concord- and you know they have- they- also have like little sub.

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Budget departments like two people who just work on budget all year, long which I would love.

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To see- um and so here we have assessing and tax collection purchasing, sometimes purchasing doesn't.

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Fall under as well and sometimes tax collection, doesn't a lot of municipalities have elected.

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Treasurers, we don't have an elected treasurer. So yes, when comparing you have to kind of look at.

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Those particular areas- and you have to look at the size- I mean this budget document. We have.

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The general fund, water, sewer parking and transportation, but we're dealing with over.

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50 funds we're in so much more in excess of what the dollars that are in here with all the.

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Federal grants and all our additional special revenue funds so, in the amount of you know, the.

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Debt tracking and so forth, so you also have to look at that. The size of the municipality too.

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And- and we are in a lot of and I'm sorry to go.

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But we also assist the school department, so we do payroll for this school. A lot of districts.

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School is a completely separate, separate animal, so yeah I mean correct man if I'm wrong, but.

H

We've got three big um work groups that aren't necessarily in other communities. We have the.

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Assessor's office and four or five people there, but we've also got a six billion dollar tax base.

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Right and we've got all the water and sewer and billing the buildings were everything basically.

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And um and then we've got tax collecting, which takes a a group to to get the revenue in.

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And I think it's I think our challenge is if we move in the direction it sounds like we're.

H

Going to move with bringing I.t in-house are there ways we can streamline all of that going forward.

G

G

I don't know how we could streamline. If anything you know, I.

G

Personally, think that the accounting department here could use more could use more help. We also do.

G

The publications that other communities don't do we also are involved in the cip publication.

G

Where finance is not necessarily in you know, involved in that area, there are certainly maybe.

G

Different softwares, we could look at maybe to streamline some tracking and things like that, but.

I

Great thanks, counselor embardi. Yes, thank you mayor um just well. First of all, I'd like to say.

H

I really appreciate the work you do. I think you do a fantastic job. Thank you for that.

H

um I I see in the uh position summaries that there are a couple positions that were there last year.

H

But aren't here this year and then there's a new position this year that weren't there are these.

H

Do these represent the end of one position and then beginning of a new uh I'm talking.

H

About, for example, the business administrator is no longer there, but the administrative manager.

H

Budget coordinator is: is that a redefinition of their role? Yes, some of these positions were.

G

Reclassified they've taken on more responsibility and so um basically the same number of staff.

G

More responsibility, and so that's why it's shown like that: okay good, but I.

H

I thought that might be the case, but it wasn't clear. Thank you answer code.

J

Thank you, your honor, um and thank you so much for the presentation from the finance department.

J

And for the book honestly, this presentation of the budget is very easy to read and understand.

J

It's very helpful to have the budget presented in this manner to us. It's a lot easier to to look at.

J

Across departments, so I really appreciate that. um I know that you've had at least one role. That's.

J

Unfilled, currently, how many positions do you that are currently reflected in this budget? Aren't.

J

Filled currently, and when do you anticipate filling those okay, so the one that we were.

G

Approved to add in last year, we still have not been able to fill that position. I'm in.

G

My third round of interviews with advertisement in interviews the first two we had great candidates.

G

We we were down both times, we're trying to offer somebody, and then we didn't they wouldn't take.

G

The salary um and so I'm starting round three next week and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

G

I also we are one of the members in our tax office, a fairly new member. Someone has.

G

Been with us for about a year last day is next friday, taking an opportunity outside of the city.

G

And we've also just filled this week, our a new purchasing.

G

Coordinator to work with us, so it's been tough and I really need that accounting position.

G

In here um and, like I said, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for next week.

G

Thank you, counselor bagley, um just a quick question, and maybe this is better for the library.

E

Department, but you talked about the library store, and I just want to reiterate unless I'm wrong- that.

E

Library cards are free for residents if you own property, if you have a non-profit in town.

E

The vast majority of people that have some attachment to portsmouth they can get a.

E

Free library card, so there is a store available for people that are non residents. Non-Property.

E

Owners to get a library card, but I don't want to discourage anybody. That's listening along.

G

Right correct to think that we're charging for the library right, that's correct, okay, thank you.

B

No other questions. uh Thank you judy. I just had.

B

One just to confirm the controller enterprise account. We've heard that's throughout the.

B

Conversation around um audit that we needed a controller. We still do not have that and that.

B

Would be the enterprise account? No, that position is, is filled and that has been um and that's judy.

G

Renaud and she's been here for quite some time. The position that's not filled was a controller.

G

And to try what was happening, we were attracting more um managers and not accountants.

G

So I kind of changed the title to account three. Okay, still, it's still the same responsibility.

G

But I'm really trying to attract a numbers person in an accountant, yeah great. Thank you all right.

B

Thanks mayor up next will be suzanne woodland presenting for the information technology request.

K

So suzanne woodland council, as you know, I'm serving as both the deputy city manager and.

K

The deputy city attorney, which may not immediately suggest suggest to you I.t.

K

However, probably probably about a year ago, my sort of occasional uh touch points into the I.t world.

K

um Which were generally with contracts- and you know, working through a variety of.

K

Some litigation, holes and production of emails- and you know, working with the various departments.

K

To provide services, um my responsibilities for working with irit services and its variety of.

K

Forms and personnel jumped significantly due to a variety of factors. So with me tonight is not.

K

Only mr brady, who is at home hopefully recovering soon from his illness, but also jason, screw scrog.

K

Who is with the adam group that is a portsmouth firm? They specialize, they are the primary cyber.

K

Incident response partner for all 550 municipalities that are covered by primex.

K

Jason, in particular, was very highly recommended not only for his cyber security chops.

K

He's at the primex conference, as we speak now having provided the keynote address on cyber.

K

Security for as part of the conference, but he also has experience working with other agencies and.

K

Entities to evolve and evaluate the I.t personnel structure, if you will to make recommendations.

K

So I have been working uh with mr brady with the adam group and also with tom lotz from the school.

K

Department, he is the network, I think if I get his title rights, I always just think of him as tom.

K

He is the network administrator uh for the school department and you may not be aware, but the school.

K

Department has two system administrators, one database manager and three technicians.

K

And tom, if you cross paths with him, you should thank him many many times because he has been.

K

An amazing partner uh over the last year and helping us look afresh at what we need from an I.t.

K

Evolution, if you will and working with all of um sort of a number of the touch points.

K

Here from our gis in public works and our scada and public works, as well as with the.

K

Fire department, police department, daisy lavoy down in the pd, who handles some of the I.t and the pd.

K

And cindy chase in our finance department, who's uh I've been working closely with and.

K

Is prepared to come in and be part of a new I.t department, so I may have a background in lawyering.

K

But over the past year I have spent way more time on calls with it folks than I ever thought. I would.

K

In my lifetime, so I am not alone so to speak here, did jason make it online yep kevin has.

C

Him, uh if the group, if we need to welcome thank you, uh so if you want to advance the slide sure.

K

So in some ways it was useful to follow the finance department because when you looked at all.

K

Those finance department slides you get to see how many touch points there were for the technology.

K

That has come to make all of our operations, uh so you know, frankly, more efficient and more.

K

Transparent easier for our customers, our residents and our contractors, all of those who touch.

K

The city they have it a little easier because they don't always have to come here in person.

K

So the it department would does support over 480 employees across 16 facilities.

K

Workstations phones devices these pieces of technology that we have here that we've so.

K

Come to appreciate uh now that you know with covid, we operate over 48 different.

K

Applications from your basics of microsoft and adobe products to the opengov platform.

K

Which we use for the land use permitting and for land use applications.

K

um In addition, uh the it department is responsible with the other members of the team across the.

K

Departments to maintain security throughout the network, we have a suite of tools um and employee.

K

Training as as we know, it's often the weakest link, you know that employee, if they're missing their.

K

Training who clicks on something that they should not click on, um and so we've implemented over the.

K

Last few years, um some additional training on that which I think has served us well looks like.

K

So from our perspective, uh the I.t department empowers the public.

K

Because we provide the portals both for communication out and communication in we've.

K

Seen an increasing demand to make sure that every public meeting is broadcast or at least recorded.

K

Five years ago there were a number of meetings. The smaller committees did not.

K

Have that opportunity to have their meetings? You know easily recorded.

K

And now you'll find they by and large all are and that takes effort. It takes a producer.

K

In many cases- and you know putting together uh the information up on the website in a forum.

K

Where people can find it, we've recently updated our website kind of behind the scenes to drupal 9.

K

So that's been, mr brady's had some space and time with the help that we've had from our outside team.

K

To put some attention towards the website, so that is: has improvements on the back end, which have.

K

Been great, we've also made some changes on the front end to increase usability of the website.

K

And you know one of the things I think you saw in the finance department slides we're really trying.

K

To allow the public to engage with the city from wherever they are in, whatever form they prefer.

K

Whether they're on their phone or they're at their desktop and to make that as seamless as possible.

K

So here we have really what we like to think of is the evolution of the it department, um adding.

K

In-House personnel to really restructure both the oversight and management and technical support.

K

Functions from really what is now, principally, an outsourced, managed services, provider model.

K

And bring it in house that would mean we could decrease funding for our outside contract services.

K

What do we see as the benefit of that as I've kind of flagged? We move to more strategic network.

K

Planning so part of what's happened. Is we've grown pretty quickly in terms of what we've.

K

Been offering across a variety of platforms, um and so what what we're finding is? You know if you are.

K

Kind of piecemealing things together, particularly during the you know, time of of covid and you're.

K

Putting all these pieces together in you know fast fashion. Sometimes you need to re-look and.

K

See, okay, is this really the best best structure? Is it going to be resilient? Are we going to be.

K

Able to get back on our feet and really we have some work to do, and we know that and bringing.

K

Some a qualified staff in-house would make that a lot easier, um also, greater stability of service.

K

Technical folks move around. So what we'll? What we've found is that, with our managed.

K

Services providers and we've had a change in december to from one provider to another.

K

There's a lot of movement in that industry and actually what we found in the city. Although we've.

K

Had higher turnover than normal, most people like to work here. We have a good working environment.

K

And that's something that we can really deliver on. We maybe can't beat the salaries out there.

K

But we do have a great working environment and we have some decent benefits compared to.

K

What's sometimes available, you know with these tech firms.

K

From our point of view, there's also a huge increase in security, so it's less turnover.

K

You know we have employees coming and going out of these managed services providers and.

K

They're supposed to go through our whole sieges approved, you know fingerprinting and background.

K

Checks down in the pd before they touch our system, or at least certain parts of our system.

K

And you know it's really hard to monitor that when they've got you know a suite of.

K

Employees that, because they've got turnover they're bringing in new people all the time.

K

So from our perspective, it's also a security issue.

K

And so what does the new structure look like? We need a chief information officer every other.

K

Municipality in the state of new hampshire that I've looked at has one and we need one.

K

From my perspective, um so that's why you'll see a little gold bar. That's really a new position.

K

And we can speak more to that if you, if you have questions um the other two really new pieces, that.

K

We're looking at is two it support technicians. So what we find and is that, if we don't have.

K

Boots on the ground, people who are actually here and with two technicians, we could stagger their.

K

Schedules so that they could help cover on the weekends. um It is very hard to get the kind of.

K

Support that we need so, for example, this week we were setting up new employees at community campus.

K

That team was there, the outside, managed services provider was there with their team.

K

To move equipment over but of course there was an issue something you know, even though.

K

There'd been like four meetings to pre-plan this. There was an issue, our managed services provider.

K

Team couldn't get there and get boots on the ground again until thursday, so we had three days.

K

Where we weren't, where we thought we were going to be on monday and we have staff there, and it's just.

K

A practical thing if we had some basic support technicians here, like we used to frankly years.

K

Ago, that would kind of solve a lot of our problems. The fire department has been incredibly patient.

K

As they've waited for small fixtures, you know with their printers, you know, for their computers to be.

K

Able to talk to their printers right now. We have 62 open help desk tickets and we have 200 to 300.

K

um On average uh help desk tickets a month, and so I know it's a big ask and that's why I'm spending.

K

Some time on this and just I've looked at dover rochester keene. So if you look at comparables.

K

We've got dover, it's got six rochester six, keen seven and in this structure, you'll see.

K

Really five, because most other uh municipalities don't put their producer in this box and as the.

K

Finance director indicated um we we've borrowed someone from finance and asked her to come over.

K

As the software solutions director, she's she's, a whiz, she's awesome um and alan brady is sort of.

K

Retitled, as technical director he's responsible for a lot of the technology that you see in.

K

All the conference rooms to make these types of meetings possible, so I will stop there. I'm sorry.

K

That's a lot since the mirror. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, susan. um Just um a few questions.

I

When we look at the outside it services, obviously um with this proposed budget budget added to these.

I

Positions, we see a dramatic cut. My question is: do we know what services we'd have to stay.

I

Outside and do we do, we have an idea of a timeline of even lowering that budget and kind of.

I

Where we think it will floor out at right, so that's a good question and that's part of.

K

So one slide back. I think I flagged that we are seeing we put a 150 000, less.

K

In the outside uh contracted services, and that's really to cover the two.

K

uh I.T technicians, um you know we have some idea of what we might get first. You know for folks.

K

So we've got a salary. You know range in there but um to see what happens if we're allowed to go out.

K

um But um yeah so right now, that's why that drops 150 plus what we're expecting is we're going to.

K

Have savings when we do projects so, for example, we are moving to microsoft, 365 right now, we're under.

K

Contract to move that because we are out of room uh from our email point of view and and moving.

K

We actually had to build into that contract, more support than we would have. Otherwise, if we'd had.

K

Folks in-house who could have helped with portions of that work, but we we don't have it and we know.

K

There's a lot of hand-holding that's going to have to happen because of some historical choices in.

K

How email has been archived over the years and and getting people moved on to that new platform?.

K

Part of it will be simple and part of it will not be, and we had to plan for that. So we will see.

K

Savings when we do projects, if we have the right staff in-house um and then that managed, I think.

K

Once we get a cio in who can really look more globally, I do think we'll see other savings, maybe.

K

Even coordination of licensing licensing fees have gone up dramatically, principally from microsoft.

K

Again, when we have someone with the bandwidth to kind of look across the system, there may.

K

Well be savings that we can achieve, but it takes someone who's going to have that long-term. You.

K

Know planning and looking for those opportunities and working with the other. You know the tom losses.

K

The daisy lavoys, you know phil mcquillen in the fire department. We've got a lot of thinking to do.

K

And we need someone to help us do that. Thank you barter. um Thank you mayor. I um I spent last.

H

Over 25 years, working in tech- and one thing I know, is that there's no two networks, that are alike.

H

So when you have a outside firm coming in where they have turnover of front line, techs.

H

They have a learning curve to come and work at your network and you pay for that. So.

H

I would say that just that in itself is a huge reason to.

H

Embark on this, the also it's just the security issue and the.

H

Ability to respond to security breaches rapidly is yet another significant thing.

H

I know there was a security breach on the web page at some point and.

H

I'm sorry and it was um it took some time to get it resolved anyway. So.

H

I would say I really support this effort and I think it's a good direction to go for the city.

B

Councilman, I'm just curious, I'm all for bringing things in-house I mean in my business. We do.

I

Everything in-house, because you have more control, you have more security in the whole training and.

I

Everything um would it be, is it a necessity to have the two technicians on top of all the other.

I

Positions immediately, or is this something that might be better to phase in over time.

I

So we're not training so many people on the system at once. I'm just curious if you've thought about.

I

You know two different approaches: we, the team and again because I'm not alone having.

K

Worked with um jason from the adam group having a lot of conversation, conversations with tom lotz.

K

Checking in with the other departments, um what is and really cindy chase uh from the finance.

K

Department who did help desk for us years ago, um before her uh her current position, um where.

K

She helps really integrate new applications and make sure they're running correctly.

K

It um I think the consensus is the sooner we get help the better, because, right now we have a our.

K

Current managed services provider very professional doing their best to respond, but again.

K

Having challenged by turnover needing to learn the idiosyncrasies of our system and our many.

K

Applications- and I don't know how many times I've had to help prioritize, you know when you've got 62.

K

Open tickets- someone coming in who hasn't worked here and doesn't work here regularly, doesn't know.

K

Well, you know if peter rice is preparing for a snowstorm. Well, the public works director needs.

K

To have access to his files and his other tools to make sure that his whole crew, so it may be.

K

One person who's impacted because that's the thing they have like these levels of service.

K

They try and like stick you into you'll get a response within four hours or six hours.

K

Or eight hours and it's really hard, given the nature of municipal work across the departments.

K

For someone coming outside not having a lot of experience and realizing, oh that's! The ticket.

K

That needs to get responded to right away. um It's amazing how many issues we've had at the garage.

K

Trying to get credit card readers to work properly and it's back out and then you're working with a.

K

Vendor and the vendor misses the the tech person, because the tech person doesn't have the right.

K

Time so we've thought about that consensus across the board and I think even the department heads.

K

Would tell you as soon as we can bring folks in, and I think it's going to take a while to.

K

Hire so I think it's going to be a bit of a staggered process anyways. So that's the yeah.

K

We're ready to go. Thank you concert cook. um Thank you, your honor and thank you. Deputy city manager,.

J

I have a particular concern about making sure that we have everything available online to residents.

J

That we're as transparent as possible, and so um we already have a request for a communications person.

J

How much is the it department going to be working this new idt department, working in in conjunction.

J

With that new individual to make sure things come online, faster, say I know right now. We only have a.

J

Part-Time person who handles that, so that's that's part of what sort of, in my mind, putting on more.

K

Than that bigger management hat, when I look at the goals of this city council in terms of.

K

Transparency communication not only out but back in I know I've had some wonderful.

K

Conversations with our new planning director beverly about some of the tools that she has.

K

Used in her community, which would allow us to more um accurately, if you will, target and and.

K

Collect people's interests, what topics do you want to be updated on? Well, that's a different piece of.

K

Software, it's a different program and I'm I'm ready to jump on that. But there's no way we'd have.

K

Bandwidth to do that right now until we can kind of take care of some of these other pieces, but.

K

There are things like that that are are hanging out there that are lingering.

K

um Just for lack of not having you know really bandwidth from a personnel perspective and really.

K

Wanting to make sure we get a cio in soon so that we have someone really able to look across the.

K

Departments across the network and and help vision with management so that we have more coordinated.

K

Responses and really coordination, so everything talks to each other.

K

And we can see those cyber security threats. Actually we need actually a whole an additional.

K

Level of viewing of what's happening out there, so thank you, mr mayor, can I just clear up a point.

C

That was brought up earlier there. There was no security breach on the web page or the website.

C

There was a period of time. Everyone recalls vividly when the network was down over three days.

C

We moved the internal file server out to the cloud because of that.

C

But it was not a security breach. We haven't had that, fortunately knock on wood, and I just want to.

C

For the folks at home, listening thanks. Thank you uh city manager, uh counselor den. Thank you.

D

Two questions the first one is based on this new structure. From what you said, am I correct that the.

D

Technical director and producer are current positions, essentially, the two I.t support.

D

Technicians that we're looking at bringing in will be paid for by not outsourcing so that just.

D

Means that they'll be the chief information officer and the software solutions director.

K

uh The chief information officer is really the new ask in that sense because of the trade-off as you.

K

Pointed out with the I.t support technicians, we took a chunk out of the contracted out services.

K

And that's roughly their two salaries. The producer we've actually had producers, a number of part-time.

K

Producers, but now we have uh under contract kevin, who is awesome and we'd like to keep him.

K

Because it's been a lot easier to have someone kind of full-time available knows all of you.

K

And is ready at a drop of a hat, to help us produce a meeting even on short notice.

K

So it's been invaluable, so he has been here and we want to make sure that he stays here.

K

Yeah um between the potential increase or I.t department itself.

D

And the migration to microsoft, 365., do you foresee enough email addresses for all the new staff.

D

And then potentially for elected officials who are interested.

K

Moving over to microsoft, 365 will allow us to work with the mayor and the city council to see.

K

If that's the direction, we want to go. Yes! Thank you. Cancer, bagley! Thank you, your honor. Thank you.

E

So this is actually one area of the budget that I struggled with the most because it.

E

On outward appearances, it seems um one I was kind of surprised. This wasn't already in-house.

E

And then two I was like it looks like a very big ass because of the number of positions and you.

E

Know that gave me pause, but the the more I thought about it, the more comfortable I became with this.

E

Presentation, because one, I think we all learned or a lot of us learned over the past two years, that.

E

Being online and everything electronic has to work, and you know when things go down, it causes you.

E

Know you can't pay your water bill or, if there's a sewer backflow, if the it component is missing.

E

It's not possible to you know even the click it and fix it. Don't work so there's so much now.

E

That information technology is essential for that. I feel that we have to bring it in-house.

E

Even though I think it's um you know, it's a lot of positions, but I think we need to do it.

E

So now that I've come around and I think this is a great idea, what concerns me is two things.

E

One, how quickly can we do we do? We think we have the right salaries to get people hired.

E

And what happens during that transition period? So I know in my industry let's say I have a customer.

E

That's used to buying their their product from a vendor and they decide to bring that in-house. So.

E

They buy equipment to make that in-house there's always kind of this awkward transition from.

E

Being somebody's best customer to not being their customer at all or being a much more.

E

Minor customer: how is that being handled? So we've actually had some great conversations with our.

K

Current msp managed services provider and they are aware that we have this. Ask they're, aware that we.

K

Are looking for them to continue support and kind of that engineering that what can be done remotely.

