City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire 2022 - 2024 City Council, 23 Aug 2022

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From YouTube: 8.23.2022 City Council

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8.23.2022 City Council

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Thank you, everyone for coming uh tonight, monday august, 22nd.

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Kelly uh well first, I would entertain a motion to leave non-public and seal the.

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Minutes of the non-public so move jerome. Second, all in favor, aye aye any opposed.

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Next up, um could we have a roll call.

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Here assistant mayor kelly, here, counselor tabor, here counselor denton, here, council morel, here.

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Council bagley here, council lombardi here, council blaylock here council cook here.

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And next uh for the invocation, I would like to remember uh two people um both connected.

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To portsmouth, first donna miller born and raised in portsmouth, born at the shipyard.

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Actually, her daughter tara served on the school board for a number of years and she was a great.

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Grandma to to four boys and uh um could always find her at the beach bringing somebody a smile.

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um I know that uh tara uh misses her deeply and like to extend our condolences.

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And I would also like to extend our condolences to the lombardy family. Vince lost his brother allen.

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Recently, after a courageous battle with parkinson's, he died uh peacefully and.

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And our thoughts and prayers uh go out to you and your entire family vince. Thank you.

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Please join me in the pledge of allegiance.

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We pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to.

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The republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

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Next, up, acceptance of minutes kelly's working through all of these.

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We're getting close uh for the june uh 21st uh and july 11th of 2020 uh 2022 um sample motion move.

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To accept and approve the minutes of the june 21st and july 11th so moved. Second, all in favor, aye aye.

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And, and next um is a uh well- this is pretty bittersweet, I would say, and it makes sense, there's.

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You're not gonna have all these guys in city hall without at least one fire alarm going off, um but.

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We're here uh to recognize chief uh jermaine for the many numbers of years of service uh to the.

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City, um it's uh it's! It's bittersweet um that you know. We've got uh chief mccoy who's going to come.

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Up and do a great job, but it's a it's a sad day for portsmouth, because we're leaving somebody.

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That brought so much uh to the apartment um and brought even more uh to the city of portsmouth.

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You know I I got to know uh the chief over um you know this year, certainly, um but really over the.

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The previous two years, where you know we had this thing, uh people might remember uh covid um and.

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When everybody else kind of you know, things were shutting down, uh these guys were were revving up.

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But that wasn't even the first, you know real interaction we had with the chief, the the first.

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Real action was, was around the budget and focusing how can how can we create a fire department? That's.

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Truly responsive, you know putting things like you know: fitness requirements uh working to change.

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The schedule, so the guys and gals could be uh better um better members of the fire department.

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I was just blown away with um his attention to detail and his standard of excellence.

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There's big shoes to fill, and so tonight you know it's always a little strange, because we.

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Don't have keys to the city, because if we had one, if we had any doors that were closed or walked.

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I promise you'd be getting one, um but what I have here um is a challenge. Coin uh from the.

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City of portsmouth and on it uh is the insignia of uh city of the open door, and I think that.

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There is um there's a lot of things um that we talk about uh up here on the dais about.

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You know keeping our our our doors open, um but you led the fire department in a time.

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That, uh hopefully, we never see again uh to keep uh the doors and and the and you know really the.

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The lights on for our city in in one of our our darkest hours, so I I look forward to standing up.

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And walking down there and shaking your hand, one last time as as as chief of police and wish you.

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Kelly got me a little late on that it will be also the first and last time the chief of police.

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And also the last time uh as the fire uh chief of the fire chief, so you got a field promotion.

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There or demotion, depending on what you guys, look at it- um and uh I am just I'm so proud to have.

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Gotten to know you um as everyone up on this uh this day, as is you've, you are an exemplary member.

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Of our community and a testament to what hard work can achieve, so thank you. Fire chief jermaine.

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Thank you mayor. uh I appreciate the uh appreciate the kind words and the recognition and uh the.

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Accolades and I'll accept them on behalf of the men and women of your fire department, because.

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um They're, the ones in the street that make the difference in people's lives every day and.

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Yes, I'm you know the the head of that organization, but you know if I look good it's because they make.

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Me look good and I could not stand here and accept any type of recognition without acknowledging the.

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Hard work from the men and women that that come to work every day and, and you know their their.

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Primary focus is the protection of the people that come into this city. So um thank you for that.

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I I would be remiss if I didn't thank yourself and this council.

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For the uh just the unprecedented support of the fire department, this is what stuff excuse me.

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um Well, I've been the chief, um especially this this last.

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Budget cycle, um when we get the support as the public employees, especially in the fire department,.

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From our elected officials that resonates down the organization chart all the way you know to.

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The to the newest people in the department- and uh they recognize that they see that support.

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They, it turns into you, know, a happier firefighter, which you know that that goes into their better.

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Home life and work-life balance and become better firefighters and just you know, better productive.

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Employees, and especially when it takes on a financial aspect like it did this past time,.

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Here so um thank you for that, and and and I would acknowledge also the previous council.

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Many of which are here tonight um for their support of our health and wellness program.