K

Or the the bigger engineering pieces that you know it's going to take time for us to you know.

K

Deal with there's always going to be a component that we're going to outsource to some degree, given.

K

How quickly technology changes? um The question is right now we feel we're we're too far on the.

K

Outsourced side, um so there are always going to be projects, so um we've had.

K

Great conversations with uh our current managed services provider they're aware that we're here.

K

um And I think we're pretty comfortable they're willing to help us with the transition.

K

Great thank you yeah, and if I could just uh um the correction in terms of the cyber security.

K

Thing and the website was correct there there have been, and I don't want anyone to you know.

K

Think we are a municipality and we are under uh if you will regular threat and.

K

um I wouldn't want to speak about particular incidents, but there there have been incidents.

K

um Any number of them that our current staff and our msp and have been handling um so we feel.

K

Comfortable but there's more, we really would like to do so that we could sleep a little better yeah.

B

Counselor, thank you honor, and thank you very much for this presentation.

L

I um obviously, as um reiterate counselor bagley said when you look at the the big sticker price.

L

You know, obviously the residents are going to be like whoa.

L

um I also you know was surprised how much was out house was um being taken care of out of house.

L

My my mother has worked for several fortune, 500 companies and her. She was always saying.

L

It wasn't if we were gonna get it was when so. I understand the security. How important that.

L

Is what cost that could lead to in the long run? If we didn't address that and the risk and everything.

L

Associated with that so looking at this, this is really like we're spending some money to.

L

Save money in the future and make things more efficient and like correct in that statement.

K

That would be absolutely correct. We are really hoping that um by bringing some of these pieces.

K

In-House that it is going to allow our staff to be more efficient, because whenever your staff is.

K

Not working because the system's down or their email is down.

K

That's a problem um and we lose that efficiency and we really see that as as as a win. If we can.

K

Keep the system up more often, um and it's mostly up, but you know, there's more hiccups than we would.

K

Like and we think we can kind of deal with that much more effectively if we can put the right team.

K

Into place and again to your point, when you look at the numbers really, the big ask here is the.

K

Chief information officer, because the technical director is just a re-title.

K

Of mr brady's position as I.t manager, the salute software solutions director is coming over from.

K

Finance um and the producer really we've had in the budget for a while, because we've had.

K

Producers, it's just formally making it a full-time position, and there is that offset. As pointed out.

K

In the in the outsourced contracting for the support positions, thank you.

B

Councillor tabor, um I think, there's a lot of opportunity here, even though it seems like a lot.

H

Of cost, I know that ceco's media group, we were 200 employees and we had a lot of transactions.

H

Just as the city does a lot of bills to go out a lot of checks to cut and.

H

When we were able to get the work of the transactions entering the track transactions, never.

H

Goes away, but when you're able to get all that information to be ported right up into the finance.

H

System to push the bills out with a you know, one key stroke. We saw enormous gains and you know we.

H

Had a number of positions we just didn't have to fill and our old systems that didn't talk to one.

H

Another we had people working for the computer instead of the computer working for now, so.

H

My question would be have we got an outside expert to look at this.

H

To say, where could we maximize this investment with integration of our systems and.

H

And we're sure we've got enough, so we know we have some legacy software pieces that.

K

It would be nice to evolve past them because it will help improve that ability for the.

K

For the various applications to talk to one another and eventually take people.

K

Out of some of those conversations that now have to happen because you're.

K

Keying in or typing in pieces part of the work that a new cio in terms of coming in.

K

Here would do is help. Look at that and figure out. Is this something that I need to bring in someone.

K

To help or do I have enough tools here, because we actually have done a lot of inventorying.

K

Over the last really nine months to a year that I've been shepherding, this understanding all the.

K

Applications literally listing them out kind of charting a lot of this out, so we could see.

K

You know where the opportunities where the challenge is, and so it really, I think.

K

We just need someone with bandwidth to to help really then: okay, here's what we've got.

K

Where, what's the next step, is it a software step right? Is it a get a consultant step.

K

So because I just have to think there are people out there who can look at any municipality and say.

H

Here's here's where your systems aren't working for you, here's where they could be integrated.

H

To work for you, we know where some of those those are they're they're on our radar. Any.

B

Other questions I had a couple um and thank you uh for the uh the presentation. I would say that.

B

On the outside, I believe that a an I.t department is necessary for a variety of reasons, but.

B

Meeting the citizen, where they are where they want to be from a convenience standpoint, is.

B

One of the aspects of uh delivering services and increasingly those services.

B

You know end up in the cloud and the cloud guys for folks at home is not.

B

We're not doing anything through rain droplets, uh it means not on on premise. uh I have a dear.

B

Friend, who uh did not get a job because uh they had they had kind of kind of failed. The question.

B

Of how comfortable are you with the cloud and they said? Well, I love clouds. You know.

B

So I understand that a lot of this can be confusing, um but just the city needs to to.

B

Move forward in in terms of engaging the consumer, uh the consumer, being the citizen um as well as.

B

Protect the interests of the city uh from a long term and and create efficiencies of employees.

B

And and how they do their do their job suzanne. You mentioned that there's other cities and they had a.

B

Six, I think, is the average number that you'd mention or maybe do. Those include does that.

B

Include uh school and police and fire in that number, so um most of the municipalities that.

K

I looked at and actually jason who's worked with a number of the other municipalities, but.

K

My quick look around having worked closely with dover in rochester, because I interact with them.

K

All the time, what you'll find is similar to what um what I'm proposing here in terms of structure.

K

In that there are still pieces within public works and there are still pieces within the.

K

Police department definitely pieces within school because in many other places the school is not a.

K

Department, it's a separate, you know administrative unit, so you'll find you know various folks buried.

K

In different parts of the organization, but when you go to dover, for example, you know if.

K

You go to their executive department, that's where you'll find in the little red here. The director.

K

Of information, the deputy director, the I.t administrator, another I.t administrator in it.

K

Tech and another I.t tech, so that's dover comes up to six. If you add it up and that's just.

K

In their sort of city hall structure, but then they have pieces elsewhere.

K

Rochester they have theirs, um there's rochester keen this is keen, so they have seven, and this.

K

Doesn't as far as I can tell, I didn't do a deep dive. It doesn't look like. It includes school.

K

Or fire we tend to have a few more folks on the scada. What we call the public works side.

K

The so the systems that talk to the wastewater treatment facilities and.

K

All the alarming and the water system, so there's a lot of communication that happens on that side and.

K

Because the city actually has a a lot of infrastructure, you know we have.

K

What 21 pump stations? You know two wastewater treatment facilities. We have uh well two water.

K

You know water treatment facilities, so all of them have to talk and to the whole system and they have.

K

To alarm, and so we actually have more portsmouth- has more on the public works side of the house.

K

Than probably some of the other municipalities do because of the nature of our infrastructure.

K

And I'm sure, uh next week, when the water and sewer folks are here, um they can speak more.

K

To the structure that they have on their side, but we um yeah we have. We have more.

K

Needs so on that and I I would say the I'm in agreement with the the need for a cio in agreement.

B

With alan continuing on in the role of technical director, we need a lot and we're asking more.

B

Probably than ever before, in terms of engagement, whether it's zoom, whether it's wanting to bring.

B

City hall, to different asp, you know different parts of the town, uh the city, in the same respect,.

B

Kevin- it's not just because he can, uh you know, cut my microphone, but I think that he does a great job.

B

Producing- and you know, there's so many times the meeting and such demand for our meetings to be.

B

Online uh now that I think it's an invaluable resource and I think the solutions software.

B

Director from uh coming from uh judy's over there, I'm obviously in support of it support technicians.

B

I'm not yet convinced uh that they need to be an in-house employee um and even if it meant the.

B

Even if it meant the same budgetary item that we would not be losing or that we not be gaining in.

B

Terms of contracted services, I feel as though the chief information officer from everything.

B

That you've outlined is going to be a linchpin of this organization, and I hope that she or he will.

B

Make every person working that apartment better and a further hope. I would. I would like to see.

B

More consolidation across the departments in terms of the police department, in terms of the school.

B

Because of what I think would be a longer-term effect of consolidating systems, whereas the.

B

School department's on google, google cloud- google apps, uh you know, but we're in the.

B

City hall, going down 365., you know, will if we had the symbol, if we had the same.

B

uh Platform, we're going to have economies of scale just because of license numbers, and so I'd like.

B

To see more consolidation around that, and I feel like it could be easier if we're contracting out.

B

uh With those support technicians with our existing firm, instead of bringing them in-house.

B

That we would have the opportunity to go in a different direction or potentially consolidate.

B

Among departments, if we did not add more employees while we're adding the chief information officer.

B

Happy to that was more of a comment, not a question but happy to hear any response to.

B

That suzanne, so um with all due respect, um having, like I said, worked for the last year um with.

K

Both our our department, heads and our technical staff inside uh the organization.

K

Having worked with um jason from the adam group, having worked with tom watts, um I.

K

And I think mr brady and I had a conversation and and and we are absolutely.

K

Of the view, and obviously the city council you know will will make its decision that all of.

K

Our departments would be better served right now by having some in-house staff like we used.

K

To years ago, not even that long ago, six or seven years ago, when cindy chase, who is now an employee.

K

When um you know other folks from ceco's computers frankly, but they used to actually staff folks here,.

K

We had much better responsiveness. I can't tell you, I I'm sure, if the if the fire chief were here, he.

K

Would tell you how painful it has been not to have um someone that can easily come over and.

K

You know get a printer driver, you know, updated and and have his staff be able to print um or as.

K

I said just when we have new employees come in and trying to coordinate with an outsourced uh person.

K

Because, even when the msp folks are willing to put someone here for a couple hours, you know every.

K

Every day or every other day, there's a lot of turnover because a lot of them just don't want to.

K

Be here in the same way, there's just a different mentality. They, they are not.

K

As I mean they mean well, don't get me wrong very professional, most of them that we've had the.

K

Pleasure to work with particularly the more recent uh crew.

K

They're really great they're very thoughtful, um but they don't have the knowledge of the.

K

Operation when I have to help people, you know identify of the 62 outstanding items which one.

K

Is the most important or which five are the most important? Well, that takes time away from me and.

K

You know I can tell you from because I've been here long enough, that when we had folks sitting.

K

You know in an office who understood how municipal government works, how the you know where the.

K

Pressure points are who has responsibility for what they didn't need that help prioritizing. They.

K

Knew when that call came in okay, this one can wait. This one needs attention. The other thing we could.

K

Do- and this is one of the interesting things is with two folks: we could stagger their schedules.

K

So that our rec department and our library department that right now really don't get the.

K

Same level of service, in the sense that they're not the usual business hours and the way that most.

K

Of the msps work, you know, if you want after hours, works you're either paying for it. It's only if an.

K

Emergency, well, I can tell you when the printer or some other piece goes down in the library.

K

Their saturdays are busy and they would like to be able to have someone come over and help get them.

K

Set up and and fixed- and so that's part of what we're thinking so it would be a little different.

K

Model than we've done in the past because it used to be very much city hall focused, but we actually.

K

Really recognize the needs of wreck or, if someone's at the pool and the card reader is.

K

Not working because some of that stuff just can't be done remotely, some of it can and that's great.

K

When someone can sit on their couch in florida and they remote in the other thing we have is.

K

You know from a security point of view we limit. You know that outside remote work to just.

K

U.S citizens, so um we have, you, know, kind of standards. So it's not going to be someone. You.

K

Know from outside the country touching our system um and there's reasons for that. um You know jason.

K

Could certainly speak to that, but there are limits to what what we allow for a variety of reasons.

K

So so I that's why, from our perspective, sort of on the ground, like I said, I think if you were.

K

To ask any of the department heads they'll tell you they liked it a lot better when.

K

We actually had you know physical bodies here who understood the needs and and a lot of our.

K

A lot of our staff are not particularly tech savvy, and so it's really helpful.

K

To have someone you can call she's getting me there. My cell phone went off.

G

So, that's you know, we recognize it's. Ultimately, you know your choice, but so is that a um and I.

B

Don't know um is that a policy decision that we've made to onshore all of the help desk is that a rsa.

B

um In terms of not having offshore help desk so for um because.

K

Right now, our email includes the police department. um You know in in the global way it's handled.

K

um Their their sieges requirements don't allow for, um for that kind of external.

K

Outside the u.s touching of the system, okay um would love to learn more.

B

uh About that, um I guess the jason can tell you a lot about that. We can the um I view the um this.

B

It's five hundred thousand dollars in in in this uh in this in these sours, the.

B

My concern is that the needs of the department, um because the needs of the.

B

City for I.t services are going to grow, uh I would say not exponentially, but the.

B

It's going to be the the more we provide through information technology, the more that we will.

B

Come to expect to provide it will be and the systems that we will use. I think it's.

B

Somewhat of a fallacy to believe that we will have experts in on the ground that.

B

Are on that are experts on every system you'd mentioned that microsoft. You had spent more.

B

uh Than you would have otherwise on support, that's the model that that we see in business, or I see.

B

In my paying the mortgage job that we spend more money on support, rather than having.

B

Folks that are are trained on on help desk, and I understand that there is a desire to have somebody.

B

On site that always knows and and and can fix that, but I would believe it would be part of.

B

The chief information officer's job to make sure that we are creating a system where they know.

B

Everything, that's you know important and is able to rank. You know those across uh the.

B

um The organization, uh as well as best identify um you know the priorities.

B

Of the organization and to be able to to either onshore that, if it's not possible to offshore that.

B

But to keep the uh the support technicians, I just believe it will be very hard.

B

If we find that uh the chief information officer comes in and has a different, you know vision.

B

But we already have these two employees uh to to change uh the. We will find that we'll be end.

B

Up repurposing uh them and uh instead of maybe making a decision to eliminate those positions.

B

And so I guess, I'm I'm very supportive of the the the the department I have uh concerns and.

B

Would like to see uh what the cost would be? Would this without moving forward with a um the I.t.

B

Support technicians as salaried staff, but rather continuing to ex to extend uh from a a consulting.

B

Basis uh and come back in a year and speak to the cio and and and what she might want to do.

B

uh In in either hiring on site staff or or continuing with uh consulting arrangements for.

B

Help desk that's certainly a choice that the city council could make to not fund those two positions.

K

In which case, we would be short money unless it gets put back into the contracted services.

K

Line item um I like I said I have a different. I respect your view. I have a different view.

K

I think if you asked any department head up here, um what their preference is, what their.

K

Experience has been of the last couple of years with not having um folks here. I think they would.

K

You'd hear what oh and I certainly and I yeah and I and I I respect that and I respect.

B

uh What city staff has has gone through? I I I guess um where we might differ on this- is that.

B

I think that um we're we might not be uh equally rating. The chief information officer.

B

And their ability to enact change across an organization and to deal with uh contracting.

B

Out work uh from a uh prioritization standpoint, I think I may just have a different view of how.

K

Much work that chief information officer is gonna, have hitting the ground and and there's a lot of.

K

Tasks, and certainly I think, based on my experience with with judy's.

K

Lovely staff member who I've co-opted our software solutions, director who's.

K

Again was help desk before she evolved into really what has just been an amazing job, working as we.

K

Roll out new software programs and making sure pieces of the system talk to each other and.

K

We we are ready to plug some people in and we don't really need a cio to do that. I think.

K

That's and that's maybe, where you and I just differ. I I see such a suite of responsibilities.

K

That are pending and waiting um in terms of engineering in terms of cyber security. In terms of.

K

Coordination and beginning to really, as you mentioned, and I perfect, you know, absolutely agree.

K

This person begins to really continue the conversations that I have started.

K

At a deeper um technical level, then I am able to carry them with uh these other departments.

K

um And the other technical folks within those departments- okay, thanks susan counselor, didn't.

D

Do you know off the top of your head if the two proposed it support technicians would be.

D

Eligible to join a union and become bargaining unit, employees right now we're assuming that.

K

There will be non-union yes, because of the nature of what they touch. Yes,.

B

H

You obviously done the comparisons with other towns and I went running to.

H

Other towns, budgets too, you know we're asking for six people and 1.1 million.

H

Dover is six people and 1.5 million, but they also have a whole media department.

H

For half a million dollars that does all of their production, so rochester six, one million.

H

Concord seven fte is 1.1 million, so we're sort of right in the we are comparable. We are what I've.

K

What I've rolled out is is comparable and again, a lot depends is where you shuffle the various.

K

And the sundry other pieces, where you put the media piece or where you put the production piece.

K

Because so, like some of the other municipalities, have a government channel, that's very standalone.

K

So their producers are really there and you won't see them in the it department.

B

All right, thank you, suzanne, thank you, suzanne and as as much as I know, you want to hear.

C

From bob sullivan he's not next up, next is the city clerk who's joining us remotely.

C

Welcome kelly bob will be in the name city council, mayor mccachren and um staff and city manager.

J

Canard, I am kelly, barbie speak clerk and I will be presenting the city, clerk and election budget.

J

To you this evening, I apologize I'm unable to join you in person this evening, but I am.

J

Thankful to participate via zoom, so thank you, city manager, for that next slide. Please.

J

The city clerk's staff is made up of three individuals, myself valerie, french and june gilbert.

J

And um we do a wide variety of tasks for the city clerk's office, as well as the election department.

J

Next slide, our core functions are as follows: we create and preserve all the vital records.

J

Which are birth, marriage and death records, as well as various contracts and agreements and.

J

Other historical documents that we keep on file, we issue a wide variety of permits and licenses.

J

Anywhere from a parade permit to license to operate as a hawker and cuddler on the sidewalk.

J

To sell hot dogs, we furnish support services to the city, council, city manager and staff in.

J

A wide variety of measures and we provide update local board and commission listings.

J

And new hampshire government, local leadership information for everyone to be able to refer.

J

To we file and safeguard all of the city documents in our vault, which we now have also a.

J

Storage center down in what is known as our basement area. But it is a lovely.

J

Facility that has records for various departments across the city government we assist in preparing.

J

Bond council packages with the finance department which contain council minutes and.

J

Action sheets and agendas and documents that need to be to copy to test.

J

We do voter registration, which includes new registrations, transfers, name changes address.

J

Updates and party changes and we maintain voter history by recording the individual voting in.

J

A specific election as well as administer those elections which we know are very time consuming.

J

And very much involved that we have two elections that are coming up um next slide. Please.

J

um In september september is the primary on september 13th, and then we have a state general.

J

Election on november, 8th and the filing period for the state primary is june 1st through june 10th.

J

The city clerk's office issues uh vital records. We issued over 5048 vital records.

J

uh This past calendar year we did 278 marriage licenses. The city council adopted 10 ordinances.

J

And 27 resolutions um I attended as well as valerie in for work sessions, um 53 city council.

J

Meetings and work sessions, and in so we prepared 34 city council binders for ipad um uploads for.

J

Various city council packages we issued over 145 licenses and permits and 2596 dog license.

J

The november election for 2021, we had 241 new registered voters.

J

Total registered voters were 16 300 and the percentage for voter turnout was 37.4 percent.

J

Present-Day election statistics are as follows: the city of portsmouth currently has 16 083 registered.

J

Voters which break down as follows: republican 2926, democratic 7900 and undeclared 5172.

J

And I think that might is that my last slide city manager- that is thanks kelly.

J

Questions that you may have thank you kelly. Any questions from the council.

B

Nope seem to answer them all kelly. Thank you again for the work and look forward to oh spoke.

B

To you soon, counselor cook, sorry, your honor, um so clearly there, this budget's actually decreasing.

J

There's a reduction in salary here: do we anticipate any impact from that shift? I.

J

Noticed that there's a shift from administrative clerk essentially to administrative assistant.

J

Anticipated right, the new position, um the position was upgraded to um administrative.

J

Assistant from administrative court, it has more duties and responsibilities associated with it.

J

So it will keep the three staff members in the city clerk's office,.

J

Thank you, you're welcome.

B

Any other questions.

B

Thank you kelly thanks kelly, take care.

C

Up next by popular demand, the city attorney bob sullivan for perhaps the last time.

M

Every municipality in america and certainly every.

M

Municipality in new hampshire operates in a very complicated legal environment.

M

Becoming more complicated with the passage of every day- and we have seen that here.

M

Amongst the municipalities in the state there's a horizon of uh different approaches.

M

To dealing with that situation and they range from what is most popular in the smaller towns.

M

Of having no lawyers and simply retaining council when necessary for specific identified problems.

M

To what is uh more popular in the cities of having legal staffs, who cover varying.

M

Varying scope of responsibility based upon municipality to municipality.

M

Now, if having no lawyers is one end of this horizon,.

M

Portsmouth tries to be at the other because we try to offer a full package of legal services to all.

M

City departments, as disparate as they are, I mean from police to schools. We have prosecutors and.

M

Lawyers that specialize in special education, really the broadest of horizons, possible.

M

The one thing that we we can't cover obviously are areas of real specialty, bankruptcies.

M

Very very high level trial work. As you know, some are bigger cases, call for that.

M

And yeah, actually, in information technology they've been areas we sought assistance.

M

But we keep those areas as minimal as possible as narrowly applied as possible.

M

And we try to do everything ourselves as much as possible and the reason for that is really.

M

Three-Fold the first is just money: people that work for the city work for a lot, less money.

M

Than people doing the similar kind of work outside and then outside law firms.

M

As you know, in in some of our cases, we're we're paying as much as six hundred dollars an hour.

M

For outside lawyers- and uh that goes an awfully long way with the staff lawyer.

M

More so than the outside counsel, um so money is one.

M

Number two is by having the same lawyers, represent the same departments, doing the same basic kind of.

M

Work uh day in day out week in week, out year in year out, our lawyers who do this work, develop.

M

A superior expertise in those areas in which they work, if you, if you are in a plan, if you're.

M

A lawyer and you're in the planning department every single day of the year gee after a while. You.

M

Kind of get to understand, planning and how legal work is done in planning, and that goes through.

M

All the departments, in addition a hard thing to measure, but in addition to getting to know.

M

Planning, for example, we get to know the planners, understand, personalities, work, habits.

M

How to communicate with them effectively what's important to them? What's not important, and so.

M

We can develop working relationship with city staff that no outside lawyer, who we hired from.

M

Manchester uh ever could no matter how intelligent or wonderful they were. The third reason why.

M

This philosophy of trying to do everything in-house as much as possible.

M

uh Has worked best for us is again kind of a subtle concept to convey, but.

M

A city lawyer is a city employee, first and a lawyer. Second.

M

An outside lawyer working for the city, is an outside lawyer, first working for the city. Second,.

M

The this affects the way the person the lawyer.

M

Looks at every different job assignment that comes in.

M

You know: what's they understand what everything means to a city and to the citizens of the city.

M

And the staff of the city in a way that somebody who you just.

M

Hire by the hour just never ever could I'm really struck by the parallels between what.

M

I'm saying right now and what suzanne woodland said 10 minutes ago about.

M

I.T and I.t staff- they really are the very same principles that I think I'm trying to convey here.

M

um So we, you know, we've done it the way, we've done it for a long time. It's been the philosophy during.

M

The entire time when I've been um employed by the city of portsmouth and I was employed.

M

By the city of portsmouth, approximately, since the time of the birth of christ,.

M

And I know from all that period of time that this is what works it works best for us. I am absolutely.

M

Certain that, if you ask the people seated behind me, if they like doing it this way or they would.

M

Per to prefer to be able to call divine melamed when they had a problem, they would all tell you.

M

That they like it, the way we do it and um I'm certainly recommending uh by way of a.

M

Budget request this year that we continue on the same path that we have been on and.

M

And I hope you have questions because I really like answering questions.

C

As we transition to questions, if I may mayor bob um provided department changes, and I want to call.

C

Attention um in in in in the way that I said it to bob when we've been talking about this with both a.

C

Happy and a heavy heart that there will be a new city attorney and we would love bob to come back.

C

And transition in his role from what it is today to being of counsel in a part-time capacity.

C

um Everybody knows that suzanne is wearing 72 hats and one of them has not been.

C

Deputy city attorney we've been lucky to transition the part-time prosecutor to full-time.

C

And we just hired that person today as a matter of fact, and she should be starting within a month.

C

Which is great and we've needed and been assisted by additional.

C

Paralegal and admin services, so with that happy to answer any questions.

I

Councilman, I I guess, can you just so? We are not going to refill the deputy city.

I

Attorney position: are you restructuring it, so it doesn't exist or you're, just not funding it. It's.

C

It's remaining vacant at this time we that's a little bit of her hat still kind of sorta.

C

It it could be the vision of the next city attorney to structure the department in a.

C

Way that would call for a deputy city attorney, so um we're not eliminating.

C

The position we're just leaving it vacant for the time being and not funding it. Thank you.

E

Counselor bagley, I think your honor a.

E

Difficult question somebody that's been around since the birth of christ, but.

E

I, if I understand the city manager correctly we're going to retain your institutional knowledge.

E

And your experience running the city as a part-time capacity. I have exactly one guiding.

M

Principle that I'm following from here on out, which is I would I want to do whatever the city.

M

Manager thinks is the best thing for the city. I I think, that's excellent, so I just the um transition.

E

Of current city attorney to I don't know what of council means all right. I was trying to.

E

I thought it was a technical legal term which is not an area of expertise for me.

E

So, okay, I'm the old fairy council.

B

Council bluehook, thank you and bob. Thank you for all your years of service.

L

um It's a long time since christ has been around and um but like you've said, you've.

L

Been to more city council meetings than anyone, I don't think anyone would challenge you on that.

L

So your institutional knowledge to the city is priceless, and I want to thank you for that.

L

Do you believe this is obviously since we've taken.

L

Office there's been a lot of on the legal department's plate.

L

um Do you believe this is the most efficient way this is there anything else? This is the best.

L

Course forward, I absolutely believe we're doing it the best way that it can be done.

B

Bob I hate to be the one to disappoint you to not have a lot of questions.

B

For you do you have questions a question, um just clarification on some of these positions, so I see.

I

That we are eliminating a staff um attorney and bumping that up to assistant um city attorneys.

I

That just essentially promotion step, correct um and then a question for the prosecutor is that an.

I

In-House, like portsmouth police prosecutor, the uh we've now gone from one in four.

M

Fifths prosecutors to two full-time prosecutors they're, both civilian employees, working in the.

M

Line of authority which goes to the city manager, however, they are physically located in the police.

M

Department and their essential instruction is do what the police department needs done. Thank you.

B

Well, uh city attorney: it's a.

B

It's been a pleasure working with you in the current capacity I I will state that.

B

You gave me terrible advice um at one point in particular, it was two years ago uh we were.

B

Talking about something related to some outside litigation, and you stated that I would never.

B

I could serve on the council for 40 years and I'd never have something as difficult or trying as as.

B

This moment in front of me, and I have to say it's only gotten harder. I apologize for that.

B

Thank you uh bob, and I appreciate everything the legal department does for us uh and and helps us.

B

Not do for the city so appreciate it. Thank you. Bob mayor up next is welfare administrator, ellen.

C

Tully welcome ellen. Thank you. I'm happy to be here bob's a tough hack to follow.

N

Very small department, uh one full-time one part-time person and we are in existence.

N

Solely because of the rsa 165 that determines um our basically our job been there for 200 years.

N

Not maybe rsa, and we have several things that we, our primary um tasks are, as you can see, client.

N

Services, that's meeting with people talking with them, making referrals administering the program.

N

We keep up with the laws, I'm on the board of directors for the new hampshire, local.

N

Welfare administrators, so we advocate for our clients, the residents who that we see.

N

And we work closely with many other agencies in and around the county, basically or the state.

N

As I said, um we work with other local service agencies. We work with health and human services.

N

We work with um many many families. First, anybody that really, you can think of.

N

um That you would maybe send somebody to for services, and we I work with the city.

N

Manager, of course, on the funding levels for the outside social service agencies.

N

And uh I advocate for for my clients as much as I possibly can our primary function since covit.

N

Has started has been information and referral. We have not seen many clients our client base and our.

N

Spending is significantly decreased, and so we are referring. People outside. There are many programs.

N

Available right now that have a lot of fed money that we refer people, because we want.

N

To spend other people's money before we spend the money of the city of portsmouth taxpayers.

N

Anybody in the city who's resident here and even if they just stepped off the bus over on hanover.

N

Street, if they want to apply here, they can it's part of the law and we are in a unique position.

N

That we can overspend our budget all day long. um It's rare that it happens.

N

And but it's it's, the part of the law we're having a lot of trouble, as you can well.

N

Imagine it's well known what the rents are like around here. Not only are the rents high.

N

But the availability in the state of new hampshire is a vacancy rate, is less than one percent.

N

um Pretty much across the board, um so we've had a lot of trouble. Families in particular.

N

Are hit hard by this? um You know somebody needs to move here for a job or somebody loses their job.

N

And they, you know, there's just not an affordable place to move.

N

We frequently get calls from individuals who want to move to portsmouth because they lived here.

N

It's a very common occurrence and somebody says I lived here at pease when I was a kid.

N

And I loved it and I want to come back and we tell them. This is what you need to make.

N

To live in the city, and you need to know that it's going to be a very difficult place to find.

N

Some place to live unfortunate, but that's you know the fact of the matter um and as you can.

N

See our our visits are down, you know, 85 percent. Probably we used to see you know many hundreds.

N

Of visits every year and this year, I've probably seen less than 50 people and I've spent around.

N

About forty thousand dollars, which is just a tiny bit of what I estimated my budget, would be.

N

It's a very hard call, even the budget that I've put in this year. It's a hundred.

N

Thousand dollars less than last year, but I honestly don't know where it's going to go.

N

Right now there's a program. In effect, it's called.

N

The acronym is e-wrap, it's emergency rental assistance program and it's paying the rent for.

N

Many many people in this area and you can get up to 18 months of rent paid and so we're referring.

N

To that program, so there's a lot of money that we're not spending that we normally would.

N

And you know so it's just no. No, it's just been a great savings to the city.

N

You know, but it's only temporary, I just want to let you know.

N

um We also uh have all these outside social service agencies that we fund. These are.

N

Agencies that we work with sometimes rarely sometimes daily.

N

And some years ago we decided to make the focus on things that would basically save the city money in.

N

The long run, for instance, if we fund crossroads house more then they'll help us get our people.

N

Into shelter, instead of us paying for a motel and waypoint has merged with richie mcfarland.

N

And in the past, I've always advocated for richard mcfarland, because if you can see a child from zero.

N

To three and address their special needs, then, then, when they get to kindergarten or preschool they're,.

N

Going to be way ahead of the curve, and so that's a couple of reasons why we we fund these agencies.

N

And the other one little tiny thing I do is administer the water sewer discount program.

N

Which, I think is completely underused in the city.

C

And that's it, that's all ellen has that's like it mesa john, oh uh councilman,.

B

And then counselor lombardi did you have some? I just want to say messaging about that last comment.

H

Well, I was going to ask you to expand more on telling us what that is and who qualifies in.

I

Case we have people that ask us that we know well the the qualification figures that we use.

N

Are um we decided when the program was started, that we would use the same numbers that the.

N

Liheap the fuel assistance program uses, which is, I believe, 200 percent- of the poverty level.

N

And you know, I guess judy can tell you that people, you know they get noticed and they're.

N

In their water bills and um but they're, I just think you know we have very few people using.

N

It compared to who would qualify if I may ellen. Could I put in a plug that if people.

C

Want to call your office to ask if they qualify, they can do that, they can call me or they can.

N

Call water and they can get the applications mailed to them, okay, and they they can call us.

G

This is we've had this kind of situation situation going on for a very long time. We.

G

Have the two billing maria and nancy, who deal with the customers for water and sewer on a daily basis.

G

And they um do a good job of of knowing who needs that assistance, but even with people.

G

Who need that assistance? Refuse it and that's the challenge that we are facing and we bring ellen in.

G

And you know some they just they just don't want it yeah and it has two phases. It has.

N

um People who qualify would all would they'll get there. It's 25 right, yeah, 25,.

N

Discount but there's also a one-time assistance, a temporary assistance they can get up to 300.

N

Taken off the back balance of their bill, so that's kind of what draws some people.

N

In because they get end up with this huge water bill, and they don't know what to do.

N

Thank you, counselor didn't thank your honor. I had asked craig welch a similar question.

D

When the portsmouth housing authority presented is regards to the rental assistance from the.

D

Covi funding eventually expire. Have you given any thought or has it been considered anywhere.

D

Possibly, municipalities, stepping in one that runs out. Oh that's, stuff! That's what we did before and.

N

That's what we'll do again yeah and so far I've only had one person exhaust their 18 months.

N

um Some other people, I know have you know, found other avenues uh to pay their.

N

Rent they've been approved for social security or they've gotten into housing.

N

But I think a lot of people are gonna fall off the cliff like all at once. Thank you.

B

uh Just to follow up on that ellen are we tracking do we have information on anybody that qualifies.

B

For the e-wrap program, I don't have that information, rockingham and hillsborough county.

N

uh The programs administered through southern new hampshire services.

N

Which covers both rockingham and hillsborough, but we don't have access to the the information.

N

Of who's qualified or how many people say from portsmouth are qualified what I can do if, if.

N

I think somebody needs to apply or has applied, they tell me they. I can call our.

N

Local community action program- and they can look it up for me and tell me if somebody's qualified.

N

Or how long ago they they applied, so we can kind of gauge when they're gonna, you know come in to.

N

Come into the money you know: have the money start coming into their landlord.

B

And this is a: um is it a policy decision or or a requirement um that we would assist those that.

B

That need it rental census. If somebody qualifies for the rental assistance, if they've say they've.

N

Used up all their e-wrap money and they come into the office and apply and qualify. Then we assist.

B

Okay, so I guess my question from a planning standpoint: is there? Is it a? Are we certain that.

B

This information is unavailable to us legally or they don't organize it. uh My belief is they don't.

N

Organize it and it's um seriously understaffed program, for instance, if you apply today.

N

If your application rises to the top in six weeks, you're doing well, okay, so I I guess, when.

B

We're looking at this budget and budgets to the future if the e-wrap were to eventually uh go away.

B

And you've, under-funded or you've you've come in below your your budgets to on this.

B

Or last year, and potentially this year, are we setting money aside for the future uh in case the.

N

Well, that's why you know when I look at what my budget is now this year I mean the budget.

N

Year's almost over and I've only spent forty thousand dollars a few years ago, I spent seventy.

N

Thousand dollars on motels alone yeah, so it's it's. I don't wanna say it's a guessing game, but.

N

Between what I've seen in the past, and what I can kind of predict is going to happen in the.

N

Future, that's what I base the budget on okay, so that has been taken into account, but yeah.

B

Okay, okay, all right! Thank you, alan councillor cook. Thank you, your honor. um I have a question.

J

About late intervention, do we have any monitoring programs for eviction notices, eviction, proceedings.

J

That have started in court so that we can follow and maybe give people information. Well. I have.

N

um A very good relationship with the portsmouth housing authority and those uh people in in that.

N

Income level who qualify for housing, they they're more often our clients, and so I will know you know.

N

With talking property managers, I can know who's in trouble and I can kind of keep track of them.

N

uh You know, um but as far as a private landlord's, occasionally a private landlord will call me and.

N

They'll say you know, I have this resident they're two months behind and you know, but other than that.

N

Sometimes I don't know until they've been to court and they come up and say I'm getting locked out.

N

On friday, yeah, thank you counselor bagley. uh Thank you, honor, just a, I guess, a request.

E

And maybe I should have asked these questions sooner, but I looked at the budget and thought.

E

This this is a great department, they're requesting less money. Then they had the year before. There's.

E

Not many questions to ask um but hearing about some of the aid that's offered and the.

E

Sewer, I think it was discount, which I had no idea even existed. I guess my request would be and it.

E

Sounds like you're already doing a really great job working with non-profits in the community, so.

E

People don't fall through the cracks, but I guess my request is with this new communications person.

E

You know the people that probably need the help of your department. The most are probably the.

E

Least able to figure out how to get that help so the the more outreach we can do to to communities.

E

Of need, counselor bagley. I don't know if you want to recruit people to come into my office.

N

But um you wouldn't quite believe what the word of mouth is like: okay in the city of portsmouth,.

N

um And and people who either have been in the shelter or are going into the shelter or.

N

They've had contact with us they're pretty cognizant of what we can do for them and with them.

E

um So we feel like it's. The word is out there, where, oh, absolutely and and because of the rsa.

N

Every single town in new hampshire has a welfare officer, so if you've been in manchester and you've.

N

Had welfare been in contact with the welfare there, you know that we exist here in portsmouth as well.

E

Okay, oh that's great, to hear yeah it's listener. Thank you. Just one question you.

I

Said um in previous years you or last year's we spent around seventy thousand dollars on.

I

Motels um clarification for some people. That may not know that's.

I

State mandated correct or that we must provide, we must provide shelter and and probably about.

N

90 percent of that at least, was spent on families waiting to get into the homeless, shelter.

N

Or any homeless shelter that will become available to them. It's really it's kind of a placeholder for.

N

Us until they can move on to something a little more, you know suitable than a motel. I want to say.

I

Just a quick comment personally, thank you for what you do for the city as.

I

Many people may know I I myself was a was a welfare. Kid knew a lot about it. um There's there's.

I

I think a little bit to um counselor bagley's comment. There's I think astigmatism.

I

Sigma and I think as much as we can do to to work over that hump and to really um I I commend you.

I

For all the work that you've done with all the local nonprofits and really helping out people.

I

In our community well, thank you very much yeah and we try to make it. One of my goals in in the job is.

N

If I can say no to somebody but have them leaving with a smile, because I've been able to.

N

Fill their needs some other way. It doesn't have to be us spending money, but because.

N

There are many ways to fill people's needs and- and that's you know what we aim to do.

B

Thank you ellen appreciate all the work thanks ellen up. Next, we have uh our not.

C

So new anymore library, director christine freeze, welcome christine.

A

Are you mayor assistant, mayor and counselors? This is very exciting. um I have been in over.

A

Two months- and I brought with me tonight my not so new assistant director, laura horwit benton.

A

Who has been been with the library a few months longer than I have in general in another position?.

A

I'd like to say, first that we at the library see our job as being something of the heart of this.

A

Community, we are very grateful to the ongoing support of this council and of the people of.

A

Portsmouth because we're able to attract, hire and retain some very, very talented people.

A

Who are very dedicated to supporting this community in a number of ways.

A

We're also able, because of this support to find out throughout the country, new and different ways.

A

Of doing things, and over the past two years, this has served us really well. We've been able to reach.

A

Out to libraries around the country to find out how they were how they were reacting to issues.

A

Surrounding covid- and it's been very useful- our core services um include these. In the past year,.

A

We rewrote the mission of the library and you can see it there on our slide to engage, educate.

A

Empower and enrich our community through creative and dedicated service to all. Among the things.

A

That we do in here, I think you'll recommend quite if you'll recognize quite a few of them.

A

And we continue to add new things within each of these categories, so within lifelong education.

A

Opportunities giving everyone access to services and programs, we have things like linkedin learning,.

A

That on its own costs about forty dollars per month, but is free with your library card.

A

That is business and technology training. We also have creative bug, which is crafts, training,.

A

Also free the new york times can be downloaded hundreds of magazines along with ebooks and.

A

Audiobooks- and that was obviously a big growth for us over the time of the pandemic, when people.

A

Joined the library but never came in because they were downloading everything from the safety of.

A

Their own homes, we still have research services, general questions of any sort.

A

But also we focus enormously at our library on local history and genealogy, so we get questions.

A

From around the country on our history locally about, please help me understand my house in the.

A

History of my house and other questions around around portsmouth, our popular materials collection.

A

You all remember books, magazines, we still have those, but we do also have books loaded onto.

A

Kindles, we have um a lot of online systems that include things like learning a foreign language.

A

We have other materials like games, computer games that can be checked out along with books on cd.

A

Large print dvds still popular, we do an enormous amount of programming for all ages and our diverse.

A

Formats have increased over the past two years, as you might imagine, we've become pretty cognizant.

A

Of all the hybrids that are possible and we've found a whole new world, I have to say one of the.

A

Silver linings of this past few years has been the number of people who found us on zoo who could not.

A

Get into the library, so some of them are from away and they're interested in things like lectures on.

A

Our lighthouses and some of them have joined our language groups from across the country and, as far.

A

Away as indonesia, but a lot of them are people in the community who either because of covet or.

A

Other related issues cannot physically get into our programs and they have benefited from these.

A

Hybrid hybrid formats that we've that we've been implementing we're still very big on early.

A

Learning and reading preparation and guidance you can still at any age, come and ask us what.

A

You should read next: we love answering that many people think they're bothering us, but.

A

It's one of the best jobs is actually helping people figure out what mystery to find next.

A

And as always, we love community building and we love it in community spaces. So whether we're doing.

A

It on-site indoors outdoors or at the senior center or at a local festival. We enjoy doing a.

A

Lot of outreach and helping people find their community whatever that is within portsmouth.

A

So over the past year, I'll just give you a few of these highlights the six.

A

Thousand hours of reading time done during last year's summer reading program, we hope to.

A

Go over that this year the kickoff is june 17th for this year's summer reading program with.

A

An intrepid eagle scout you may have read about our seven little free.

A

Libraries that were built around the city, in addition to those the staff have also.

A

Started stewarding and curating not only these seven libraries, but also indoor libraries located.

A

At gather and at crossroads so again access to to our collections and access to our services.

A

Is one of our biggest focuses in trying to make sure that everyone can access.

A

We've also launched fun stuff to borrow, which is known by many different names, but our some of our.

A

Current ones have been an oculus quest and a gopro camera. We also have yarn swifts and ball winders.

A

So we have high-tech and low-tech low high-touch kinds of things that you can get metal detectors.

A

If you feel like going out to the beach- and we have continued our work with our task force on.

A

Inclusion, diversity and equity, which one of our staff started early on in 2020, and it has been.

A

A lifesaver for all of us- and I think, has had a great impact on the way that we provide services.

A

And look at our programming throughout the city and we continue to bring in people to talk to.

A

Staff to have better understandings around all sorts of inclusion, diversity and equity issues.

A

We recently made significant improvements to the library catalog.

A

As well and we've continued partnerships and have looked for some new partnerships.

A

So our opportunities in the coming year, I think, throughout our community, there's been an enormous.

A

Amount of change and stress over the past several years in-house we have had a good number of new.

A

Staff members and several new trustees join us over the past two years, and so our first focus.

A

Is going to be around change, management and kind of settling and understanding our teams better and.

A

Part of doing that is going to be our strategic plan, which is our big project for this year.

A

In order to listen to the people of portsmouth and understand what has changed in the past few.

A

Years and what would you like us to focus on in the coming three years so we're looking forward.

A

To doing that, starting planning in the summer, but kicking off in the fall when people are ready to.