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And the mayor uh certainly was a champion of that and helped get that along and- and I still feel as.

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That you know to your point uh mayor that um is one of the more significant and impactful.

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Things I was able to get done as the fire chief, because uh you know the protecting the number one.

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Most important asset that we have is our people and I don't think, there's anything more important.

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Than that and if we can protect them, then they can protect the city better. um On another note,.

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You have a a contract in front of you this evening for deputy howe and hopefully next month, for soon.

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To be chief mcquillen, um these guys have been my right hand for a long time here. In the long time.

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Dedicated employees of this city they're very good at what they do and I can assure you they.

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Come to work every day with their primary focus is the protection of the people that are in this.

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City, whether it's through emergency response and operations, or fire prevention and code enforcement.

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They are just the top of their profession and I would urge unanimous support of those.

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Working agreements they're worth it they're worth every bit of it.

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Thank you to all. Thank you all of you. Thank you. Thank you.

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It's easier: if you come up, that's all right.

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Well, you can't technically as fire chief, but once you retire.

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Sit in your chair absolutely.

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That's why people don't have to look in the receipt? That's correct thanks again.

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Yana, while the fire department's here I'd like to suspend the rules to bring forward.

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Item 11a 1, which is the approval of the deputy fire chief's contract.

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Does that have a second second, all in favor, aye, aye aye any opposed.

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I simply motion that we accept the deputy fire chief's contract. That's presented.

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Any discussion.

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All in favor any opposed congrats guys thanks again, thank you.

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Now you guys will have to probably listen to one of the chiefs here, but you're free to go.

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If you want, I say that to the the clippers when they come in and get awards, but.

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um Appreciate the show's support and thanks for keeping us safe.

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All right next up is uh public comment. um We will start with those that signed up.

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And then look to the zoom. Please use the next few minutes three minutes to raise your hand.

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First, I think it's george dempsey and the topic of fear and divisiveness.

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Good evening george dempsey, 42 dennett street.

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Severe and divisive management creates fear. We still don't know what they're afraid of.

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Divisive behavior puts counsel against citizens good job on the management part. Okay,.

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On volunteers, when I witnessed the last few weeks how you've treated three people.

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You've denigrated them, you've insulted them. You deveined them professionally, who the hell do you.

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Think will be willing to volunteer for this city after you folks get through with this crap. Okay,.

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To be blunt, you aren't qualified to sharpen the essentials. Okay, ethics, the dirtiest election by yourselves,.

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And your supporters and you want to talk ethics to the people. Shame on you.

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A number of years have children, you take them to pediatricians.

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Some of yours are grandparents and you make sure your kids get seen by a pediatrician.

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A pediatrician has 10 to 12 years of professional of education.

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I have a suggestion for you, you like pushing stuff on the people, I'll put something on.

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You, okay, next time your kids are sick, take them to mo larry and curly on your council.

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Thank you good night. Thank you. George next up is jim lee on the topic of committees,.

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Good evening, mr mayor, ms vice mayor city, council members, my name is jim lee. I live at 520 sagamore.

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Avenue in portsmouth, I'd like to speak against the movement to remove the three members of.

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The audit committee I've had the opportunity during my 40-year plus real estate career, to.

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Serve as a volunteer at all levels of that organization and many other organizations.

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And I can tell you we could not operate as effectively do without volunteers.

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I mean I've volunteered on ever just about every position. There is there and served as.

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President board of directors treasurer all that sort of thing and again you know we we.

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Live with our volunteers, I think you know I enjoy volunteering. I think our volunteers bring a lot of.

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Expertise and to the table, especially the three guys that are members of the audit committee.

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Their level of of expertise in the audits is beyond anything. I could ever imagine.

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We had audits at all levels of our organization too annually we had budgets of several hundreds of.

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Millions of dollars- and I to assure you we never used the same audit firm for 27 years in a row.

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That is far too long and uh I come from the south and in the south we have a saying there. All of.

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About that dog going hunt- and I don't know if you know the origin of that knot, but in the south a.

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Lot of dogs are working dogs, they're, hunting dogs. So if a dog won't hunt, it's a worthless.

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Dog, which is the origin, the phrase that dog won't hunt so as far as getting rid of the.

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Three members of the audit committee and having the same auditors for 27 years in a row that dog.

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Won't hunt either. Thank you. Thank you, jim next up peter whalen on the topic of the audit committee.

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Good evening, good evening mayor and I'm members of the city council, my name is peter whalen.

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I live at 100 gate street here in portsmouth and I'm here to.

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Speak against removing those three members from the audit committee.

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You know we have a pretty rich tradition here in portsmouth of volunteerism.

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With our residents on all these boards- and I just want you to think about what, if you uh the next.

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Committee that you would go to remove residents from would be trustees of the trust fund. They.

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Manage millions of dollars, why not remove all three of those members peter weeks, all of them.

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And then put city councillors on it, they're managing millions of dollars for the residents.

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Here in portsmouth, what you're doing is not right, it's just not right. It doesn't pass the smell test.