A

Come talk to us we'll also be participating in the portsmouth 400.. Some of our staff.

A

Are already participating in the creation of the book, um I have to look at my notes for that. Sorry.

A

I want to make sure I get it right. The name of the book 101 objects. Yes, history of portsmouth.

A

In 101 objects, yes, thank you cliff version. There you go so we also anticipate doing quite a few.

A

Related programs in 2023 around the project, and we are also focusing on while we're renewing um some.

A

Projects some partnerships with the athenaeum and with the seacoast lgbtq history project, we're also.

A

Looking at new partnerships, particularly among our service providers, nonprofits and businesses,.

A

And determining how we can best partner with one another, helping local businesses.

A

But also perhaps partnering and programming for the benefit of everyone else.

A

Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Any questions, counselor uh just a technical question.

E

So I use the overdrive app to download the e-books which seem to be shared throughout the state. Maybe.

E

And we have a you know: a line item for books and media. Does that include ebooks or is that funded.

E

Independently of physical books books, oh that's a trick, question books and media controls. Some.

A

Of the purchases for that and others come under another line for micro media, so there's a there's.

A

A platform of overdrive that, as you mentioned, is a statewide platform. There's a committee that.

A

Determines purchasing for it, but the library has the ability to buy additional licenses specific.

A

For portsmouth, and do we do that, or is that we do it, particularly when there's a waiting list.

A

And we want our folks to have things a little bit faster. We can buy additional licenses that are.

A

Used particularly for portsmouth users, great thank you yes, assistant mayor. Thank you. I'm a big libby.

I

User um just a line item question here: we have in postage a pretty, I would say, probably the most.

I

Significant jump yeah, so just yes, if you wouldn't mind just a little explanation, all correct.

A

Because, actually um we did this several years ago, but I'll have to ask laura five years ago. Perhaps.

A

It's um it's for a mailing to the whole city and it's part of the strategic plan.

A

Proposal so it's printing and postage are included in this year's yeah. Thank you.

B

All right, I just had uh one topic: I guess: how does the the library is um such a a great resource for.

B

Well, people of all ages. uh I find that it's really impactful for kids of a smaller age group that are.

B

Learning how to learn and was super excited that my daughter got her library card and was able to.

B

Everybody was really great um at the library helping her uh do that. um How are we extending.

B

uh The opportunities there's, certainly the the learning or the free libraries.

B

Throughout the uh the city, how are we extending some of the activities.

B

Throughout the city, for folks that might not either have the time or the transportation to make.

B

It to the library right- and this is a big question for us part of the strategic plan- is understanding.

A

Who isn't using the library and why they're not using it? Because we do know that transportation.

A

Is part of it and we do have a good number of outreach programs through the schools and also.

A

Through public housing, and so we try to reach some of the extremities of the of the city that way.

A

Outreach is a big piece of it, but I would. I would suggest that there are probably other.

A

Ways but we're waiting to find out why it is among the thoughts I've seen from other cities.

A

Are schedules so please some families that may have two jobs may have trouble accessing things.

A

And we've continued to do things like our curbside pickup. We've continued to do that and we've found.

A

The biggest users now are people with children in car seats um who want to be able to grab books.

A

And that are outside of the car find out how strong an 18 month old is trying to get back.

A

Into a person, yes, exactly right, um so I think there's we're waiting to hear a lot from people.

A

About what it is, that's impeding them it's one of the areas um that we were looking at in tide.

A

Really was understanding, you know, for many library, users of long-standing people think libraries are.

A

Very welcoming places and they're very wonderful, but we've discovered over many years in libraries.

A

That there are a number of reasons that people may not be able to use libraries and, among the things.

A

We've done recently is started to caption our online programs. We've talked about accessibility.

A

In all these different ways, you know what does accessibility mean in the library and.

A

Among them are the hours frankly, but when we have terrific hours in the city, if you compare us with.

A

Other libraries around the state or open more hours, but I'm sure there's more that we can do.

B

So- and I I just have an ask- hopefully it doesn't cost uh any money, but when you.

B

Are going through the strategic plan um and I see that you're going to be posting and and sharing.

B

I think that the the library itself, in terms of communication, at least on uh some digital.

B

Channels is sets an example for the city. um I would like you to think of.

B

uh The work that's going into that strategic plan of community engagement and also um discuss the.

B

The process of which you're going through that so that the council can better understand what goes.

B

Into the public input aspect of the strategic plan to you know, have the strategic plan, but we'd also.

B

Be just myself, I won't speak for everyone, but be curious of of how you go about getting that.

B

Information, I guess more of the appendix aspect to you know, hopefully steal those best practices and.

B

Bring it through the rest of the city, we're always happy to share that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

C

Thanks christine up next joining us remotely is recreation director, todd henley, welcome todd.

O

Thank you. um Thank you and good evening, mayor mark heikker and city council. I apologize for.

O

Having to do this remotely, but I am very happy to virtually be able to speak with you all tonight,.

O

um I also want to introduce prince sullivan our senior services director, who should is.

O

In attendance with you all tonight, um I have just completed my first full year as recreation.

O

Director and I am proud of the work the department has done and is doing which I'll touch on shortly.

O

Here I have a listing of our facilities and the major items that we manage. The department.

O

Has seven full-time staff members, along with close to 100, part-time and seasonal employees,.

O

We are extremely excited to be the managing department of the community campus.

O

Which has become the recreation department's home office as of this week,.

O

And continues to be a vibrant community space. This facility is an integral part.

O

Of our expansion of programs for all ages and see it as an opportunity for.

O

Collaboration with the non-profit tenants, as well as other city departments, excellent.

O

Core functions and services, we have high expectations to provide the citizens of portsmouth.

O

For the best possible programming and community events that includes expanding the current.

O

Definition of recreation to include a more diverse audience, programs and inclusive of all ages.

O

In the future, you will see more pre-k activities, arts and culture offerings, individual sports.

O

New community events and stem-based classes and camps for the city. Our repertoire also includes.

O

Extensive senior programs that provide social, social socialization excuse me.

O

Health and wellness and enrichment experiences a vibrant aquatics program, affordable summer care.

O

Field and court management, passive and active recreation and strong athletics round out our.

O

Department's commitment to improving the quality of life for portsmouth residents next slide. First.

O

Our year in review, in addition to operating in a pandemic lifestyle, we've struggled to get to.

O

Adequate staffing levels leading to reduced hours at some facilities and coming up with.

O

Creative ways to recruit part-time employees, while the competition wages for hiring around.

O

Us has increased, I'm very proud of our staff for working through these issues and being so nimble.

O

And challenging times there are many highlights from this past year, though,.

O

The acquisition of the community campus a huge addition for our department.

O

This allows us to expand daily programs, have a dedicated gymnasium.

O

Space and add in new options for parents like after school care and teen activities,.

O

We also reopened the indoor pool after a long hiatus due to covid and some much needed repairs.

O

We opened new pickleball courts and a turf field that are utilized seven days a week.

O

Almost year-round, we were able to host long-loved community events again like the holiday parade and.

O

Easter icon and introduce a new fall, halloween family event. Our senior activities center.

O

Continues to grow and numb in members and programs offered as we continue to make portsmouth a more.

O

Age-Friendly community, we are also on the verge of building one of the best skate parks in the area.

O

Lastly, we tripled the amount of programs offered to our community this past year.

O

And more than doubled the amount of participants that utilize these programs next slide. Please.

O

You're ahead, the coming months, look promising and exciting for us continued expansion of new.

O

Diverse inclusive programming and activities throughout the city and establishing community.

O

Campus as our new facility and home office, public input sessions and a final report for.

O

Our recreational needs study to determine what our community is missing and what could be added.

O

Or changed aquatic upgrades at the outdoor pool and decking upgrades at the indoor pool.

O

New special events, such as our upcoming spring family semi-formal dinner dance at the community.

O

Campus and continued collaboration with other departments such as the library and schools and.

O

Local organizations such as the historical society and new hampshire, theater project next slide.

O

The recreation department has two special revenue funds that are new to us this year.

O

The community campus and indoor pool next slide. Please, the campus, as you know, is a newly purchased.

O

Property and the revenue is generated from tenant, lease fees and other rental fees for.

O

Example, gym rentals field, rentals, etc. The numbers generated for this budget are based on historic.

O

Numbers provided by the foundation for seacoast the indoor pool returns to the city after 12.

O

Successful years of partnership with sip or stave the indoor portsmouth pool revenue is generated.

O

By swim, lessons, fitness programs, memberships and rentals. The numbers generated for this budget are.

O

Based on historic numbers by sip and the city, the recreation department has a very exciting.

O

Future ahead- and we thank you for your support and I welcome any questions at this time. Todd.

B

B

Todd I had one on the indoor pool. Can you speak to the decision to move that.

B

Back under to city administration from the sip organization.

O

Sure it was, um moreover, step wanting to um step away after this uh last contract that was signed.

O

um They feel like uh what what their purpose.

O

You know they they completed what their purpose was, and now they feel like they're.

O

Getting it back off to the city um in good hands, um you know. One thing to note is that.

O

They made hundreds of thousands of dollars in capital improvements at the pool in the past.

O

uh 10 or 12 years, and um just without, I think that partnership um we wouldn't.

O

Have the pool right now and we are taking that back over? um It is sitting in a very nice place.

B

And a question from the community campus one of those.

B

We have lisa's intended fees, um getting a few questions from members of organizations.

B

Out there will we be looking at negotiating longer term leases with any of those tenants or.

B

Just looking to keep what we are currently or the the current uh year, arrangements that have.

B

That have been provided to date sure um all of the tenants um well seacoast community.

O

School had a five-year lease that was signed a couple years ago, so they're they're um through.

O

I want to say 2024 2025, uh the other tenants just signed new two-year leases at this time.

O

So uh definitely for the next two years: that's what the plan is and um yeah. I think it's it's.

O

I would like to see all of that continue, but I think it's up to the to the city to see.

O

What's going to happen there, but um that's the plan moving forward right now.

B

Okay and then one last question since I get this one, a lot.

B

You stated that you're excited to build the.

B

The best skate park uh in the seacoast dover be damaged. um What uh what is the update on that.

B

um And where are we yeah? Where are we in terms of the design, build or design bid, build process.

O

Sure um and peter might be able to talk to this a little bit more than me, but um we did just sign.

O

The contract with pillar to um to start the 30 design, um which they should be starting, that.

O

Very soon I know uh I believe I saw an email this week that just said that we need to set.

O

Up a meeting to kind of go through the process and the schedule of that. But that puts us on.

O

On time and on schedule to have that completed so that we can put that out to bid in the fall.

B

Thank you. Thank you. Todd thanks very much todd uh up. Next is our new. uh Oh I'm, sorry, there's a.

C

Question counselor taber todd, don't go anywhere, just say tom. Maybe we should double down on the.

H

Pickleball courts and have a citywide pickleball tournament doubles tournament with a big.

H

Picnic at four tree island afterwards, all right. I like that idea. Actually, the uh the recreation.

O

Board just recently um approved uh the first um pickleball tournament that will be happening.

O

um It's, uh I think, I think their request just went to the city manager's office. uh It's slated.

O

To take place this september, and uh so we're excited to see how that's gonna work out. It's.

O

It's supposed to uh not just be singles and doubles, but also some intergenerational um type.

O

Of matches and some some free clinics and stuff, so we're excited to see how that works. So great.

C

Thank you. Todd thanks. Todd up next is assistant city manager, for economic development, sean clancy.

C

Welcome sean. Thank you good evening, counselors ma'am mccarmen. uh I'm pleased to present to you.

P

The proposed economic development department budget- that's that's kind of new language.

P

And I'll I'll talk through that, um some of you may know that the budget request is now.

P

Shifting to the general fund for fy23, which it has not done over the past 19 years so.

P

Good times the, um as also some of you know, the handoff um to your new steward here uh was very.

P

Thoughtful very methodical and it really started in march march 14th. So um as of this weekend, I'll.

P

Be 60 days on the job and I feel really good about what I walked into and um as advertised.

P

I've said this to the staff as advertised. Everyone is is great to work with, so that.

P

Nancy was true to her word glad to be here, um so our transition to new leadership for.

P

Economic development, in addition to my experience you see on this slide.

P

I do want to point out what I've been up to for the last the last year and a half nancy had.

P

Invited me to the seacoast economic development, stakeholders weekly call and that included all.

P

Of the economic development folks from around the seacoast, as well as um all the other groups that.

P

Support small businesses through covid and and and afterwards it also included folks from the state.

P

So I've really been speaking the language and learning about economic development for the last.

P

18 months- and I was there really as the workforce development party from great bay community college.

P

But I'll talk more about that. The other thing I've been. The other point I wanted to make is I've.

P

Been engaged with the chamber here in portsmouth for at least the last 15 years, sometimes on the.

P

Board, sometimes volunteering, sometimes being a partner in the manufacturer's round table.

P

That was put together with nancy and great bay community college and the chamber.

P

And the last thing, which I think is is important here- is I've really been involved in workforce.

P

Development and the education pipeline two careers for the last six years that that really.

P

Was my primary focus at great bay community college and really engaging with businesses.

P

In the seacoast so prior to this, I spent 30 years in the private sector.

P

So our core functions, I'm sure you're familiar with them, but it's really to support the economic.

P

Development, commission- that is one of my primary roles and second certainly, is to.

P

Support business expansion and retention and attraction, so, in addition to a business.

P

Retention and expansion survey, which we'll probably launch this summer through the edc,.

P

We're really researching and trying to address the workforce issues.

P

That are that are affecting our employers of all sizes, the other things on the edc.

P

Docket are looking at smart cities and as well as we have a liaison to the land use committee.

P

Because really, whether it's economic development, workforce development, housing.

P

These things are all related and I think the edc wants to make sure they're dialed into.

P

Any opportunities to support what we're doing here.

P

We're going to continue to grow revenues through economic diversity and vitality, and um I really do.

P

Think that as much as we don't have a lot of land to offer companies to move here, we do have a lot.

P

Of talent, we have a lot of creativity and there's uh so that that will be this and we already have.

P

A foundation of a diverse and vital economy: it's really going to be: uh how do we, how do we support.

P

That, as we've, we come through these last two and a half years of of kind of moving, maybe uh running.

P

In place a little bit, I'm going to continue to support the arts and culture initiatives.

P

As the as the liaison there, I don't know if you've heard this number, but the economic impact.

P

Of the arts and cultures for portsmouth, there was a study done in 2017.

P

I pulled this from nancy's files. It was 58 million dollars. I think that's a significant number and.

P

I'll talk more about what we're going to do to to to understand what it means now going forward.

P

So I've been working with great bay and as well as unh, portsmouth, high school and others all in.

P

This area of understanding I'll just make this point. Pre-Covered our unemployment rate, was.

P

Was down around two percent- and I think you know we're back there here on the seacoast.

P

And what's really exacerbated the issue is: is the exodus from the labor force right, which is.

P

Hitting the whole country, but um it just really, it really creates a situation where employers do.

P

Do not have a lot of answers, and so that's where I think we're really going to have to focus on the.

P

Workforce piece of of economic development and get creative and the last piece there's a there's, an.

P

Opportunity to unlock the talent and creativity needed to to grow and invest in the workforce.

P

As I think about this role, I mean we obviously have a lot to offer here in portsmouth. We have our.

P

Our barriers to bring you more more people, more employees, more talent here.

P

But I think there's there's ways to address that and we have to quite honestly.

P

So the key components of the proposed budget.

P

Me and we have, we- have the continued support of the chamber collaborative.

P

And that really is around tourism. It's it's a commitment we've made over the years to.

P

To be able to get the word out, and I think I think the chamber's done a great job of promoting us as.

P

A tourist destination and then supporting the tourists once they get here, uh certainly as an.

P

Arts and culture destination right, we're a bit of a foodie destination. These days, um I'd like.

P

To think we're a craft beer destination and I think there's more growth opportunity there, but.

P

That that really is what the value of the partnership and why. It is part of the budget.

P

And then, when you look at our the the chamber, combined with our arts and culture community, they.

P

Really play a starring role in in what we have to offer every day and really throughout the year. As.

P

Well, as gearing up to our portrait 400 celebration, so these are just this is just an incredible.

P

Relationship that that I've inherited and look forward to seeing where we go in the future.

P

And I mentioned the business retention expansion survey, the last one was done in 2017.

P

I believe it was done by hand by volunteers going out and meeting with businesses. This one will.

P

Be done digitally and we look forward to really understanding what has changed in the last five.

P

Years, I'm pretty sure there'll be some surprising issues or maybe not surprising, but no issues.

P

So performance measures um I've talked about what the edc has planned. um We have. We have.

P

Five economic, revitalization zones: some of you probably know that we recently expanded the west.

P

End erz, in speaking with the state of new hampshire, we have very few.

P

Businesses that are taking advantage of the tax tax incentives to be in the in an art.

P

Located in erz and uh there's two criteria, one is to make a capital investment and one is to create.

P

Full-Time jobs, so you have to meet both of them, not one so there's an opportunity in speaking to.

P

The folks at the state to do a bit of a road show and kind of reintroduce the value of being an erz.

P

Either moving there or being there and applying for these incentives, so that's something I want.

P

To restart um the after survey is, is starting or it's it's it's being planned. If people are.

P

Being trained on it, that survey will run through december of 2023, so it's going to take quite a.

P

Bit of time, but that's that's the process as I understand it, and we're getting a lot of support.

P

From folks who have done that in the past there is a cultural plan that is on the docket, with the.

P

Arts and nonprofit committee that is targeted to be delivered by june of 2023, so within fy23.

P

That will be delivered uh and that's this is one where we are going to support those efforts once.

P

uh Once those efforts have been scoped out and clearly clearly defined, um and then just regional.

P

Issues and collaborating with the statewide regional partners, as I mentioned earlier, whether.

P

It's workforce or housing or transportation or infrastructure nancy really set a good example of.

P

Of collaborating and again, I've inherited those relationships and being part of them, so.

P

I think it's going to be more critical as we as we go forward.

P

And the last bullet is to determine viability of a medical device consortium. That is something.

P

That was in that nancy put into the budget and we do have medical device businesses here.

P

In portsmouth, we have others in our in our surrounding area in the region.

P

And the and the thought here is to identify what is attracting them and what do they need.

P

So that we can help them grow and potentially attract others. That's that's a that's one.

P

Very specific sliver of attraction um that one approach to attraction that we want to take. But.

P

We we really need to understand how viable it is and and what it would take to do, that.

P

So challenges uh not fully identified, but we certainly um there's an opportunity to.

P

Redefine this role in light of what really has changed over the last almost three years.

P

And the market conditions are people going back to offices? Are people working from home? Are they.

P

Working from anywhere what what what does this economic basically be made of, and I I was pleased.

P

To see the numbers from finance and how much of that commercial development contributes, um that's.

P

Certainly a bar that needs to be raised whenever possible. um So I will I will endeavor to do that.

P

And- and I think things aren't going to go back to the way they were right- we we all know that so.

P

From a from a business conference, a business standpoint, that's those are the conversation.

P

I want to have, I want to have with employers to understand how we can support their growth and and.

P

Yeah really, expansion and the last piece is to to really understand their needs. So.

P

I will say having attended those meetings every tuesday morning, it was really about survival.

P

And I I think what you've seen is: there's there's employers and businesses that have.

P

Transformed and will continue to transform. um So what is it that we can do, or I can do and and.

P

Marshall, our resources to support that so that their vision of where they want to.

P

Be in three to five years is something that we are supporting as best we can.

B

Thank you, sean you're welcome and it's great to to have you. I know your first, uh your first.

B

Month or so was devoted to nancy karma celebration going away parties. It was a lot.

P

Of fun, I certainly miss her but excited to the work that that you're already doing uh for the.

B

City, uh the assistant mayor and then councillor lombardi and councilor cook. Thank you. Honor.

I

Just a quick question about funding, obviously it's very clear stated that this was funded.

I

This position previously was funded through some urban development grants.

I

Have we looked at other state and federal grants to also partially fund this program.

P

I have not, I I would say it's fair to say we have not as well. That's not to say we couldn't.

C

Look at those moving forward. um I would have to give a lot of credit to nancy and judy for.

C

Skillfully, managing that old udan grant you dag grant as long as they did.

C

Those don't exist anymore, the way in the way that they used to so.

C

I wouldn't rule out future grants. I don't know if you want to add anything: okay, no.

G

Well done counselor embardi! Yes, thank you mayor. First, I'd like to just acknowledge.

H

How much I've enjoyed meeting you and working with you on the edc? um It's it's been a pleasure.

H

And um I look forward to more so, but I I guess I had one question the budget line item tourism.

H

High-Tech partnership- and I wondered if, if that has to do with the the medical.

H

No, I think, that's it. That's more. The tourism and the marketing and the promotion and and okay.

P

I'm not sure which which exactly well it's forty thousand dollars is that the partner.

P

That's the partnership, that's the chamber that is, that is tourism. It's not.

P

Okay, yeah: I'm not sure why high tech is in there.

C

I think that might have been an old or updated or initially used name, but we've been doing that for.

C

As long as I can remember, which really isn't as long as judy might be able to remember, but.

C

um It's been a long-standing number. It's held steady at 40 000. As I understand it,.

B

Thank you. Thank you, councilor cook. Thank you. Thank you, your honor. um I actually want to.

J

Make more of a comment than ask a question here, um because I I think that it's really critical.

J

That we understand just how low this budget is for economic development. um You know I grew up with a.

J

A person who was an economic developer, my my dad, was an economic development director. My whole life.

J

um And in most cities an economic development department will have up to 12 employees and.

J

New hampshire is unique and that we have such limited economic development is what I would say.

J

And part of that is our tax structure. My father's currently a city councilor in a town in texas of.

J

22 000 people very similar in size. Their economic development budget, is over 500 thousand dollars.

J

They capture that by a quarter percent sales tax, um and so they have several staff members.

J

So in some ways it's it's really hard to build a new, really kind of building economic development.

J

From a position where we there isn't a lot of funding, so I commend the city manager for thinking.

J

For being forward thinking about this, and knowing that we needed economic development- and I look.

J

Forward to seeing where we go from here, I know it's not easy. With such a low operating budget.

J

But I have faith that you've identified kind of areas of of strength for portsmouth and that we.

J

Have a long way to go and we will be successful council I'll just mention that this this group.

P

That I've been meeting with that has really there. It was a organic collaboration on the seacoast.

P

And so much so that the the business and economic affairs for the state came to this group and said.

P

Hey we want to do this around the state, so they they, I don't, they use, they use the model they.

P

Gave us a new name, cedars cooperative economic development regions and they really modeled it.

P

After what this group has been doing, and this and really it's it's really organic- I mean we.

P

Will compete right as different municipalities, but there's so much more to be gained by collaborating.

P

So there are now cedars all around the state that are modeled off of this seacoast economic.

P

Development stakeholders group that kind of came together and really rallied through through.

P

Covet in terms of pushing information out to to employers and and others, so it's um it's been a.

P

Lot of great work and just great attitude, and I'm I'm thrilled to be part of it. Thank you. Thank you.

E

Councillor bagley yeah. Thank your honor. Thank you, mr clancy. um I think you've got some big.

E

Shoes to step into and and I think the the work um the city's done- I mean some of it's geography.

E

uh Where we're located, you know the major highways, the ps, the military, the naval yard.

E

But a lot of it is the forward thinking of the city to invest in a resilient, diverse workforce.

E

So we have quite a few restaurants. We have quite a few hotels, but we also have a lot of.

E

Business that people don't think about uh you know, for instance, lonza or win-way solutions.

E

I I get to travel a lot in my other job and when I go around to other cities,.

E

Even big cities like san diego and the the gaslamp district and the number of restaurants.

E

That close because of covid is, you know, it's quite discouraging and I go to other cities, and I see.

E

Industrial parks that used to be full three years ago and now there's a lot of of emptiness there.

E

And I think it's underappreciated, if you don't have the chance to travel like that.

E

How big a bullet we dodged with covid and I think, a big reason that we were able to dodge that.

E

Bullet is because we had a robust, robust economic development outlook as a city for a city of 22 000.

E

We really punch above our weight when you think about the the theaters that we have.

E

We, the non-profits that we have and a lot of those are funded by the commercial entities in town.

E

One of the things I hear a lot from from residents- and you know when we talk about evaluations.

E

Is they don't feel commercial is pulling their weight, and I have an opinion that maybe they.

E

They feel that way, because it's not split 50, 50. and inherently uh at least to me when I think you.

E

Know if somebody's pulling their weight, it's 50 50., um most cities and towns in in the country.

E

They don't have that ratio, that's they don't have a 50 50 ratio. They don't even have a 70 30 ratio.

E

So our ratio is much more robust from what commercial does to support our city. Then I.

E

Think is acknowledged and the reason we have such a strong commercial base is because the work that.

E

The city does to encourage that commercial base, so I think this is a very important uh position and.

E

And I I hope that you continue to and I'm sure you will do the work that nancy karma did for so long.

B

Counselor taber um thanks mayor. um I think you raise a good question.

H

Sean will will people go back to offices, um but uh we just saw you know the old cabinet house.

H

Building turned into a corporate headquarters the number one reason companies locate in a particular.

H

Place is that the ceo likes it there's a company called fantas that did a big study in that.

H

So it may be that our down some of our downtown space won't have.

H

A lot of office workers, but it could be attractive as corporate headquarters.

H

You know thinking of the mcnabb building where he invested 7 million dollars in underground.

H

Parking to make class a office space that could be the kind of opportunity down the road that.

H

We could we could be corporate headquarters for biotech companies for medical device companies.

H

Any of those yeah the quality of place is here. That's that's. We have so much to offer.

P

I just think it's a question of unlocking what what are those ceos or what do those organizations.

P

Want and need, and what can we provide and and how, how how quickly can we provide it? Yeah.

H

And and how do we reach them and yeah, and how does that? How does that support the city, not just.

P

The employer right, it's it's, it's it's, the balance, that's that's! What I'm learning.

B

Thank you, sean the uh just one comment or a couple. You mentioned the.

B

Great presentation- and it's you know it's uh it's uh difficult shoes to to fill, but I'm sure that.

B

You know you're going to chart your own course uh and and portsmouth. That of covet is.

B

Is uh is different in a lot of ways, so helping take advantage of that would be something that.

B

um Would really like to see as a council, and I think it was salesforce as a.

B

Computer software company they they're no longer hiring on cities or hiring on time zones um and so.

B

When people are dislocated from having to be in that same office, I think there's.

B

A lot that we don't know- and I wouldn't sit here and try to predict but.

B

I'd like to try to get ahead of whatever that future is going to be, and and uh and.

B

And try to understand that as best we as best we can from an economic development standpoint.

B

I think you know we're not. uh You know, I'm glad that counselor cook wasn't.

B

Highlighting the uh the job that you can do down in texas in the winter or you know, you know we're.

B

Coming into our three months here so, um but you know understanding and leveraging, as you already.

B

Are the edc and all of those folks that live in portsmouth that want to give back in a way.

B

uh Making sure that we're you know leveraging uh them as best we can, and then you know something.

B

I think beverly is going to speak next, but um you know when peas shut down the the whole pda was.

B

Set up in a way that made sure that we weren't going to lose businesses from the downtown. That.

B

That to go out there so as they think about uh and that's why they created such large. uh You know.

B

uh Buildable lots out there of five acres and ten acres um as they think about that. I would love to.

B

To understand from an edc uh from an economic development standpoint, what are some of the.

B

uh The the barriers for some of our smaller businesses uh to compete downtown and what can.

B

We do from a planning perspective to help those you know, somebody that might not need uh all of.

B

The office space- you know that's in a commercial building but wants to get started with a smaller.

B

uh Smaller unit thinking about how we can kind of keep the lifeblood of the downtown, vibrant and and.

B

And all of the the small businesses that that want to start uh there that might not need kind of the.

B

Zoning that we currently have so that was again just a lot of comments, but.

B

Appreciate the work that you're going to continue to do and and and really glad to have you working.

B

uh On behalf of the city, thank you thanks sean and you're right mayor up next is our not so new.

C

And wonderful planning director beverly mason. I got this schedule here this agenda, so it's easy.

F

So good evening, mayor and council, I'm here to review the budget proposal for the planning.

F

Department, um I'd like to just to start with the planning department, core functions.

F

Many of these you're familiar with community planning, which includes long-range planning.

F

Typically, characterized by master plan updates, but also small area plans like the north end.

F

Vision plan, land use management and development review. This line of business, I would say, is the.

F

Primary work of our department, probably accounts for 90 percent of our time, includes management.

F

Support of land use regulatory boards, including the planning board conservation commission, the.

F

Zoning board of adjustment and the historic district commission transportation planning, which.

F

Includes coordination with the rockingham planning, commission and development and implementation of.

F

Plans like the 2014 mike pet bike pet plan, and grant writing to support these efforts.

F

Environmental planning and peter brits is joining us this evening to answer any questions should.

F

You have about projects and functions related to environmental planning, which would include.

F

Several things, but specifically open space plan implementation, coordinating support for.

F

Management of the coakley landfill superfund site and then the upcoming climate action plan.

F

Which I know is on um many of your minds as a high priority for the city and then finally,.

F

We really hope to amp up public involvement through the use of public involvement plans.

F

And strategies that reach hard to reach community members, folks who are not historically engaged and.

F

Those most impacted by decision making and we're really uh beginning with a public involvement.

F

Plan for our phase, two regulatory updates um related to adus, which will be providing a summary.

F

Of what we hear from the community through stakeholder meetings and focus group meetings.

F

Just to talk a little bit about where we are some highlights, we have a table here that depicts the.

F

Land use applications that have been processed from 20 to 22.. This is related to the fiscal year.

F

um City continues to experience fast pace, fast, paced growth and development, while applications to.

F

The historic district commission are somewhat less of this fiscal year. The planning board and board.

F

Of adjustment are tracking pretty consistently with past intake and as an example, I know we had.

F

18 applications to the board of adjustment in may and have had to split agendas for several months.

F

In a row now, our notices are a good barometer of uh the activity that we're experiencing.

F

In terms of applications and we're averaging approximately um 1 400 uh butter notices per month,.

F

So that's quite a big um effort and a nod to our administrative staff who gets those out with.

F

With consistency and uh on time, and it's a big lift, including our, and that also includes our.

F

Published notices that go out. um Lastly, we'd like to uh uh continue to we, we continue as a.

F

Jurisdiction to approve housing units at a robust pace. We are all ready this year at about 150.

F

Approval uh we've approved 150 housing units for 2022.. You can see the table in the um lower.

F

Right-Hand corner, I'm not sure, if that's entirely visible, it indicates that we've had about 150 and.

F

We're only halfway through the year that table is an annualized table. We expect to have over 600 for.

F

The an entire year as we are only in the second quarter of this year, this doesn't include small.

F

Subdivisions or adus, and we are seeing quite a bit of surge in both of those applications as well.

F

In 2023, we are undertaking quite a few projects that are of interest to the council, including.

F

As the aforementioned climate action plan, which will support um next fiscal year with.

F

The development of an rfp consultant selection and will begin the critical task of public involvement.

F

Which will inform that plan and will continue through the implementation phases of that plan?.

F

We're working closely with the land use committee to implement regulatory updates related to housing.

F

As the first batch of amendments- um and we, as I mentioned earlier, we'll begin a public outreach.

F

For adu regulations this month, we're hoping to reissue an rfp for consultant support for the.

F

Market square improvements, essentially the master plan for that area. This will include a review of.

F

Public infrastructure and recommen and recommended improvements that serve the community vision.

F

For that area and we are continuing as a team to identify process improvements with the goal to.

F

Ensure that each staff member fully understands the processes that they are in place to support.

F

And memorializing lessons learned with sops and flow charts tied to job descriptions so that.

F

We're able to keep that collective knowledge going even through transitions, trent staff.

F

Transition and we continue to support outdoor dining, helping to stand up that important program.

F

For the community and we'll be working with.

F

Butters restaurant owners staff to bring the end of the year report with some recommendations.

F

For permanent regulations to support outdoor dining and summarizing how the new policies were.

F

Implemented and um and uh how we utilize those policies, as we stood up the program for this year,.

F

um And that is what I have I'd be glad to answer any questions that you have.

B

Thank you beverly any questions. Counselor bagley from counselor denton um so great to hear.

E

Thank you for your presentation and thank you, your honor um great, to hear about the adu surge.

E

In applications, do you have like numbers like? Are we talking about like we went from two to four.

E

Or so I know that we have actually do have a number. I think we have 23 or 20 something.

F

We have, I know that we have approved, uh I thought we had approved. We have another 25 units of each.

F

Type over the next course of the year, I knew that we had proved, I think, 17. It was in one of.

F

My prior presentations, I think, since I've been here, we've I've seen about five, so we are almost.

F

Regularly on the planning board agenda having an adu conversation, either garden cottage detached.

F

Id we have one coming up this week. I think we had two last week, so we are staying seeing a um a lot.

F

Of interest in those- and we will be working to- uh we really get- it's been really rich information.

F

For me to understand where the barriers are we'll be interviewing, some of the applicants as part of.

F

Our uh focus group um uh discussions to really kind of understand where you know what their.

F

Experience was and really try and capture some of the lessons learned. We are seeing a lot of.

F

I'd say: um regular appearances in terms of what types of relief they're seeking and that will.

F

Really inform those changes that we're uh going to bring forward as part of the update process.

F

That's great thanks. I have a second question: um the market square improvements and I may have my.

E

Details wrong, but I thought they were we kind of had an idea. What to do? We were going to.

E

Do it covid hit, so we hit the brakes wisely since kovitz hit, it's really kind of changed.

E

The dynamics of the downtown with outdoor dining and everything else.

E

Is there going to be public input on what to do for market square, or did we just kind of pause? It.

E

And then we're going to restart with the original plan, so I I spoke with nick cracknell about this.

F

Project and he indicated that we had hired a consultant, but there had been.

F

Some changes in that consultant team and so that we anticipate redoing the rfp to.

F

Bring that project forward- and I know, there's been funding set aside- we're hoping to launch.

F

That, again and that'll help to, I guess, crystallize the vision for market square and it should inform.

F

Future infrastructure investments down there as we start to understand what the needs are.

F

And what the community visualizes for that area, we will definitely include a robust public input.

C

Process as part of that excellent, that's always hoping to hear. Oh! Thank you. Yes, that.

B

Counselor denton then counselor tabor thank your honor.

D

You had missed out on all of the fun zagster drama, and I know it's not in the proposed.

D

Budget, but, given that bicycles have been flying off shelves since covet hit, I'm wondering if.

D

There's been any consideration of re-entering into a bicycle share program with a contract.

F

It's fair, if you haven't so no, we we have not discussed that. We are trying to pick up.

F

Where some of the transportation planning left off and I've formed a staff working group to.

F

Start to revisit where we are on existing projects, so I will certainly bring that to our.

F

Staff working group to discuss we had one in my last jurisdiction. We had a program like that. So.

H

Council tabor, I was pleased to see some money in a line on him for innovative.

H

Transportation solutions, could you just say where you think that's going to go.

F

So I I believe we are still kind of working through some of those recommendations.

F

As part of the transportation group, we I didn't want to change too many of the line items because.

F

I know there was some prior planning that went in to support that, so I'm hoping to.

F

Visit that with staff and get a better understanding about what types of programs.

F

uh Have been identified in prior planning.

H

B

Any other questions.

B

Thank you beverly. I know that's a a lot to come into and appreciate. You've been.

B

uh Drinking from the fire hose for a very long time- and it's appreciated uh here in portsmouth.

B

Thank you. Thank you. You have two hands up man, good job um unrelated to the next presentation.

E

But I think there's some of us that might enjoy a five-minute bathroom break sure yeah.

B

Shanti, you got a few more minutes to mentally prepare for.

I

B

uh Thank you, everyone uh for that quick break. uh We are on to uh as part of regulatory services the.

B

Inspection department jaunty, I believe the floor is yours. Yes, welcome. Building inspector chief.

C

Building inspector shanti wolf. Thank you um good evening, mr mayor councillors, city manager, I've.

Q

Been here for six months almost to the day, I'm really enjoying it I'll be back tomorrow. um So.

Q

Some of my core functions- they probably pretty straightforward, um but I will explain quickly.

Q

um In a little more detail as to what each one of these are so plan review and code, consulting you.

Q

Know someone wants to uh they want to do a project on the property, commercial, residential um part of.

Q

That is the permitting process, so what we will do is review the documentation that's submitted for.

Q

Each project we'll discuss the technical aspects of projects with the applicants, inform them if.

Q

There's any code, design deficiencies or maybe some improvements that can be made they'll go.

Q

Back to the drawing board resubmit to us providing everything is good. Then we will issue that permit.

Q

And that goes for electricians, plumbers, mechanical fire protection, pretty much any any of the trades.

Q

um That's that's what we're uh we're looking at their plans and their submissions, construction.

Q

Inspections after the perimeter is issued, there'll be phases, different phases of the project and.

Q

Each phase would potentially require a specific inspection, so we would implement those series.

Q

Of construction inspections in all disciplines to ensure code conformance of the various constructed.

Q

Elements we record our findings and then we would get a hold of the parties of the results.

Q

um Either pass or there's a deficiency and they need to come back and you know do a little bit.

Q

More work and then call us again or maybe do it or do the repair uh while we're there on site.

Q

Whatever the case may be construction completion, um when the project's done, we want to get over.

Q

There and give it a final building. Inspection make sure all the systems are safe once again, building.

Q

Electrical plumbing mechanical and fire and ultimately we'll issue a certificate of occupancy.

Q

For a new use classification or a new building, or if it's just simply a project, maybe a new deck.

Q

A new air conditioning system: you can get a certificate of completion if you wanted.

Q

Another core function: code enforcement, investigate claims of code violations; whether it's building.

Q

Electrical plumbing mechanical zoning could be rental housing within the city. It could be.

Q

You know one neighbor, I'm concerned, perhaps that someone is working on their property or too close.

Q

To the property line, so we get a lot of different phone calls and we'll we'll check them out and.

Q

See if there's anything to them and then move forward accordingly um and that's pretty much.

Q

The core functions: we do a lot more, but um those are what you're going to see us day to day so.

Q

And then uh some performance measures, these are permits and inspections going from 2019.

Q

To um 2000. it's supposed to be 2022., I see that's 2019 to 2020.

Q

So, anyway, the the numbers are correct here. So um over the past four years we.

Q

Have had close to 26 000 inspections, we're averaging 6500 inspections per year.

Q

um And then the next slide yep construction value declared over the last four years. There's.

Q

Been approximately three quarters of a billion dollars worth of declared construction costs.

Q

That's a loan number because in your commercial and some aspects of the residential, your permit.

Q

Fee is based off your declared construction value, so it's beneficial and I'm not saying.

Q

It happens, but I have seen a lower declaration of construction value, so the permit comes in a little.

Q

Bit lower so that three quarters of a billion is probably allowed realistically over the last four.

Q

Years portsmouth has probably seen closer to a billion dollars worth of of construction value.

Q

Challenges so- and I would say, challenges, maybe items to keep in check priorities.

Q

At times it can be challenging, but, but I think of these also kind of as a day-to-day.

Q

Checklist of what we should always be doing so proper communication, um you know, make sure our.

Q

Inspectors are approachable, make sure they're timely, make sure they're patient with their.

Q

Responses, personal, respectful and they're able to listen and be willing to work with someone.

Q

They need to learn uh and continue to explain how to get to the finish line.

Q

Instead of listing reasons why it's not possible, so the goal here is to work with everyone.

Q

Turnaround times with respect to permanent approvals, inspection requests. A lot of this can.

Q

Be done by prioritizing workloads which we work on daily. We've really come full circle. In my opinion,.

Q

We have a great team presently we're caught up on inspections and permit review. So um we have.

Q

All worked really hard in the last six months and we've really came. We came quite a ways quite a.

Q

Distance here so there were over a thousand uh permits that were outstanding when I showed up.

Q

So made a lot of progress working within a budget, um you know common sense, don't be wasteful, be.

Q

Frugal, whenever possible and get creative, if you have to, I mean a very minor example, but I.

Q

Rarely throw paper away use a paper cutter I'll make it into notebooks phone logs, whatever the.

Q

Case may be flip it over do it again, then I throw them away. That's just one example, but.

Q

So public perception um I'm actually going to jump to the next slide, because that really.

Q

Has to do a lot what's happening in the next in the next slide, so.

Q

Q

Is a really a big thing that I think needs to happen and we've been working on.

Q

I worked for six different municipalities during my inspection career. I've worked in.

Q

Dozens of towns, cities and actually states over the last several decades as a building contractor.

Q

For the most part I found, and it seemed as though the inspection departments were beyond reproach,.

Q

It was if they were doing me a favor if they passed my project.

Q

um It was really difficult to work. You know it was almost like. You were in fear for the inspector.

Q

To come out, not all inspectors, I've learned from quite a few, but by and large that was the attitude.

Q

So you know it was many inspectors they weren't willing or perhaps perhaps they weren't able to.

Q

Explain the code to me: maybe they really weren't that educated, they had a job, they thought they.

Q

Were doing it if it wasn't the way they wanted, it done more often than not, especially in the old.

Q

Days, they're, really they weren't able to produce the code, language or educate me on how to do it.

Q

Right so I made it my um kind of my mission and my goal to learn the codes as good as they did.

Q

So when they come out, I could explain it to them and that's what I did and ultimately you know I.

Q

Went into the public sector, the public sector also, you know another thing: that kind of confused me.

Q

When I was working with these inspectors is that their the tax revenue pays, the inspectors salaries.

Q

Right so, ultimately we work for the community. The residents are in a sense, our supervisor, so really.

Q

You need to treat your supervisor a little bit better than that and that's kind of my.

Q

You know the way that I look at it. You know when I go out to a job and the homeowner's there.

Q

The contractor's there you know I need to retreat, treat them with exactly as much respect as I would.

Q

Want to get back from them from my friends from my family, my coworkers, so on and so forth. So.

Q

um So, ultimately, I think that you know our mission here in portsmouth is to tear down the walls.

Q

That have been in place for far too long. With respect to the you know, code enforcement.

Q

Inspection department and and the public, so we plan to do this many ways. I think uh training.

Q

Opportunities not only for our inspectors but for the residents contractors, developers and.

Q

Not just code training, so you know de-escalation techniques, community relation trainings, things of.

Q

That nature, as well as code opportunities for the um for the for the contractor for the residents.

Q

So we did actually have a first training here on april 27th. It was on fire, stopping. It was a.

Q

Little more advanced, maybe not geared towards the average homeowner or even the average contractor.

Q

But it was a success, um so we will have we're. Gonna have another training on may 25th, which.