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Where are you gonna get volunteers to come on these boards anymore? I've watched over.

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The past three or four months, all three members of that committee being denigrated.

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Talked about it's just not right, so I'd urge you, as members of this city council,.

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To have some fortitude and stand up and allow that audit committee to do what they're supposed to do.

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Just because you don't like the results of what they came up with and their expertise.

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Doesn't mean you throw them all off the board so, which board? Are you going to move to next.

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Is it going to be the planning board because you don't like the results.

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Is it going to be trustees of the trust fund? What is it just not right? We've got a rich tradition.

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Here in portsmouth of citizens involvement, please vote down what you're going to do. Removing those.

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Members, thank you. Thank you. Peter next up is mark brighton on the topic of warm milk and cookies.

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Thank you, mr mayor mark, brighton, south mill, street milk and cookies, since you folks are so terrified.

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Of uh mccallum and his mcnevers, you manage to push back all of the uh important stuff. So until it's.

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Late in the evening, so I wanted I had wanted to stay and touch upon some of that, but I'm not going.

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To I'm just going to briefly talk about the ethics, because that's the only thing left that I can do.

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You can't broadly criminalize uh some of these posts. You folks want to broadly criminalize.

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Ethics complaints- you just can't do that it. It doesn't make any sense there. This this.

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Ordinance is proposed, ordinance is screwy enough that you need to start again. You need to look at.

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It rework it get some of the uh some of the foolish language out of there I mean you got.

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The city manager gets to appoint the uh ethics officer. Let's say that she gets.

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Named in a you know a complaint. What, then, you know you make no provisions for these things.

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uh You gotta start this whole thing again. It is too.

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It's yeah, it's a mess. So please start it again. Now I'm going to retire to my warm.

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Milk and cookies, because bob and I are now 70 years old and I need to go home.

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And uh and get my get my warm milk and cookies, so I can go to sleep. Thank you.

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Thank you mark. Next up, we have sue paradora on the topic of the audit committee.

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Good evening sue polidora middle street in portsmouth, and uh thank you very much. You're.

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Getting really good at pronouncing my last name, mr mayor, I'm here to talk about the audit committee.

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As ditto for the last few times, as many of you know, that was the issue that got me from my chair.

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To behind this little microphone and number one, it makes no sense to me to replace highly qualified.

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Individuals with consultants paid for by the citizens of portsmouth and I'm talking to them.

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Right now I'm talking to the citizen supportsmith: do you want qualified, highly qualified volunteers.

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Being kicked out of this, the audit committee, so they can pay other consultants to come in.

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On your dime, that is up to you to do something about it. Thinking is that the argument about.

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The council, being the one responsible for the finances of the city and to a point to make sure.

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That that audits get done in time. Well, this hasn't happened. We've had the same auditor for 27 years.

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So that means that the last 10 or so city councils have been neglectful in their duties because they.

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Really haven't managed all they had to do for the last 10 or 11 councils was to say okay, you want to.

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Get the this auditor here fine vote for it, and it's done. Nobody has been involved to this depth.

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On anything that had to do with the audit other than casting a vote.

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uh And again, I I ask you, please send this amendment to this.

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Amendment back to the governor's committee, so it will have not advanced tonight. I think it's ill.

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Advised, I don't think it's to the best interest of the people and definitely not the best interest of.

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The council, thank you. Thank you. Sue next up is liza hewitt on the topic of public engagement.

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Good evening city, council members, my name is liza hewitt. I live at 726 middle road.

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Tonight you will hold the second reading and hear public comment for an ordinance.

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Change to change the membership of the audit committee to remove the three resident members.

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I don't understand what is going on with this city council. I have heard you comment multiple.

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Times that one of your council goals is to increase public involvement, yet here you are.

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Considering removing experienced resident members from a city committee, unfortunately.

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This is just the latest in a series of situations in which resident input has been stifled or just.

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Altogether ignored you held public comment on the spending of 2.4 million dollars to be paid to.

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Michael kane for the mcintyre and another public comment session to reverse the previous decision.

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On mcintyre, in both cases, the overwhelming public sentiment was to vote no, and what did you do.

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Ignore the public, you also ignored the public speakers, speaking against the budget.

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I've observed you at city council meetings, moving items up on the agenda, thus pushing.

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Agenda items requiring public comment to the end of the meeting, sometimes occurring at 11 30.

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The mayor has attempted to silence members of the public when they clap in support of public comment.

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In the next few months, the land use committee chaired by ms moreau.

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Will be bringing forth changes to the accessory dwelling unit, ordinance.

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One of these proposed changes would limit the necessity for a variance by the planning board.

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Thus, removing a property of butters opportunity to speak for or against the proposed building, yet.

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Another example of the city council attempting to limit public involvement. It seems to me that.

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While you, the city council, says you want to increase public involvement in public comment,.

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You only want to hear from the residents that agree with you on the issues you are presenting.

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I sincerely hope that each and every one of you change this perception. Thank you. Thank you. Liza.

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Next up esther kennedy on what should portsmouth be exclamation point, not a question mark.

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Good evening esther kennedy, 41 pickering ave.

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um First, I'd like to make a quick comment on the ethics changes. I feel that they're significant.

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You've changed the role of who is going to be the investigator quite a bit. So I would question.

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Whether you've changed them significantly enough to ask for a second public hearing.

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Since the last meeting, when I read it tonight on what should portsmouth be.

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I really asking you tonight to really think about what portsmouth is and what we are known for.

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If you go to places like the manchester airport, what do you see if you watch mur every morning.

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What pops up, if you go to out here in the hallways, in many of our local businesses, you go to my bank.

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Up on lafayette, what do you see what portsmouth is taking a picture of is the front of the waterfront.

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People like that view, people gravitate towards that view. Now I.

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Sat and listened to the land use committee and I questioned.

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What was happening and what some of the changes miss [, __, ] or committee, brought forward.

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And I ask you before you move forward what makes portsmouth different than any other community in.

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The united states, what do people want to see? Do they want to see big hotels? I don't see any.

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Pictures out there, big hotels when you go to the manchester luggage um carousel big picture for the.

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As welcome to the new hampshire is the waterfront of portsmouth, it is none of our downtown hotels.

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So I think you need folks need to start thinking.

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About what you want, portsmouth, because you're not listening to the public, as we heard tonight,.

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So it really needs to come from within. Mr bagley once told me that what he wants to see when they.

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Had the talks and the tables was a vibrant community and I think you can have that too.

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But you got to keep these heights down. You got to look at our land use. If that's what we want.

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Now, maybe that's not what we want and that's okay too, but I'm not seeing that at all. I'm not.

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Seeing wherever I look anything but our vibrant waterfront, so I ask you, as we move forward to.

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These zoning amendments and zoning changes that you really think, and maybe you bring the public in.

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To see what we want portsmouth to be, thank you. Thank you. Esther next page trace on the topic of.

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You're portsmouth the right spot. I think so. uh 27 hancock street paige trace.

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um I was listening to esther kennedy and I was looking at all of you and now I'm going to ask all.

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Of you to look at the great seal of portsmouth new hampshire, both directly behind you, mr mayor and.

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Ladies and gentlemen, over behind councillor moreau, it's not of a hotel she's right, so the waterfront.

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And a boat and a dock not of a hotel. I think that should give you all your direction.

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Hotels may be necessary, but they have no place in defining the city of portsmouth.

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I ask that you'll, keep that in mind.

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I also would like to bring up the topic of. I will save the audit committee for later, because.

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I assume, mr mayor, there will be a public hearing on the audit committee that I might speak at.

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So, oddly enough I'll keep this very short tonight I was looking at my phone earlier. I apologize.

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And there was another cso event in south mill. Pond number 10a is flowing cheerfully as we speak and.

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So I'd like to do an odd thing that won't necessarily make a lot of sense to a lot of.

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People, but will likely make a lot of sense to you. I'd like to thank terry desmarais.

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For all that, he did for this city during my period of time as a city councilor.

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And I'd like the chance to publicly say to terry terry, you were the appropriate.

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Picture voice person to define what was honest about the dpw next to mr rice, so I thank you.

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Terry, if you're, watching or if somebody tells you what I said, I thank you very much for all.

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Of my interactions with you as the engineer for the dpw, and now I say to all of you as.

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City councillors, please do something about the csos, because it's raining right now. You should be.

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Able to do a bypass and blend because it's a wet weather situation. So, if you're overwhelming even.

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With bypass and blend here we go again pouring raw sewage and storm water into south mill. Pond.

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And I'm sorry to end on that note I'll come visit you with the audit committee.

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Thank you. Thank you, paige. Thank you for the words on terry. We will definitely miss him.

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Next up is here's my paper uh rick beckstead, on the topic of appointments.

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Good evening rick beckstead 1395 business street. I just wanted to take a quick moment to thank chief.

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Jermaine, I was on the council when we put him in that position when they had the interview process.

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And the commission was talking about going outside of the city start looking I went and.

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Wholeheartedly went and told several of the commissioners that he was the best man for the.

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Job- and he was working with todd over the last two years- was something that I'll never forget.

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I learned more about this city: the inner workings, the fire department, the our emergency, the city.

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Itself, in a way that no one else ever will again, so I just I wanted to thank him again for that.

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um As far as appointments go so I'll speak at the audit committee thing because we have.

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A public hearing on that and I'll address a few things to counselor cook and some of the others.

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That are out there, but actually I grabbed the wrong piece of paper, but I'm going to go right.

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Now so last thursday we learned that one of the alternate members from the planning board.

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Is actually resigned and there is an opening that is now going to be there. I wanted to publicly.

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Tell the mayor that I have an application with me that I'm going to hand to you tonight for.

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That position, and just as a reminder, I'm not sure how it goes about, but I did in july also put in a.

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Application for the alternate on the boa it is very difficult and very hard to find volunteers.

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To come forward to serve the time council monroe knows that anyone that has gone and served on a.