Q

Will be um uh fire alarms and sprinklers for the non-fire service personnel? So if someone's.

Q

Interested in that they want to learn a little bit more about fire alarms about sprinkler systems. How.

Q

Why do we need them? How does it work? What are we looking for from the inspectors perspective when.

Q

We go into these residential homes or commercial homes, but coming down the pike there will.

Q

Be um a lot of trainings. I think that the public will enjoy. You know, building a deck.

Q

You know different uh interior renovation techniques, you know things that.

Q

As a diy, you might be interested in, or even if you are a homeowner and your contractor is.

Q

Renovating your home, you want, to, you, know, get an inside look at at the process, so these will be.

Q

Available, but the big thing I think is, um uh has been messaging and I'll get that to in a second.

Q

So another improvement is bringing back consistent office hours, so the community has an opportunity.

Q

For face-to-face interaction with the inspectors, they've been so busy for so long they've been.

Q

Inundated underwater now they're they've come out for a breath and and we can start to implement.

Q

Some of these initiatives that um were really not even possible the last few years so starting.

Q

On monday, um 8 to 10 a.m, monday through friday and also um monday from five to six, anyone can.

Q

Stop in you don't need an appointment. um I think that'll be good, because we do have folks that have.

Q

Been asking for that for quite a while community outreach, a critical component for staying engaged.

Q

Our example, our permit software, is opengov. I reached out a couple weeks ago and asked if.

Q

They could create a report that would populate a list of all the email contacts that we have within.

Q

The systems residents, contractors, developers, architects, anyone that's ever pulled a permit.

Q

Those emails are in there. They said the program wasn't set up to do that.

Q

And they weren't able to help so one of our inspectors and myself we decided to get creative.

Q

We spent a couple hours in the system. We created a little subroutine. We extracted all the emails.

Q

As of yesterday, we have a community database of over 700 emails, so we can send messages from our.

Q

Department to all 700 contacts using mailchimp, so it doesn't have to be in the newsletter. So.

Q

If something's coming up that's exciting in the department, um you know we can send that out to.

Q

Everyone all 700 of you and if you don't want to get the emails, you can opt out and then over the.

Q

Next few months we will see who really wants to be part of that construction building community. So.

Q

That's one way that we'll be able to message so instead of hearing about trainings, maybe after.

Q

The fact or you missed it in the newsletter these are going to go out to everyone. That's.

Q

Ever pulled a permit or ever worked on a permit in portsmouth, since this system has came about.

Q

So it's a pretty good, um pretty pretty good database and, like I say, if you don't want to.

Q

Get these messages you can opt out um so yeah right. We have plans.

Q

Also for open houses within an apartment, construction consultations, training days, you name.

Q

It so we'll use that system to push that message. The idea here is, we would like the community to.

Q

Look at our this department as a resource for education and assistance to see that we're not.

Q

Here to slow down their project, we want to help. We don't want to hinder now granted the state.

Q

Codes still do apply and we can't disregard those. So you know when you, when you're working within.

Q

State codes or or codes in general there there certainly is a component that you will slow down.

Q

But it won't be because of us it'll be because of the codes that we were hired to um to basically.

Q

Teach to the contractors to the to the residents and and say you know, this is the way that.

Q

That legally, it has to be done right now, because it is a state law. So, even if we wanted to enact.

Q

Maybe an ordinance that had a less restrictive building code. We couldn't do that right now, so.

Q

This is a minimum guidelines that we're asking these folks to build to, but I do feel that the.

Q

The way, perhaps that inspectors have explained the minimum guidelines historically um has really.

Q

Not inspired a lot of confidence to approach the building department. After that interaction.

Q

You know maybe not enforcement but, like I say I've seen it around the state around the country.

Q

um So there will still be times when folks are unhappy with us, because we're following the codes.

Q

But rest assured we'll be explaining the reason why, as opposed to simply failing an inspection.

Q

Without taking the time to find a solution, and if the inspection fails, you won't have to wait.

Q

A month for us to come back we'll come back in a couple days. You might even be able to come back.

Q

That day, the next day, so we're no longer in the situation that we were a year ago three years ago,.

Q

And hopefully you know um all of that will begin to change the public's perception of.

Q

This department, so um you know, and then in the past, where we were inundated with projects, we.

Q

Were certainly understaffed, we're on solid footing now we have hired a contract inspector which we.

Q

Hope to make full-time, which would be another building inspector he's been with us for several.

Q

Months he's made a huge difference, and so you may ask you know she you're caught up now or.

Q

You're pretty much caught up now, so can you let that inspector go so my answer I would say no. I.

Q

Would not encourage that because we're where we need to be right now, so that we can start.

Q

To begin to offer other initiatives, so if we got rid of that inspector, my concern is any surge in.

Q

Construction at all, potentially we could be right back where we were a year ago. So, if you know, if.

Q

Our budget can support it. I really really highly recommend that we keep our inspectors in place.

Q

Which brings us to the last one, which is that's us, we're all working together community and his power.

C

Thank you, shanti thanks. So much are there any questions.

B

Councilman, um I love everything that you've said. I've certainly have clients who have done work in.

I

This town, that I've heard a lot of complaints about the inspection department, I'll just be.

I

Upright so it's great to hear all of the input that you want to do if there are people that.

I

Would actually like to be on that email list, but they their emails, may not have been part of the.

I

Permitting system do you have a way for them to sign up to please email me: okay, yeah, my email.

Q

Is on the website, and I will get you right on there: okay, this system here. Thank you.

I

Question you said the position that we're looking to add currently is a contract position correct so.

Q

We've hired a building inspector um tim mctvier was a uh almost summer's worth inspector for.

Q

Almost three decades very fortunate to get him over here and he is a contract inspector.

Q

Meaning that he has all the benefits of an employee but where he has not been budgeted.

Q

Yet for the next fiscal year um that he's not yet a full-time employee from that respect, right, yeah.

B

Council cook, um thank you. Your honor.

J

Thank you so much for the presentation. um I love what you were talking about about outreach.

J

I think it's probably critical at this point um is: are there any efforts to do outreach to.

J

Our building community to kind of ask people to come back. I know we always hear about.

J

Contractors that won't work in portsmouth anymore and I feel like we, we need to increase.

J

The numbers, because it is kind of difficult to find somebody, that's a great question and.

Q

To answer that, I would say that if they've worked in portsmouth since the inception of opengov, which.

Q

Is this permitting software, then they will be on that list of 700 contacts, because um just because.

Q

They they're no longer working here, their their contacts are still in there and, if they're not.

Q

I would you know, I'm not sure how to get the message out other than once. That goes out to.

Q

All these contractors, architects residents, then I'd like to think and hope that word would travel.

Q

And then, if there's someone, that's not on that list that perhaps they would see that it's you.

Q

Know it's safe to come back right and I work with. um I mean I know a lot of people around the state.

Q

uh Contractors and um code officials and fire police and- and they know me and they know that I'm.

Q

Here now, and so I think that was I've heard a lot of contractors that were in stratum that were in.

Q

um Somersworth that were in you know, rochester that are saying you know, I'm gonna come back to.

Q

Portsmouth now that you're there right so um so some of that's already out there, but if they've.

Q

Ever worked in here since the inception of the program they'll get that message. Yes,.

B

Councilor blaylock thank you, honor and thank you shanti for this presentation. I must say.

L

During our campaign, it was a big topic, the permitting department and- and I realized the.

L

Inefficiencies there passed the cost on to the resident or the homeowner most of the time.

L

So I think the budget you presented um making sure we stay ahead of all these.

L

Inspections and stuff, like that, actually does might save the resident money in the long run.

L

um Where, if we let it build up like we did in the past, it becomes a large problem like you're.

L

Talking about people waiting months if they got it rejected and it was throwing off the timeline.

L

In different contractors you know the drywall guy an electrician guy, and it would just.

L

Kind of derail the whole project and maybe delete for a year or so so I just want to.

L

Thank you more for the um changing the attitude in the perception and then taking that saving.

L

That cost from the university right and I'll just like to add that you know delaying the inspection.

Q

It might delay the project, but, to be quite honest, it might make the difference between.

Q

You know a good christmas for someone's children or a real bad christmas, because if you've.

Q

Got three months line up for the work and all of a sudden, the city has shut you down for two months.

Q

And you can't pivot, because that was your- that was your bread and butter for the next three months.

Q

I've been there, I get it so it's critical that we stay on track, that we're expedient.

Q

And that we are able to provide you know, solutions for fast, but safe construction.

Q

And we're going to do that with our with proper staffing and guidance.

B

Thank you, shanti, just a couple of things that that you didn't mention smaller things, but I.

B

Thought were emblematic of uh some of the changes you've made um one um as a counselor.

B

And now, as the mayor, I've gotten uh or maybe not as much anymore, but the we get a lot of questions.

B

Like hey, you know, I'm hearing this, you know from my contractor's telling me this and a few times.

B

I said: okay, I'll email, city manager and we'll try to figure out what ended up occurring was.

B

More often than not um the conversation a contractor might be having uh with a homeowner.

B

Was different than the conversation that they were having with the inspection department and.

B

Clearing that up by just requiring a field on the open gov of making sure that the that the.

B

The the resident or the the person that owned the homeowner was copied on all that communication.

B

Small but huge change. Another change that I thought was enormous that I saw was not requiring.

B

The person that did the work to be present at the home that I mean from a scheduling standpoint.

B

Trying to to if you can just take out one person's schedule from the equation of when you're going to.

B

Be at the house and just say: okay, a homeowner can be there to allow the inspection to happen.

B

That saves, you know an enormous amount of time and resources just so you know that came right.

Q

Out of the state building code, so that wasn't even an idea that I needed to implement. It would just.

Q

Read the book, so the permit designee can attend the inspections, not the you know, not the.

Q

The licensee or the person that did the work so yeah and I think the reason why uh it.

B

That I'm really excited about this and I and I guess I think from my perspective- I I I I believe.

B

That government should deliver services to people. You know that's what we're judged on is. You know.

B

If we people pay taxes, they get services delivered and they make that equation in their head. Is this.

B

Worth it, um but time and time again you mentioned it tonight, you know working towards. Yes, instead.

B

Of just saying, no, I think it's something that a lot of people appreciate uh and we certainly.

B

Appreciate- and it's going to take time in all of this, but I think that we will have the um the.

B

Inspection department that the city of portsmouth deserves under your leadership and really.

B

Appreciate all the work that that you're doing. Thank you. Thank you. Miss mayor, oh councillor, tabor.

H

I I just want to say well done and I want to support uh the extra position um your department.

H

Not only has a ton of work, but people pay for that. I mean they're, putting their their money.

H

Down to the tune of 1.1 million dollars and- and I do think it will surge again and 2020.

H

Fy21, it was 1.8 million dollars of just people paying to get permits, so I think that will shoot.

H

Up again- and you know, shame on us if we don't take people's money and give them great service.

B

Great job shanti, thank you. Thank you. Auntie your honor up next is health.

C

Officer kim mcnamara welcome kim thank you.

F

The portsmouth health department is very involved in public health planning.

F

And response locally, regionally and statewide staffs it on several commissions and committees.

F

Including the state health assessment and health improvement planning statutory committee.

F

The governor's commission on the seacoast cancer cluster, the united states air force.

F

Restoration advisory board, the international food protection training institute and the agency for.

F

Toxic substances and disease registries p's community assistance panel, as well as others.

F

The health department also has planning responsibilities for three emergency.

F

Support functions, as required by the federal emergency management agency.

F

Better known as fema in disaster declarations, they are emergency support, function or esf number. Six.

F

Mass care, emergency assistance, housing and human services.

F

Esf8, public health and medical services and esf 11 and natural resources, protection and recovery.

C

Before I turn this slide, I think this is kim and her staff with some other folks.

C

That's at a vaccine clinic right, it's it's not! Our staff kristin was in another place, but that's.

F

We were at the speedway that day doing the mass vaccination clinics. Yes, other volunteers, support.

F

Food protection is what the health department is best known for. However, it's only a portion.

F

Of what we do, we also inspect schools day cares, foster and adoptive homes advocate for.

F

Vulnerable populations address in sanitary living conditions and environmental hazards.

F

Provide public education, monitor viral disease surveillance, implement environmental protections.

F

And address essentially any other issue that affects local public and environmental health.

F

And now, for some fun facts, the following figures are from our routine food service licenses and do.

F

Not include the numerous temporary events and the farmer's market that the department also licenses.

F

Under our routine food service licenses, we currently permit a total of thirty four thousand.

F

Three hundred and ninety seats, twenty six thousand three hundred and seventy nine of.

F

Them are also under a liquor license. Well, eight thousand and eleven do not hold a liquor license.

F

Some of these seats are seasonal. Many of these seats turn over multiple times a day, so the.

F

Numbers served grow significantly if turnover is factored in. This highlights the importance of food.

F

Protection services: it also has implications for services like police and fire and trash.

F

11 393 seats are outdoor seats now and 22 997 are indoor seats. These numbers do include some large.

F

Venues like the music hall and are self-reported by the food service owners on their applications.

F

This department is currently staffed with three full-time employees. We started with.

F

Two in 2005 and have gained one in 17 years intervening and this year I am requesting an.

F

Additional full-time health inspector to cover the continually increasing demands.

F

On the department- and I am happy to answer any questions well, thank you kim and first.

B

Open up to questions, but thank you for all of the work that you've done. I think it uh certainly.

B

Covet has brought your office into much uh larger, uh spotlight and appreciation in the city, but then.

B

You know, in addition, all of the kind of after effects or or effects of covet. You know pushing.

B

People outdoors creating an entire outdoor dining ecosystem uh was not something that was taken.

B

Lightly by by your team, so appreciate all the work that you've done uh for the city over these.

B

More than more than a couple years, thank you any questions.

B

Counselor by luck, thank you runner and thank you, health officer, kate, mcnamara,.

L

We've kept my restaurant very safe over the years, and I've enjoyed working very closely to help.

L

Do that and help serve people in a safe manner, but I do realize the challenges now that we've all.

L

Faced the last few years, we've all been a lot more aware of all these health risks and everything.

L

So I just want to speak out in support of I've. Seen all the work that came in kristin have done.

L

Over the years and I've always been amazed that they've been able to do that without more support.

L

So I just want to thank you. Thank you.

B

No other questions, maybe it's past 10 o'clock before easier, but thank you again.

I

I appreciate it second to last, but certainly, not least, is our public works director peter.

C

Rice welcome peter good evening, mr mayor city councillors, city manager. My name is peter rice.

R

I'm the director of public works uh with me this evening. Is our operations manager, roberta arcini,.

R

And our business administrator, jen, wentworth, um jen and roberta support uh the highway.

R

Division of the department works, but they also support the five other divisions. The department.

R

uh So they a lot of the a lot of the stuff you'll see today, is the results of their hard efforts in.

R

Addition, brian goetz, our deputy director, is here in the in the crowd, as well as terry damaris.

R

Our engineering supervisor and ben fletcher will be up in a second in this vacant seat.

C

He missed her, he missed the run-through.

I

It's getting late tonight, I'll be presenting the public works department's highway budget.

R

And this year's budget is an increase of 364 thousand 16 616 dollars.

R

Over fy 22, which is a 5.21 increase, uh this budget includes an additional staff request.

R

For an additional assistant foreman, this is to support the parks and greenery group.

R

And it reflects the increase in area, that's under maintenance. Now um it's there to help manage the.

R

Staff, but it also creates uh vertical movement and uh the ability to groom uh for succession planning.

R

um So it's something that we, uh you know given the workload and given the challenges we face, we feel.

R

It's an important position to fill. um This is a recovery budget. It's if you recall over the last.

R

Two years um in 21 we had actually we were the only department or only division, that worked that.

R

Had a cut in any of the city budgets, and then the year after in 22, it was a flat budget same as 21.

R

These sustained budgets, flatline budgets, occurred. Despite increases in retirement costs,.

R

Salaries benefits and additional facilities and parks, as the city manager stated in the past.

R

Budgets are a statement of values, however, they're uh an exercise in predicting the future. This.

R

Budget focuses on continuing maintenance of core functions, while also maintaining the services.

R

uh That we provide, which are including engineering support for other city departments,.

R

Mosquito control parks and playgrounds, athletic fields, cemeteries and special events, as well as.

R

The next slide core functions which really you know make up about. 75 percent of our budget.

R

Which are streets street and road maintenance, sidewalk maintenance facilities, maintenance.

R

And solid waste collection, the public works budget also supports other departments.

R

The support often flies under the radar because it doesn't show up on other departments, budgets.

R

This budget continues to support the services provided to police.

R

Fire recreation, school schools in the library it includes.

R

City hall budget line items such as heating water, sewer electricity custodial services facility.

R

Repairs and maintenance. In addition, it includes custodial services, repairs and maintenance. The.

R

Library and recreational facilities, in addition to supporting other departments, facilities, citywide.

R

The public works budget is more than just a public about public works.

R

This budget supports other departments which allows them to focus on their core missions.

R

Sorry back one, um the budget reflects also expanded uh responsibilities, uh including.

R

Additional parks and green spaces facilities, uh blue ribbon committees. um You know state.

R

Staffing, lutheran committees, public meetings and additional engineering support for other.

R

City departments, um it's it's really exciting to to bring on uh the community campus um 50.

R

You know 34 acres, plus the 50 acres that we took on a few years ago, plus gateway parks. uh There.

R

Are uh you know it's great, but the maintenance is something that is oftentimes forgotten once you.

R

Know the the enthusiasm of the day of of you know, purchase and and opening in ribbon cutting um so.

R

Our budgets really support those and and reflects that increased scope of work. That's occurring.

R

Next slide, this has been an extremely challenging budget to prepare uh continued fallout from kovid.

R

As well as international events have impacted our ability to forecast costs with any level of.

R

Comfort uh we've been fortunate this year in that recycled commodities markets have recovered. um We.

R

Had a high of about 131 dollars, a ton we're down, they dropped down around 31 a ton over this last.

R

Year, we're in the 40-ish range right now, but what that's allowed us to do is reduce the recycling.

R

Budget a bit, however, our solid waste budget, as you can see, has gone up as well as a result of that.

R

Additional um solid waste um we're also very fortunate that we were able to lock in a couple.

R

Years ago, uh with our electric electricity and natural gas at very favorable rates and.

R

Those have been stable for the last couple years and will continue on through this budget cycle.

R

However, we are impacted by inflation. uh The cost of materials has gone up significantly.

R

The cost of service has gone up significantly uh fuel, as you see um and I'll speak to. If.

R

You have any questions related to. It have gone up significantly and so that's been a real challenge.

R

We've also faced challenges related to staffing. As the human resources director pointed out, our.

R

Our wage rates have not come pace with private sector, especially for skilled staff, uh mechanics.

R

Operators electricians: um it's it's hard to attract folks.

R

uh When we're we're charged we're paying them much lower than.

R

Other folks are we're looking to move forward to address these uncertainties.

R

By focusing on our core functions and delaying purchases when possible uh until later in the.

R

Fiscal year that'll give us the flexibility uh to see how things are tracking relative to expenses.

R

And if, if necessary, we'll have to cut back um on some of those purchases, but we don't anticipate.

R

That at this point, we feel comfortable that we've accurately reflected where we're going to be going.

R

This next year, but you never know, and then this slide some of you may remember from last year.

R

Is really touching on the importance of supporting infrastructure investments.

R

This curve is a pavement deterioration curve, but it's really a an acid deterioration curve.

R

That it's pretty common sense on the on the left side is, is the quality in the vertical axis? Is.

R

The quality of the product, the asset in this case is pavement and then on the bottom axis. It's time.

R

Over time, so you start out in excellent condition and over time the product, the.

R

Asset deteriorates, and if you, if you address the deterioration incrementally through maintenance,.

R

You can extend the life of that asset at a very minimal cost. However, if you defer that.

R

um Investment over time it becomes more and more expensive into the to the point of failure.

R

The uh why you know, and while this is uh may be necessary periodically to delay or cut back on.

R

These investments uh continued flat budgets in the future will only cost taxpayers more money.

R

In addition to being less expensive, planned maintenance also ensures that critical.

R

Infrastructure is available at times of crisis. uh It maintains the quality of services and really.

R

From my perspective reduces resident complaints, which is very helpful, inadequate support of cities.

R

Facilities is not sustainable over time the department has been able to achieve savings by.

R

Improving efficiencies, cutting back on maintenance and deferring hires, however, this cost curve.

R

Shows that no the longer you defer maintenance, the more expensive it'll be to the taxpayers and it'll.

R

Limit our ability to be flexible and adapt quickly uh to changing priorities. Finally, I'd like to.

R

Acknowledge my staff, um the department of public works staff worked throughout the uh covid years.

R

And two and a half years um consistently, you know picking up trash, maintaining the roads, delivering.

R

The important services to the residents and I'm very proud of the work they've done um and and.

R

And you know I just I need to to point that out so at this point, um if you have any questions.

B

Thank you peter, and I would uh echo on behalf of the city of portsmouth, our gratitude for.

B

The members of the of the public works staff not only have they they work through uh when.

B

Everyone else in the world stayed home, uh but they've continually done so uh with a uh a.

B

An attitude that was always uh you know how: how can I help you know? How can I and improve.

B

uh The quality of life here in portsmouth, so uh it it should be noted and and and I'm I'm happy.

B

To be able to know just how great uh the employees that we have working for the city of portsmouth.

B

Are especially in public works. Thank you, councillor, bagley. Thank you, mary. Thank you.