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Land news board knows that council will marty you as well how difficult and hard it is to go and do.

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And I would like to continue to say, serve my community in the best way that I know how.

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That I've been doing for nine years longer than just about anybody else. That's up here.

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So I'm going to give that to you. Let you know that there is also one for the boa.

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And I'm ready to do your bidding if asked. Thank you. Thank you. Rick.

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Hands on zoom no hands on zoom.

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Thank you very much.

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um I saw you coming late. Are you here for public comment? Sir, did I take the.

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We pull this up before you wanted to sign up. I I never signed up.

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Did you want to speak at public comment? Did you want to speak at public comment? Well, what's the.

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Subject: well, it's it would be up to you, but um we can uh we'll close public comment now.

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But I just thought that you were looking to sign up and speak on something for three minutes.

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So we will move on to.

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Our public hearings and vote on ordinance and resolutions.

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First, the public hearing second reading of ordinances resolutions: this is a tabled. uh This is.

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A tabled, uh if I memory serves me no, this is not the tabled one from. I don't think. I think it was.

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This one there, but it could be, I think we did- we not table them both. I think we tabled them.

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Both because they all came up before so um in the packet, it says uh public hearing second reading.

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I do believe I closed the public hearing at the previous meeting, so I would entertain a motion.

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To suspend the rules to open public hearing uh for this is this: I believe that that's correct.

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When we tabled this, no, it's actually on the agenda for a public hearing. Okay, so we don't.

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Need to do anything perfect all right, happy days, all right, so we will. um We will start with the.

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The public hearing on uh the first one um on for the boards.

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Anybody would like to speak public hearing for the boards.

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Good evening again, rick beck said 1395 islington street.

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Public boards watching the governance committee trying to figure out exactly what it entailed.

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I thought it was a good thing to go through some of them. I think council cook has done a good job.

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You know trying to revamp some things. We liven there's a lot of challenges that are there.

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Especially with the rotations of when people go in and when people go out and a perfect example,.

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And I lived through a few of them over the four years that I was on this council, where people.

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Resign lives change, so you have to then fill it in now. The two board members that I had talked.

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About with the boa that not only the entire eight months that you have all been here and not been.

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Able to be filled, but during my time those boa alternate positions were not able to be filled.

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For a long duration period of time, that's going to put everything out of out of whack and that's.

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Happened numerous times out of the nine years that I've been involved with this. So that's part of an.

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Explanation, um I guess my biggest worry and some other speakers had spoken at the public comment.

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It is extremely difficult to get people to come forward to be able to give their time.

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And their energy- and we, the previous council, including the two that are up there now.

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Wholeheartedly unanimously voted on this audit committee that potentially could be abolished even.

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Council lassenby had agreed on this. It was a nine to zero vote. It was done. We agreed that 27 years.

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Was too long and somewhere along the way? Not this city manager, but a previous city manager.

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Had kind of taken on the role of what the council was supposed to be doing, we were the ones that.

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Were supposed to pick the audit committee, so it usually was about a contract every three years.

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And then, over those three years the council was supposed to and it had been done.

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In years, and it just kind of got forgotten and we had a city manager that knew well as well.

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And no one ever questioned for the most part. I did over my first two years, but that's me and john and.

F

I have that kind of a relationship, but we all agreed on residences experts. You've listened to.

F

Sue pelador and others go and speak about these three people. Knowing what they're talking about.

F

And when it comes down to it, it's a recommendation. I actually talked to some of the other previous.

F

Counselors and said that we made a mistake, we made a mistake and we only did it over a.

F

Three year, so the chairman gets three years, the other two rotating get two years. Then you've got.

F

Two representatives that are counselors that are there. Your term is two years.

F

When we were done with our previous council, council, huda and and councillor kennedy were.

F

Done with the end of their term, just like two of you will be at the end of the term done.

F

So you're going to have one person that is going to remain on what I believe. Everyone in this.

F

Discussion of the audit selection committee, the entire time was they were looking for a three-year.

F

Contract, even suzanne woodland had gone and said that three years, so if in december of last year, we.

F

Had gone and selected one three years count: if the clock ticks, you sign the contract for three years.

F

Two of the three appointees that you're about to eliminate will already be gone. They'll be gone.

F

Their term will be up, and a council will then be able to select two more or renew them if they're.

F

Doing a good job or not doing a good job chris would have been the only one that would have.

F

Started the process and again a recommendation. I served five years on the rec board as a public.

F

Servant I served two years as a representative on the council. Just like council blaylock did we made.

F

Recommendations all the time, but it was up to the council to decide what was in the best interest.

F

How to spend money, how what was the biggest bang for the buck? That's what it was about and that's.

F

Exactly what the planning board does in a lot of ways, they're making recommendations to you.

F

That's it and you do it or you don't. So this audit committee made a recommendation there's a lot.

F

Of things that went up in the air that a lot of things, the public doesn't know about that, you more.

F

Or less know, because of non-public issues that came up, whether who was allowed to speak or what.

F

You were told to coming into this. Let him finish: let him make a recommendation to the counselor.

F

Council lombardi, you went and said at one of the meetings and I've watched most of them. One.

F

Of the meetings you actually went and said that this is top secret, that the information that the.

F

Audit committee looks at with this whole thing should not be public, that it should be up to the.

F

Council and it is up to the council to decide who you're going to hire and who you're not.

F

Every bit of information that they look at and we all look at either a council of the public is.

F

Public information, transparency- we can look at every number. The previous manager would invite.

F

People to come down to talk with the finance director and look at any number and open any.

F

Book, that's clear, open government! That's the way it's supposed to be it's not a top secret thing.

F

And not only that, but you've got three literally experts that are here on this committee, that.

F

The mayor and councillor tabor, along with seven others, some in this room, went and said this was.

F

These were the best three people, the job, to make a recommendation. Nothing more! If you do this.

F

You will send a message to every resident, every taxpayer, every voter that you don't want to have.

F

Anything to do with them and when you have a different opinion, and that's all that this is.

F

Is a different opinion we're going to remove you? I honestly think that some of that's been going on.

F

Now, council cook, your big job with the governance committee was to go and make changes and reviews.

F

I'm going to point one out to you: we are out of compliance with our planning board.

F

Under our ordinance- and if you don't have it, I know you can get a copy of.

F

It it's not something. That's normally given the building codes and stuff like that is.

F

Not given it's a different separate book, but in there it's a makeup of nine members right.

F

Seven of them are residents of portsmouth. Two of them are ex-officios.

F

One of them is a city councillor that serves on there and the second is the city manager.

B

Now, in there, it disclaims that the city manager can either sit in that position, which john did.

G

Or a point or not, and not both I've had many a conversations with mr sullivan, and he knows.

G

Exactly what I'm talking about, I would make the recommendation that you would actually go above.

G

And beyond what you're being told here and be able to talk to someone else outside of the city to be.

G

Able to do it, municipality association has some great contacts and people we are out of compliance.

G

And being out of compliance, anyone could sue us and we all know you guys don't like lawsuits.

G

So if we approve something or we deny something being out of compliance which the municipality.

G

Association has said we are out of compliance and they have talk to them yourselves. Don't.

G

Ask somebody to go and pick up the phone. They will gladly pick up the phone from.

G

Every representative and any representative can call them at any given time correct bob.

G

It's a yes, but nevertheless, so you have the ability to make a correction that we've.

G

Been out of compliance for a very long time, it started out with the building inspector one of.

G

Our building inspectors was here, and I understand mayor just just. I want to put two points on.

G

We got to speak to the issue correct and that's uh the audit committee and two um we're speaking.

G

Right now on boards, I allowed it because you were in a groove and I didn't. I didn't point that out.

G

But I'm gonna have to ask you to wrap it up and keep it to the merits of the audit committee.

G

And the changes proposed, knowing that we're talking about boards and committees are under b.

G

Oh okay and that's fine I'll wrap it up, but council cook. I think it made your point. You.

G

Can call me anytime and I'd be more than happy to talk about it. That is something of value. To look.

G

At and change the audit committee is not let these experts let these people make a recommendation.

G

And they'll sail on, you don't have to reappoint them. I think actually, two of the three will.

G

Actually come up next year under this council, and you can make a recommendation to renew them.

G

Or to replace them, it's simply a recommendation to the council, nothing more and you have plenty.

G

Of boards that make those recommendations, the edc makes recommendations all the time don't have to.

G

Follow by it, you can do what you want, and it's that you should be if you want to go and choose.

B

To do something from a financial perspective from a policy perspective, it's a recommendation.

B

This is an insult to the city of portsmouth, especially something where I don't believe. The ink.

B

Is even dry on this committee literally leave the committee alone. Please take the recommendation or.

G

Deny it but leave these three people alone: don't cost the taxpayer more money by the ones that.

E

Will be on this audit committee to go and hire an expert to decide on whether this is a good audit.

E

Committee or not, you have the audit committee in front of you, please continue with them. Thank you.

C

Thank you rick and then just for other speakers. This is a so this is about changing. Not the audit.

C

Committee, but the boards this is so there's two uh there's a public hearing. First, the public hearing.

C

On a and then the public hearing on on b, so we're going to get through a first and a is boards.

C

um Of which we're eliminating the board of health, uh the heritage museum board.

C

Plumbing examiner, um but this is board, so the audit committee is under committee, so.

E

That's under b, so uh if there are any more speakers on this and again, I wasn't clear.

E

So I allowed it there, but we're only going to speak to esther. You want to speak to the boards.

C

Esther kennedy 41 pick green ave. I think the reason it was unclear is it's very unclear.

C

And the document that we have- it doesn't say, audit committee, it doesn't say boards, it says.

C

The rsa, which I mean the um chapter note, which is fine, but you have to go and look it up. I.

E

Was just trying to look it up on the phone to see what exactly you were talking about.

E

So it was a little confusing in the agenda with that said, I am speaking here on boards.

C

Because I think our boards are very important, um I'm a little disappointed that we no longer.