E

Director rice, this is in this packet that we got. I guess a couple hours before the meeting.

E

I went through it really quickly, and this slide is by far my favorite.

E

There I'll tell a couple stories. The first one is, you know if you buy a new car.

E

And you don't change the oil you're gonna save money during the first couple years.

E

But then you're gonna have to pay for a new engine. um That's kind of what this slide is.

E

Showing, if you defer maintenance for too long, it saves you money in the short run, but it ends.

E

Up costing you greatly in the long run in my professional life, I sell cnc equipment.

E

And it's you know: it's 200 300 000, whatever the cost may be, and a lot of my customers.

E

Don't understand new customers that they need to do preventative maintenance and if they run.

E

More than two shifts we go there twice a year if they run one shift, we go there once a year.

E

And the customers that have that preventative maintenance- we've got all sorts of graphs and.

E

Charts that show their cost of ownership is much cheaper and their unexpected downtime.

E

Is much lower so really pleased to hear you say um one to include this graph, but also to have that.

E

Attitude that you're deferring maintenance, just to save money in the short term is not a viable.

E

Way forward with infrastructure so so pleased to hear that then I just want to kind of echo.

E

The mayor's comments just this morning, thursday mornings, is when they pick up.

E

Garbage on my street- um and I was talking to my neighbor as I was- bringing the garbage up the.

E

The driveway and she just commented how pleased she is with the garbage pickup service, and we.

E

Both were talking and where I grew up in connecticut, we didn't have city run garbage.

E

Service, so you had two choices: you could either bring it to the dump, like my family did, which was.

E

Not great for the station wagon or you had a garbage pickup and what ended up happening.

E

Was every day of the week a different company would come through with their loud garbage truck.

E

And pick up somebody's garbage in the city here one we all get that service. We don't have to pay.

E

Extra for it's included in our tax bill um like a lot of communities, do and because it's done.

E

By the city, it's done at a much higher level of service. I believe- and it's all done on the same.

E

Day for each neighborhood, which I think for a quality of life, uh you know little things like.

E

This that public works does you know like plowing the sidewalks which a lot of communities don't do.

E

I just think that we have such a strong level of service that it's worth mentioning tonight.

R

Well, I appreciate the support um for those services because you know without the council.

R

Support we wouldn't be able to provide them, so it's very much appreciated counselor denton.

D

Thank you honor. I have two lines of questioning. uh The first is there's 648 000 allocated for.

D

Electricity in the budget, uh when I last sat here, I was able to convince the council to.

D

Allocate additional money for to essentially purchase electricity from renewable sources via.

D

Renewable energy credits am I correct that we are no longer pursuing that that is correct. Okay,.

D

And then um second question: there's a quarter million for single stream recycling. My personal.

D

Preference remains going back to sorting whether it be aluminum cans, cardboard.

D

And glass and throwing the rest in the trash, but with that said, residents like they do.

D

Often share rumors that our curbside recycling is being thrown away in the trash.

D

And I'm not looking for these answers tonight, I'm going to share them with the.

D

City manager, but the sustainable committee was asking for percentages if you could get them.

D

On how much of our recycling gets thrown away by the dpw versus thrown away at the turnkey.

D

Landfill versus at the murph itself- I don't know if those are things you could possibly look into.

D

And then they're also wondering when our current recycling contract expires, but I'll.

D

Send those to the city manager, okay, the the current I can answer the current contract expires.

R

In another three years, I believe, okay, um there, the the myth of throwing solid, recyclables away is not.

R

True, it's just that um they, the downtown recycling, bins because there's so much contamination.

R

Does does get thrown away so if people have seen a downtown, recycle bin, um you see they.

R

Throw everything in it, uh food, liquid and it's so we've actually started to to not um put us.

R

Recycling bins because it's just not a good way, and that really was driven by um what they call a.

R

Contamination rate at the uh at the murph- and you know it when they have contamin contaminated.

R

Recyclables they throw the whole batch out down at the murph and they end up charging us double. So we.

R

Learned by getting you know those extra bills that we were getting a lot of contamination. We.

R

Identified as those public sources, and so that was a decision to eliminate those, because that.

R

Was a high source of contamination since that time it's it's really turned around and we haven't had.

R

Those contamination sources, so I don't remember the specific numbers, but we beat the national.

R

Average consistently, I want to say it's, you know, I can't remember exactly. I think it's over 40, but.

R

I'll get the actual numbers for you um and report back on that and just want to quickly comment that.

D

I wholly agree and appreciate you removing the recycling from downtown because it was just trash.

R

Yeah I mean it's disappointing because you want everybody to be conscientious and separate.

R

But it's hard when people aren't paying attention and they need to throw stuff away. Thank you.

B

uh Councillor blaylock and then councilman barty, thank you honor um and thank you peter.

L

For presentation- and I want to thank you and your staff for um all the services you.

L

Provided during covenant, nothing was interrupted. I mean it was like you guys, just kept going and.

L

I want to thank you for that and thank all your staff um and just a question morph that.

L

I've been getting from the public, could you just update us on the skatepark and why that's not.

L

In the budget um well, the skate park is in the budget. Yes, um we we had 200 000, appropriated la.

R

This year and that's what we're paying for the design from um so that's currently um as the.

R

Recreation director indicated the contract's been executed, uh so the design process is starting.

R

um And uh the because we don't need the money immediately, uh that it was felt it was more.

R

Fiscally prudent to do it through the regular bonding process, and so it's shown in the cip.

R

Is money's for next year uh when that when the funding will be needed? Thank you. It is the project.

R

Is funded and it is moving forward and just you know the what is it the rumors of its death are.

R

Premature yeah, I just want to reassure the public. That's all I like the exaggerated. Thank you.

R

Thank you yeah counselor party. Yes, uh I too want to express my appreciation to the department for.

H

Your perseverance through the pandemic, it was truly amazing that.

H

And and the people were fantastic, I would go out.

H

And tell them thank you um in the mornings. um When I got up early, they appreciate that they.

R

Do it's it's nice. They love, they love the interaction with the residents yeah. So.

H

So I'm glad I I wish there was a way that the city could do something more for them.

H

um As a recognition, you know- and maybe we can figure something like that out, because that.

H

My only comment about um picking up recycling on um on thursday is that's the.

H

Like I pick up all my recycling, then I get all my mail that junk mail comes on thursday and I think.

H

I think the post office is on to it. I don't know.

H

I I'm also one of the people who weekly brings my compost to the city yard.

H

And I see that's grown by the number of bins that have um been placed there. It was a couple.

H

Then it was three and now it's about six or seven of them, so I guess that's becoming more popular. So.

H

um I know that there are some problems again with contamination in those bins.

H

I hope that's corrected and um and then also uh a the the talk of a swap shop at the city yard.

H

Was around somewhere or a place where people could yeah so that that is something that's.

R

A desire that's been expressed for a long time. We have a preliminary design done for a new transfer.

R

Station, it includes a swap shop, however, given the budget constraints and the challenges.

R

In terms of funding it's a out year, I can't remember what year it's in cip.

R

But it's it's out a number of years. You know due to other priorities so right now it's a matter of.

R

um Having space uh in a facility to do that, um you know that would require.

R

You know, staff oversight, I know a lot of folks say: they'll volunteer and that's great.

R

um But based on my review of other facilities, you really need a designated person. That's responsible.

R

To make sure stuff is cleaned out on a regular basis. You date it.

R

Doesn't move it's out after next number because it gets you just get accumulation of stuff.

R

um But it is, it is something that's really neat I've. You know. I've lived in towns that.

R

Have had them um and it's it's it's kind of an event when you find something nice.

R

So yeah it's true well, thank you. Thank you again for the service.

H

Counselor tabor uh thanks mayor. um I too really just think our our whole approach to.

H

Maintaining our infrastructure and providing uh waste removal is just tops and.

H

But I wanted to ask about the mosquito abatement program.

H

I know we've switched to killing the larvae as opposed to spraying and remember in 2020. I think.

H

That we had a july where there were just rainy day, 20 rainy days in the month, and we got this.

H

Big volume of mail from neighborhoods, like the woodlands in elmwood park, that.

H

Had a lot of standing water and mosquitoes, but is that larvacide proven itself or is it do we.

H

Need to look at that again. uh Larvacide is the most effective way to control the.

R

Disease-Borne mosquitoes um the the adulticide, the spraying is really a um a nuisance.

R

uh Type of thing in terms of uh people don't like the mosquitoes that are flying around.

R

But in terms of uh health and safety, the larva side is the most efficient way of doing that.

R

um So we, you know, we would if there was a a declared emergency. The state.

R

Monitors we work with kim mcnamara and, if there's an emergency, we would do.

R

Delta siding, but it is, it is not um the recommended approach. You know, working with.

R

Our mosquito control folks, um that it's really a kind of a placebo effect to a certain extent.

R

um Because the delta deciding is, is it's really just that people don't like the.

R

Mosquitoes flying around them and it's really the larva side that does the best control. Okay, thanks.

B

Any other questions, and just to clarify we actually did larva side as well as um the spraying.

R

For years, um but due to budget, you know, requests for budget uh reductions uh the because the adult.

R

Decide really was not the effective aspect of the mosquito control. It was dropped.

R

Right- and we also monitor two, so we do. um We monitor the areas on a regular basis.

R

Peter's, given the 8 30 response, mosquitoes.

B

I just had one question on professional services under parks and cemeteries. um That's.

B

Not the the new higher uh four thousand dollars additional, uh no, the new it's under 3900 175.

B

Under city manager recommended page 324.

R

Cemetery programs sixty thousand dollars, no I'm seeing it under parks and cemeteries. It's right.

L

Above parks and city yeah, seventy five thousand, seventy five thousand yep seven fifth- that is the.

R

Additional um to the additional green uh gateway areas, so the bojenko park right the route, one.

R

Because the amount of work that those take, we did not have the staff available. So that's a.

R

Contracted service got it and an add-on to that is. We were under a warranty last year last year, so we.

R

Were able to get by last year without having to we, we went through the exercise of do we, staff up.

R

Or do we, you know, go for contracted service and in this case it was. It made more sense, because.

R

Of the level of effort it takes to address those areas, it really it's really appropriate to take.

R

A full crew in there and they get, and they knock it out as a group, and that would really disrupt.

R

Our flow of work throughout the city, you know to grab a bunch of staff and then go over and do that.

R

um Okay, so that was that's. That's the genesis of that 75.. Thank you, peter all, right.

C

We have ben and only ben last american director ben fletcher he's the closer that's right. I'm dave.

S

Chappelle tonight I got my own roman numeral so uh anyway I'll try to keep it uh concise.

S

uh Good evening, counselors, uh mayor mccatcher know what that means. What's happening, keep going.

S

The headlining comedians over there uh good evening councillors.

S

Mayor mchetran city manager, conrad uh thanks for allowing me the opportunity to discuss the fy23.

S

Parking and transportation budget reflective of the divisions, uh ongoing effort to strive for.

S

Efficiencies and professionalism in light of the economic situation that continues, uh it's.

S

Important to always open this discussion with an understanding of the myriad programs and.

S

Services that parking system revenues support, even as we work through the challenges of the.

S

Lingering effects of covet 19 a short list of what is supported by parking system revenues.

S

Would contain 2.4 million annual offset to the general fund, transportation planning and.

S

Engineering support downtown snow and waste removal, school bus support, senior transport.

S

Our partners at coast, the downtown trolley police, detail, school crossing guards and more.

S

Services provided or supported by parking revenues realize an annual tax offset of 318.

S

Dollars per median single-family home so in light of the ongoing economic situation, is extremely.

S

Important and prudent that we work to ensure the division's ability to both manage parking services.

S

And inclusive of uh revenue collection entire in order to avoid discontinuing programs or services.

S

Or finding it necessary to seek alternative methods to pay for them, as always, the use of.

S

Real-Time data informs our decision making. We have the ability to assess and adjust our expectations.

S

As we move forward, which is reflected in tonight's presentation,.

S

At this stage of the economic recovery, our city is happy happily seeing routine triple digits demand.

S

And occupancy in our high occupancy areas, our division is careful to be mindful when budgeting.

S

Revenues and operating costs, but particularly when refraining from wasteful spending. However,.

H

It is far better to be in a position uh that to plan for an expense and not be required.

S

To use the funds than to find yourself where unbudgeted expenditures are required to be met.

S

The division always seeks to conservatively budget with regard to its revenue and expense profile.

S

So, while originally budgeted for a net loss of 898 793 for fy22, the division is pleased to report.

S

That we are ahead of fy22 revenue projections by roughly 1.2 million as of april 30th.

S

While expenses remain at 10 below projections so far for the year, uh revenue projections are now.

S

Revised upwards from 7.9 million to 9.4 million. We're, therefore confident that the budgeted 22 net.

S

Loss will be significantly below projection. Indeed, we look to be in position to add to.

S

The parking fund balance, which will strengthen our position as we face inventory shortages at.

S

Hanover due to the upcoming renovation project, the parking uh balance exists. The parking fund exists.

S

So that the division can continue to meet its obligations even when faced with.

S

Inventory and revenue shortages for the handover project for the next three years, challenges are.

S

Met through consistently working to decrease expenses and effectively pursue and catalog.

S

All parking related revenue sources, the stay in pay pricing model introduced in august of 2021.

S

35 increase in revenue per transaction system wide, while encouraging 91 percent of users to.

S

Continue to turn the space over at the third hour and simultaneously driving considerably longer.

S

Parking sessions at our city's garages, which means more people, are out of their vehicles, walking.

S

Reducing congestion lowering the city's carbon footprint, this is also known as a park once.

S

Philosophy- and it does support business next top, please, for the summer of 22, the.

S

Division is anticipating a roughly nine percent reduction in high demand, a zone inventory due to.

S

Repurposing for restaurant seating. Additionally, in anticipation of the loss of 300 spaces at hanover.

S

For a span of three years, we have relocated roughly 250 monthly partners from hanover.

S

To foundry to reduce the impact of lost space over that time so because of this preemptive.

S

Approach, we do not anticipate the need to remove additional contract holders from hanover. Please.

S

So, nuts and bolts, the bottom line of this tile is simply the bottom line of the tile. That is.

S

The use of fund balance to zero the budgetary needs that exceed the division's ability to.

S

Raise revenue to cover its obligations. Excuse me on the left side for fy22 parking revenues.

S

Again were budgeted at a conservative, 7.9 million. With that figure we would have projected to have.

S

The use of fund balance required to zero the budget would have been 898 793 again.

S

The positive news is we're on track to achieve 9.4 million in revenues for fy 22, meaning we should be.

S

In position to actually increase the fund balance uh this one last year to hedge against anticipated.

S

Revenue losses going into fy, 23, 24 and 25 on the right side. You can see that the proposed.

S

Budget request of 87.86 million does represent an increase over fy22 of 1.4 million, which will be.

S

Detailed shortly, the bottom line here is that if revenue projections of 8.29 million hold for fy 23.

S

Then 1.9 million would be needed from fund balance to zero the budget for fy23. Please.

S

This tile represents line item detail of anticipated revenue, changes from fy22.

S

A roughly 321 thousand dollar increase, the figure does include anticipated, realized uh reduction in.

S

Revenue at hanover of roughly 660 thousand revenue projections are performed every year through a.

S

Series of factor analyses using data points such as the number and type of each parker in each.

S

Garage the length of stay at the meters and past collection data for the 23 budget. We again worked.

S

With our exceptional finance department to discuss projections, including the effect of the hanover.

S

Restoration operating under the belief that fy23 will continue to build on the anticipated.

S

Strong finish of fy22 the final budget figures they're, showing only a modest increase here,.

S

Are actually slightly more aggressive than fy 22's figures if we were to disregard the.

S

Anticipated loss that hanover the figure produced would be closer to a 570 000 increase versus.

S

22 than the 321 posted here in conjunction with the finance department, we always choose to.

S

Recognize the most conservative scenarios in order to put us in the best position to continue funding.

S

The obligations that are placed upon the parking division stalkers, so this familiar tile.

S

Shows the breakdown of the defense, division's expense profile, operate operations taking up 44.

S

Public transportation, seven percent debt service at 24 capital projects at eight.

S

Percent and contingency and facilities rounding out the rest. uh This tile details the promised.

S

Earlier uh of the 1.4 million dollar increase in total budget request from 22 to 23.

S

The primary drivers include operating and capital and rolling stock expenses, as the city.

S

Begins to see traffic figures similar to or greater than, pre-pandemic levels. We look.

S

To restore pre-pandemic levels of staffing and project management, shortly put, we are bringing a.

S

Number of suspended projects and expenditures back online increases in operating costs are primarily.

S

Represented by the drive to return to pre-covert employment levels and inflation, seen nationwide.

S

Similarly, increases in capital and rolling stock reflect a return to pre-copied projects.

S

Such as repaving aging parking lots and settings funds aside to maintain the city's fleet.

S

Comparatively the fy 23 operations recommendation represents a relatively benign 7.9 percent.

S

Increase over the original fy 21 budget released in 2020 before the pandemic, so.

S

Taken over two years, that level of increase can be largely attributed to inflation, which reinforces.

S

The assertion that we are uh trying to return basically to a pre-pandemic pre-covered reality.

S

In fact, the fy 23 capital enrolling stock recommendation is slightly less than the.

S

Pre-Kobe 21 figure, and uh so I can take questions this time. Thank you. Thank you.

B

On bennett, tight ship, any questions answer bagley yeah, more comments than questions at.

E

First, I want to thank ben uh director rice and the city manager for sitting down with me for.

E

For some time, the other day to go over all the parking uh asks for this year and and why they.

E

Were where they they are? um I guess I just wanna for the folks at home, explain a couple.

E

Things about parking, because uh before I became a counselor, I had a one. I thought the department.

E

Cost the city money, which is not true. It actually gives back a great deal of money to the city, but.

E

That's not the primary goal of the parking department, the one of the primary goals of.

E

The parking department is to increase turnover, and what that does is, if you think about it,.

E

If, if you say you own a store downtown and you park in front of your store, you're taking a prime.

E

Parking spot for the next eight to ten hours and that parking spot could be turned over, say every.

E

Half hour, so that's you know 10 to 20 customers that you're losing out on stopping at your store.

E

Because you're a part-time spot, so one of the things we've done and over the past year we've.

E

Really advertised it is the employee downtown parking program where you can get a coupon to.

E

Park downtown, I believe it's for three dollars a day. Yeah at 10 hours uh is a three dollar price.

E

Yeah so, and we're seeing that month over month, we're seeing record numbers is that.

E

That's correct april represented the highest number of a month of sales. We've had to date.

E

So what that means is, even though we're losing the 300 spaces at the high hanover garage 250 of.

E

Those spaces are now permanent passes at foundry. A great deal of the people that used to park.

E

In the core of the town downtown and then go to, work are now also parking at foundry. We've gained.

E

Spaces, I believe, 39 spaces in loading zones after hours, correct, that's a relatively new thing and.

E

How many spaces did we gain at the mcintyre lot, 86 86, so so we're in a situation going into this year.

E

Where it's going to be easier for people to find parking downtown and the reason it's going.

E

To be easier to find parking downtown is because we're managing the parking.

E

In a very clever way- and I just want to thank ben fletcher- he's a whiz with the numbers.

E

For figuring out how to move uh traffic and how to get the best vitality out of the parking spots.

E

The the goal is, if you're going to park for a long time, ideally you're parking in the foundry garage.

E

You're going to walk five minutes to downtown and if you're just get running, to get a cup of coffee.

E

Or buy a pot at the kitchen store, or something like that you would park close to the store run in.

E

Run out, I just want to thank you for the the way you run the department and for certainly teaching.

E

Me quite a bit about how parking works in the city and why we do the things that we do. Sir.

B

Council blaylock thank you, honor and thank you ben for the presentation and everything.

L

um I was just curious that you said the 1.2 million ahead of projections. I didn't know.

L

If you knew what variable that was or if it was like covid or something else, a lot of it has to.

S

Do with the stay and pay program, so uh we used to punitively enforce our three-hour uh time.

S

Limit by writing citations uh the the way that uh councillor tavern- and I introduced this uh when we.

S

Brought it in was, you know, we've invited folks here. Why are we telling them to leave faster so.

S

The instead of a punitive incentive to turn the space we we installed an economic incentive to.

S

Turn the space, which means, if you want to stay longer, just cost more from the fourth hour and.

S

Beyond again, 91 percent of folks are still deciding to turn that space over the third.

S

Hour, which speaks to councillor bagley's point: if we're rotating spaces out, then there are spaces.

S

In front of store fronts, where people can run in and buy product and if they're taking longer stays.

S

In the garages they're walking by storefronts and not driving by storefronts, looking for a place to.

S

Park so we've seen a 35 increase in revenue per transaction system wide due to that.

S

Stay and pay system. It helped us recover year over year, uh in the the first year into covid.

S

At 70 percent of that of the previous year's revenues, where most of the country was at 10 or 15,.

S

In terms of parking, so some of that has to do with portsmouth being an amazing place to visit some.

S

Of that has to do with the initiative to change the pricing structure and allow people to choose.

S

uh You know how they wanted to manage their time and and that drives folks uh behavior-wise to the.

S

Garage and to to add to what councilor bagley said about uh about moving and turning spaces, uh the.

S

Decision making we we uh engage in is is based on real-time data and always it's it's not a revenue.

S

Generation situation for us that becomes secondary to us it's about a manner of behavior management.

S

A holistic approach would would have more people walking and less people driving.