E

Have a peer selling committee, I think things are going a little crazy, a little haywire over there.

B

As someone who's in a direct of butter to pierce island, I see a lot.

B

um It kind of even stems right from the sewest treatment plant, the cleaning of the walkways.

B

The making sure the mangroves don't get out of control, making sure that people are self-policing.

H

Themselves, a lot of our peer selling committee was very good at all that and making sure that.

H

They had control somewhat of the everyday visits over there to make sure people were following our.

H

Process and policies and procedures of a city and keeping that island beautiful, I'm very fearful.

H

Without the piercing committee, if that will continue, I remember the days as someone who's.

H

Lived here quite a few years now in portsmouth, when you didn't want to go to pierce island at.

H

Night, you didn't want to go in pierce island and enjoy the island. It was a pretty scary place.

H

It was filled with needles, drugs, alcohol bottles, and it was really not a good place to go.

H

I would hate to get back to there and I'm not sure. As a city, we have that.

H

Capability to do the everyday walk throughs that many of these people did just enjoying their time.

H

So I would ask you to look at the piercing committee again.

H

I also believe that most of our boards.

H

And the way they work is really giving you as counselor support as.

H

Mr baxtet said you don't have to take what the boards say, but, as you review these boards.

H

What are you gaining from them? What are you looking at and I'm really not sure.

H

A thorough review of boards, it seems like we're trying to race through this.

H

And a thorough review of boards of what this board does, what does it give the community and the city.

H

How many people should be on it? What should be the makeup of it? For example, the rec board.

H

With some of the recreational needs changing, should we look at that.

H

Should we look at the other boards like uh prescott park and what is the makeup of that.

H

What is our op opportunities personally on the prescott park board? I would think you would want.

H

Someone that has some idea of sea level rise, so I think none of that was a disgust. It was.

H

An attack on our boards, it was a review and then questions, but nothing was looked at like a hole.

H

What does this board do for our community? What do the people on this board do for our community.

H

What are we gathering from the community? There is not one board that you have to take the absolute.

H

As a counselor you're in charge, you don't have to take it from the city manager you're in charge.

H

There are nine people in charge in our city right now. It's you.

H

But I do think the people that are sitting on these boards spending hours- many of you sat on.

H

Boards I said on boards before I was a counselor. It is really a time and opportunity to take their.

H

Knowledge and what they're offering and really sit through it, whether you accept it or not, is your.

H

Choice, but you need to listen, and none of that was a discussion when we were discussing boards.

H

None of it was looked at individually of what this board does. What does this board do, and I.

H

Would ask you to do that, because, if we're going to thoroughly do a review of boards, which I think.

H

Should happen, don't get me wrong? I would think it would take weeks to have invite those boards in.

H

Ask them what their needs are, what their wants are and then make a pure judgment on the board.

H

So I just caution you, and I would ask you to take a little bit more time on this and really look at.

H

Each board and not just target certain boards and say: what is this board going to do and support the.

H

City and how does that work? Thank you. Thank you, esther and then again, this pierce island also.

H

Falls under the commissions, which is b is there anybody else left to speak on a.

H

Which is the removal of the board of health, the board of plumbing examiners and the board of.

H

Heritage, museum board and.

H

Any other public comment on the removal of those boards.

H

And no one on zoom, okay, I'm going to close the public hearing.

H

On that and we'll wait, a sample motion move to pass second reading and hold third and.

H

Final reading at the september, 19th 2022 city council meeting so moved. Second, any discussion.

H

Counselor cook, thank you mayor. uh I just wanted to clarify that here. The changes that are coming.

H

Before the council in chapter 1, article 3 boards are eliminating boards that no longer meet and no.

H

Longer exist in the city structure, that is all that was done in this review of this ordinance.

H

And the goal of the governance committee was to review the ordinance and make sure that we.

H

Didn't have boards listed in our ordinance that we're not meeting and not operating, and so that's.

H

The review that was done so that's what you're seeing before you today. Thank you. Councillor cook.

H

Any other comments.

H

No kelly do we need a roll call vote on this? No ma'am, no, all in favor aye aye any opposed.

H

No opposed okay, now we're going on to.

H

uh So that moves to the third and final uh reading now we're going on to b uh the public hearing.

H

Second, reading of ordinance amending chapter one article, four commissions and authorities.

H

Sample motion uh move to past second reading and hold third and final reading at the separate.

H

19Th 2022 uh city council meeting: this is uh the cliff notes on this. This would be.

H

If you were waiting to speak on the audit committee, the building commission.

H

The planning and development council uh and the pierce island committee- this is.

H

The chance to speak to that, so anybody that would like to speak here is your chance.

H

Yep, so all of them will be changed in this. uh This draft, as uh listed in the packet.

H

Liza hewitt 726 middle road. The governance committee appears to be on a witch hunt.

H

Desiring to change the audit committee ordinance to reduce the committee to three city council.

H

Members, thus removing the three residents who currently make up half of the committee and all.

H

Of the financial knowledge and experience, this is absolutely ridiculous. I find it a little strange.