S

Reducing your carbon footprint whatever, so we have a a lot of things. A lot of pride in that program.

S

And how it's turned out, and, and specifically how many more folks are parking at foundry and staying.

S

The more people that use that garage, the more realize it's really actually pretty close to.

S

Town, it's not nearly as far as people think we get some google numbers from time to time and.

S

We get inquiries on the garage directions on the garage so and that increases you know, particularly.

S

In the summer, so I just got the report on that. It's it's actually pretty encouraging. So.

S

Awesome. Thank you counselor quick comment. I was pleased to see in the cap improvement plan that.

D

Include the 150 000 per year, flex vehicle charging stations with 50 000 of it uh potentially coming.

D

From the parking fund- and I just want to encourage you to spend the next year- thinking of the box.

D

How you could possibly partner with uh private entities to get the most chargers with that money.

B

Any other questions. Oh councillor, tabor, um I was, I wanted fireworks to go off when you.

H

Said we're going to finish at 9.4 million. I planned a grand entrance, but he made me.

H

You really low keyed that roman numeral.

H

um How many spaces was that that we took away for outdoor dining? I think it was 69.. Oh that's it.

C

It's roughly about 69. 69.! That's last year, I'm on to this year already right right, but what's.

H

Interesting to me is is that there were concerns about nine percent. It's about nine percent of our.

S

A zone inventory right right um and rather than have any decrease in parking revenue.

H

We're on pattern to have 9.4 million, which I think would be a record.

H

So is there, would it be fair to say, based on the data that you have, that.

H

We're just making a very attractive downtown and managing our parking inventory well,.

H

And and when we do that taking away the number of spaces is really not an issue.

S

Well, of course, I'm going to say we're managing a well.

S

We're doing great a lot of it has to do with understanding who our clientele are.

S

About 90 to 95 of our traffic is actually visitor traffic that utilize the parking system.

S

So understanding what those people look for and and and you know how to kind of not necessarily.

S

Cater to them, but to drive their decision making. uh I think it's huge that we are seeing.

S

Longer length of stays in the garages, that's that's long, been a hope of mine that we would.

S

See and the program that we introduced really helped with that, and you helped with that. So I.

S

Appreciate that uh to talk about revenues, we I got this from finance today. It looks like.

S

um The current july, through april uh versus 2019, we're up 13 percent over the 2019 number.

S

And that uh that rep basically represents uh we're still about 15 or 20 below on on our.

S

Traffic figures and the difference between the two years other than that is stay in pay and.

S

uh Compared to last year, we're up 33 so through the 10th month, that's right! Yeah, 10th month great.

S

Councillor bagley, I I just have a comment uh because uh director fletcher has mentioned.

E

This several times so all the presentations that we got tonight, if you don't have the.

E

Agenda in front of you have a bullet point, but the parking presentation got a roman numeral in front.

E

Of it, so thank you now I understand I thought. Maybe some people might be wondering what that.

E

Was in reference to I knew who dave chappelle was, I wasn't sure I was going to get a tattoo.

B

Any other questions uh ben. Thank you uh so much for knowing your numbers.

B

uh Organizing the parking um I would ask, as as the the data suggests, uh you stated, 90.

B

Visitor parking uh here in the downtown and as we carve out areas for employees to.

B

Park um economically downtown I'd love to think of ways, especially with the new parking system and.

B

The ability to fluctuate rates, as we currently do for residents, how do we, how do we potentially see.

B

More revenue come from some of those tourists and out of town residents and reduce some of the rates.

B

For the the residents, so that generally, we could potentially increase some of the revenue.

B

To bring it in in more line with with tourist destinations,.

B

Similar to to portsmouth, but not do so on the backs of of residents, certainly we've.

S

Installed a number of softwares and uh during my five years here that's been five years.

S

And we've gone to pay by plate, which means the plate owns the parking session that allows us to.

S

uh Have somebody extend their parking session and use the um the stay in pay system appropriately.

S

In conjunction with that, we introduced the park mobile app in february of 2019., so 2000 so far, the.

S

Park mobile app offers a a solution that they call a white list. It's a common industry term that.

S

Allows us to put specific license plates on a list and their interaction with the app becomes.

S

Different, so anybody that's a resident here. That's that's on the resident list with parkmobile.

S

Understands that the group does not pay the 35 user fee for either the initial transaction or.

S

Any extensions on transaction they also have a 50 reduction per hour in parking costs across the.

S

Board, whether they're parked in a zone or b zone and it works on street and lots not in the garages.

S

As we wanted to separate the two, the way to handle what you're looking to do.

S

Would be to continue that structure of either keeping the residents where they are and then.

S

Changing the rate that a an outside person, the 95 to 90 to 95 or more percent, would pay just by.

S

Raising the rates at the meters but leaving the rates inside the app the same for the residents.

S

Certainly, that would encourage more residents that were qualified to come down and the number might.

S

Drop to 90 percent, but it's already fairly steep. We've got a ton of residents on that. We're proud.

S

Of the program that people love using it and when people do you know they always say they. Finally,.

S

Came down because you do have to come down with some proof of residency and payment attacks and.

S

Things of that nature- and we do renew that every couple of years, because when people move to rye.

S

We want to make sure that they're no longer on the portsmouth inexpensive parking program so the way.

S

That we already have the infrastructure in place software and hardware wise to perform those tasks.

S

uh The discussion we're at the point where we should have that discussion. I did mention that.

S

We have a 91 turn, which is the behavior we're looking for, but overarching. We still have a.

S

Triple digit occupancy in demand, so we look for 85 percent occupancy when we decide we're going to.

S

Take action in the parking industry and if you're above and beyond, 85 percent. Well, then, you look for.

S

Mitigating factors such as pricing to drive traffic to the garages and that would open up.

S

Those streets to give you that 85 percent, you would simultaneously reach both of those goals.

S

Using the app to keep the residents wherever we decided to uh and and have all of those goals met.

S

At once with that, so that is, it is a good time to have that discussion. Great. Thank you. Ben yep,.

B

With that no further questions, I think we are on to public comment.

B

Now this city manager did have everyone stay here, so does anybody want to pull anybody up from the.

B

Audience and ask a question: no, how tired are you okay, well on to public comment? Thank you. Everyone.

L

Good evening rick beckstead 1395 islington street I've been following along since you.

L

Guys have started all the work session meetings. I came down tonight because when you had the public.

L

Hearing it was closed. It wasn't continued on. My fear is, is that I may not be able to say.

L

Anything from here on out as a public hearing. This is a public comment session and I know.

L

You've been, your practice, has been no three minutes just be respectful of the time, and I think.

L

There's only a handful of us that are even here, so I just felt it important to come down because.

L

We've always gone and continued the public hearing uh and it was closed by the mayor when you hit the.

L

Gavel what we would usually do is somebody would make a motion to extend that. I'm hoping that that.

L

Could be corrected by a suspension of the rules of the council to be able to let the public we've.

L

Been able to digest over the last week, like you all, have um and now that it's complete now we look.

L

At the budget and the books and we review- and we can watch these meetings again, that things.

L

Were pointed out and the public then can point their views and I guess that's something that.

L

I'm hoping that will happen, but um watching the meetings in 27 positions and I watched the school.

L

Board meeting I I I get it to a certain extent, nine positions here and you know just with staff.

L

I guess my biggest thing with with the council that I'd like you to keep in mind is that you.

L

Were elected by the residence of portsmouth and I think everybody gets it, I mean we're all getting.

L

It we're getting at the grocery store we're getting at the gas station, um we're about to.

L

Get it at a reevaluation, you know roseanne. I got to know over the last two years, especially being.

L

There, because I got to work with her on some bills that we were proposing for legislation and we got.

L

Lucky we were able to maintain over those last two years between 86 and 110 percent, so that roseanne.

L

Was able to go and work with other municipalities and with the state, and we were able to maintain.

L

And level to be able to get us through a pandemic and we're through the pandemic for the most part.

L

The problem is, is the recovery after the pandemic, so I compare this as to 2008 with a recession.

L

Again, most people know that I grew up here. I've been through three other recessions, the one in.

L

90, when the base closed, I mean there was another recession that took place in the mid 80s as well.

L

Keep in mind the simple fact that it's going to take all of us to rebuild.

L

I think your residents, I think your taxpayers are going to have an understanding when it comes to.

L

Cola, everybody has gone to struggle, but at the same time, the last two years in the last council.

L

Not one person lost a job, not one person didn't receive.

L

Their cola, based on the contracts based on what the living expenses were and we're here, two years.

L

Later, just like your taxpayers and your residents are, but now we're about to go and embark on a 10.

L

Million dollar budget increase- it's never happened before not 10 million.

L

Literally, hasn't happened before so eight and change, but we were in good times for the most.

L

Part building expanding is this the time that we want to go and expand in such a way. These.

L

Are positions that are being added the way that I look at this and I was going to close with it, but.

L

I'm I'm not going to I'm it's a perfect scenario to me. It seems that we are moving in a direction.

L

To make everyone that we have now jobs easier at the expense of the taxpayer in the residence.

L

So as you move forward through these meetings, keep that in mind I mean this reevaluation is going.

L

To reshape, I know everybody says the rate goes down when the evaluations go up. This evaluation.

L

Will determine and I'm going to literally talk to council blaylock, who born and raised here.

L

Council and mayor mcequinn the exact same thing and I'm not disregarding anybody else if you've.

L

Been here five, ten twenty thirty years, you're all a part of portsmouth, but you mayor, mchecker.

L

And you, council, blaylock, are going to lose literally lose people that grew up here. That.

L

You grew up with that. I grew up with people that were born here. People that have family.

L

On that board that were mayors and served in this council for the 400 years that we've all been here.

L

They're going to be gone and we've lost so many and council black. I know that you know.

L

That we've lost so many this reevaluation in this budget is going to determine who.

L

Stays in portsmouth and who doesn't and not just the ones that have been here long term.

L

I've talked with young families that bought here three four five years ago. They can no longer live.

L

When, when the bank goes and gives an assessment, as far as what your mortgage is going to be, and what.

L

You can afford to pay, they do an assessment on what your income is, and after a three or four year.

L

Period of being in portsmouth, they can't meet that criteria anymore, which means a family with kids.

L

Of three or four years that we're able to purchase a home and be able to partake in our.

L

Great community in our schools now I have to leave because I can't afford it. The taxes are too high.

L

And renters this is going to go and attack renters council denton. You know exactly what I'm talking.

L

About keep that in mind, these positions, whether they be half year starts, which is something that.

L

The police and the fire go and look into. Let's see what happens, I mean we are on the verge.

L

Literally of a recession in a recession that no one had the difference between 2008 and and.

L

What we have now is over the last two years and we are going to be able to have stipends.

L

This arpa fund money, which we didn't have in oh wait. We had to do this for ourselves.

L

Let's be responsible that our fund money will run out.

L

These positions that are going to be created are going to have to be filled sooner or later. Please.

L

Residents and taxpayers are the ones that put you in place, they're not here tonight.

L

Not because it was a four and a half meeting, I swear to god. It wasn't and I watched two hours.

L

Of this before I came down- and I partook in the last two- but literally they don't see it, it's not.

L

In front of them, but the reevaluation is going to be your first step in your first hurdle and.

L

By god, roseanne will take it by the chin for this entire city. I've seen her. Do it.

L

When that reevaluation comes out and then when those tax bills out.

L

Just before christmas, it's going to have a dramatic impact and what you are about.

L

To do over the next few weeks and what the city manager and staff is going to be asking you to do.

L

Has to be taking consideration. Your first priority is to the residents of the taxpayer supports left.

L

And that's it! I am going to follow along I'm hoping that there will be a continuation of.

L

Of a public hearing, that's a simple motion by anybody who was seconded and then I don't think.

L

It's a majority bob, but um I I think a majority vote. I don't think you need two thirds so.

L

um Those are my thoughts for now and uh thank you very much. uh It's been.

L

Educational- and I hope you all enjoy the rest of night. Thank you. Thank you. Rick.

C

Good late evening, peter huda, 280 south street, I'm speaking to you tonight with the knowledge of a.

C

Former counselor and as a residential taxpayer, the fy 23 budget of 10 million dollars proposed.

C

By the city manager is the largest year-over-year increase that I had that portsmouth has ever seen.

C

I went back 15 years plus there has been nothing even close to a 10 million dollar increase.

C

Especially when the increase of population in the last two years.

C

Further reports that came out from portsmouth is 342 new residents.

C

At this point in time, when the residential taxpayers are.

C

Also facing all the residual of cobin inflation and a residential revaluation.

C

And a known shift in the property valuation away from commercial property to residential properties.

C

Is this really the time to put a large increase like this in.

C

We in the past two years, we as a city we as a city council and we as residential taxpayers,.

C

Have stepped up to help the business community out on the backs of the of the residential taxpayers.

C

The last two years have I I'm struggling to to understand why, in the last two years, the budget.

C

Has been at 123.

C

We've gone up: 10 million.

C

And we're you're asking us for the same.

C

Amount you're going to provide the same amount of services for the same price.

C

Just like the businesses in the city, the residents have also suffered through the long long pandemic.

C

But I am also aware that the of the large inflows that came into the business community.

C

That came into the city we've had we've had cares, act funds, we've had main street funds, we've.

C

We've also had arpa funds that are coming into businesses and support support the city.

C

Residential taxpayers got fourteen hundred dollars.

C

In fy 20, you told the taxpayers in order to maintain the same services, they would need to.

C

Step up with a budget of 118 million six 19 in fy 19, it was 119 million won. Last year it was 123.2.

C

Each of these years we had a surplus.

C

Surpluses do not go back to the taxpayers; they go back into the general fund.

C

And the budget comes up again next year, taxpayers happily fund anything you ask for.

C

In the last couple years it was hard, but they did it.

C

So, as a residential taxpayer, I'm struggling to understand why, at this point in time,.

C

When your residential taxpayers have stepped up for the last two years and.

C

Basically, given up a lot, why you're going to put this burden back on them again when they.

C

Didn't receive the same benefits from the federal funds from the state funds or even from the city.

C

So in closing um I'd like to say this, council will have the choice to be remembered as the.

C

Council that has moved forward with the 10 million dollar increase the largest ever or it has stood.

C

Back and looked at and supported the portsmouth residents and taxpayers. Thank you. Thank you. Petra.

T

Good late evening, everyone esther kennedy, 41 picarina, f um and I just wanted to.

T

Basically, ask a couple questions: one about the charging stations.

T

I have done a little research on that and I don't understand why we're putting any money.

T

In it at all, why aren't like many communities that, having private investors do the charging stations.

T

And you know I go back to the history of fueling vehicles with energy.

T

No community, we don't pay for gasoline. So why are we paying for electricity.

T

As residents and as citizens, so I would encourage us to reach out. I I heard from a dealership that.

T

If they have electric cars, there's even programs for communities to.

T

Go through those dealerships to get charging stations in their community.

T

So that they can take those cars into their community and so that their people have more.

T

Access which means people will buy them, so I I guess I'm really um perplexed. Why we're doing.

T

That when there seems to be a lot of other avenues to get charging station another question I have.

T

Is the chamber now we know there's money in the budget for the chamber and we heard from.

T

Nancy's replacement, thank you.

T

About you know his actions and what he wants to do and as a small business owner, I've said.

T

Numerous times that it would be really nice for the city to organize.

T

A small business group the chamber tends to go to bigger businesses and I get it.

T

They're, a for-profit organization and they're looking for bigger profits and.

T

I'm not going to give a lot of profits, and many of you that have small businesses here.

T

Are not big profit margin, people that are going to give a lot of profits to to an organization.

T

Like that, because you have to it's by the number of employees and whatnot, so I would encourage.

T

The city to look as you're budgeting into how you're going to support some small businesses.

T

One of the things I've learned is that a lot of them are struggling downtown still.

T

And not necessarily our restaurants, we seem to promote the restaurants quite well.

T

But a lot of our small independent stores to sell gifts and crafts and kitchen utensils and.

T

Candles are having a little bit of difficulty, so I would encourage us to look at that as a city and.

T

See how we can support our small businesses and in maybe form a small business group.

T

My next question is: are I.t positions.

T

I've had the privilege of sitting here for two now three nights and listening to people speak.

T

I heard from the police department: they really don't want anything to do with the city I.t. They.

T

Want to do their own because they feel they they have to because of their new.

T

Programs and security and and whatnot I heard from the school department they do their own I.t.

T

Working in a school I would agree. We like google classrooms.

T

We, like our chromebooks and I'm not so sure, that's something you'd have at a city.

T

So I guess my question is.

T

Maybe we need one person to kind of orchestrate and organize everyone and kind of figure out.

T

What's going on, which I thought alan brady, that was his position, so I must have been mistaken.

T

On that, but I think the other positions I really question and one of the reasons I question them is.

T

When you have someone that's in a system, they need a lot of training in I.t to keep up.

T

However, when you contract, you can contract the latest and greatest people.

T

You can contract those people that might know the new system you're going to purchase.

T

Or the new connection you might want with that computer system.

T

So I guess I would look in in security in particular,.

T

So I guess my question is: do we really need six people because I agree with rick and petra.

T

You have a lot of money in this budget now I know we heard 10 million. I saw the city manager.

T

Reaction, so we must be wrong on that, but I know, according to the paper, it's 133 million dollars.

T

And I also know that petra and I spent a lot of time when we were on council trying to keep it low.

T

And what I heard from a couple people tonight was that they kept it low.

T

And they didn't get everything they needed. However, I'm perplexed with that statement.

T

Because so far, we've given 4.1 million dollars we haven't spent.

T

So half of the budget didn't even get spent this year that you guys are asking for.

T

So if the 4.1 million, which is in the in the plan that I saw online.

T

Hasn't been spent, and my question is: where do people lose? Where did they lose this year?.

T

I know I got my services met. I trash we heard about garbage pickup. That happened.

T

I know I got my streets plowed very nicely.

T

And I also know that people could get into and from schools. Our schools seem to do.

T

Quite well, given the pandemic, I am a little worried that I heard last night.

T

About our kindergarten classes being low and our population there, but I guess I have to ask.

T

What is driving these excessive costs during a time when you all said and ran on affordable.

T

Housing and making the city affordable to live. I stood next to you and you were saying that.

T

And yet you're creating a budget. This high.

T

You never started off by giving the city where you were at. I know I got criticized a lot on some of.

T

Those social medias that many of you were on over asking for zero percent, at least starting there.

T

And seeing where we could go, but this council never gave a starting point, so the city came.

T

To you and being someone public administration, I get it. No one gives me a parameter. I'm going to.

T

Give ask for everything I want and maybe go to the gold. When really I should be at the bronze.

T

So I encourage you as you process what we've witnessed for the last three nights and I know.

T

We have a couple more to go, think about how you were going to help our citizens.

T

And make sure it is affordable to live here. Do we really need 23.3 new positions.

T

And what are you gonna? What is gonna happen.

T

When we have these new assessments- and I don't wish that on anyone- my last thing.

T

Is the skateboard part? As you know, I was a big supporter of that and I am a little concerned.

T

I've been in contact with counselor blaylock back and forth. I am a little concerned that I sat at a.

T

Meeting last week and found out that a contract was getting signed here, some point soon here and.

T

There is no money in the budget for this coming year. Now I get the cip for the big portion of it.

T

But I also realize they're still going to have to do some evaluation.

T

And there's nothing there now, as I said, to counselor blaylock, if you would like to.

T

Bring money forward next year during your time. You have that right and I'm hoping you do, but I have.

T

To question, because I know it won't be completed by june 30th, why there isn't any funding in there.

T

um At least a hundred thousand, maybe two hundred thousand to finish it out.

T

And I understand the cip for the.

T

Budget or for the air for the skateboard park.

T

I want to thank you all for your time. I want you all to think about how we're going to make sure.

T

That we do have an affordable, portsmouth and how's the best way to get there.

T

And do we really need all these positions? Thank you. Thank you, esther. Any other speakers.

B

Well with that uh all right, well just uh a couple of comments as we close out. I want to thank.

B

All the city staff uh that that was with here uh almost close to five hours.

B

I could go on for ten minutes to make it an even five hours, but I won't. um I also agree with.

B

The speakers you know it's it's, it would be historic if we were passing a budget that was.

B

10 million dollars over last year, um but we're not what is in front of us- is an increase of 6.78 just.

B

For the folks following at home- um and that is about 5.37- and there is currently 200 000.

B

In this year's budget for the design work on the skate park, I know that's come up a bunch.

B

But want to just highlight again that this is in this current year's budget and the cip is next.

B

Year so um look forward to getting that and for anybody still paying attention. My uh my daughter.

B

Got a skateboard, so I look forward to uh you know for hopefully not breaking her arm, but.

B

And it's hard to have a you know, a public comment, it's limited in what we can do in a public comment.

B

Understand that, but that's why we are having public dialogue uh sessions next thursday, again.

B

5 30 at the middle school uh and then 7 30 at the seven o'clock at uh fire station. Two and.

B

The senior center, um so you can have a discussion. We can have a a back and forth. uh Wasn't my.

B

Intention to shut down public comment, but we'll bring that back. If I have to make a motion at.

B

Monday's meeting so ample time to hear more about this and again appreciate everybody coming out.

B

For the discussion and those that have followed at home look forward to the next part of this.

B

Which is tuesday, tuesday, next wednesday next wednesday, and since uh we won't have a budget.

B

Meeting tomorrow night, when the celtics push it to game, seven go celtics and stay safe, portsmouth.

B