H

That the two city councillors miss cook and mr tabor, who currently sit on the audit committee.

H

Are the same city councillors who make up two of the three members of the governance committee.

H

Who are attempting to remove all of the residents from the audit committee.

H

Something's not right here, I've attended several months of governance committee meetings where.

H

The changes to the ordinance regarding resident membership have been discussed. I have yet to hear.

H

The governance committee give a legitimate reason why they would want to remove the residents from.

H

The audit committee and have an audit committee represented only by three city councillors. Instead.

H

Mr tabor has selectively quoted the gfoa, leaving out the pieces that support resident membership.

H

Mr lombardi has suggested that the residents cannot be trusted to see the books.

H

That's about it for the justification given by governance committee members.

H

I don't think you are thinking this through. It seems to me that the governance committee's.

H

Only purpose in changing this ordinance and the committee membership is to kick off the.

H

Three residents whose only crime has been to give their time and expertise to help ensure.

H

A proper audit and auditor, it sounds to me, like the governance committee aka, the audit.

H

Committee, just doesn't like the three resident committee members who have been appointed.

H

To the audit committee, these three current residents have more than a hundred years combined.

H

Experience in finance, they are giving their time and expertise to the city for free the governance.

H

Committee and deputy city manager, woodland has suggested that financial expertise can be.

H

Provided to the audit committee by yet another city consultant financed with our tax dollars,.

H

If this ordinance is changed, it has changed not only for the length of your terms, but also going.

H

Forth into the future, what happens if you're not happy with the outcome of the next election.

H

And the council is made up of people you do not like, then what will you do wipe out the entire.

H

Committee, you are not thinking past the tip of your noses, not thinking about the ramifications.

H

Of a committee comprised totally of three councillors, this is not good for the city.

H

It may be good for city hall in the finance department who would like to continue to.

H

Keep the same auditor for what the 28th year or are they trying to hide something regarding the.

B

City's finances from the residents whose tax dollars are entrusted to them. This ordinance.

B

Change is not good for the residents and it is not good for the city focus instead on a.

I

Committee of both city councillors and competent, experienced residents who together can choose.

I

A competent auditor, thank you. Thank you, liza. Anyone else to speak, uh 2-4 against the part b.

I

Good evening dr mccallum 536 state street.

I

I'm here to speak concerning the audit committee and I'm speaking against the proposed amendments.

I

I think they are a very bad idea, and I think that the city council should reject them.

I

Now, in considering the changes that are being proposed for the audit committee, I think it might.

I

Be useful to remind ourselves of the reasons why the audit committee came into existence in.

I

The first place last year and the year before, a number of questions had arisen as to whether the.

I

City's finances were being properly administrated administered and whether the city was being.

I

Run efficiency efficiently from a financial standpoint, some of us said questions, for example,.

I

As to why approximately 125 million dollars in funds that had come from bonds were sitting idle.

B

In a number of money, market accounts doing nothing while waiting to be spent on the projects for.

J

Which the bonds were obtained, the money market accounts were paying interest on that money, but.

J

The problem was that the city was paying interest at a greater rate to the issuers of the bonds.

J

Than the money market accounts were paying, and so there was a net loss to the taxpayers by our.

J

Reckoning it was costing the city that is, we taxpayers a couple of million dollars a year.

J

In interest to have that 125 million dollars sitting in those money market accounts doing.

J

Nothing in very round figures: uh the money market accounts were paying one percent, uh whereas one.

J

Percent a year in interest, but the city was paying three percent a year in interest on the average.

J

To the issuers of the bonds, and so the city was taking a bath on the deal to the tune of about two.

J

Percent a year well now, of course, two percent, 125 million dollars- is more than two million dollars a.

J

Year and so in our by our reckoning, it was costing the taxpayers more than two million dollars a year.

J

In interest to have that money sitting there in those accounts doing nothing a parallel concern.

J

In addition to the fact that we're paying interest on this bond money to have it sit there doing.

J

Nothing was that the public projects for which that money had been earmarked were not going.

J

Forward and so we drew into question whether the public works department was being run efficiently,.

J

We're paying on that we're paying the interest on that money, whether the projects go forward or.

J

Whether they don't, why is the money just sitting there? Why aren't these projects going forward.

J

We've planned these projects, we've approved them, we've bonded them.

J

We've got the money to pay the for them from the bonds. The money is sitting there in the money.

J

Market accounts waiting for the projects to start, so why aren't they starting? Why are we paying.

J

More than two million dollars a year in interest to have that money sitting there waiting for their.

J

Projects to start, while they're idle, while they're doing nothing well now to some of us, uh it seemed.

J

To us that there was a lack of good management on either one end of the transaction or the other.

J

Or maybe a combination of both either the city was borrowing money too far in advance. So long before.

J

The projects were scheduled to start so that we're paying interest on the money for doing nothing.

J

Or the public's works of works department uh was not getting these projects going soon enough.

J

Either way we were taking a hit in terms of interest, uh decide another example: a.

J

Couple of years ago, the question arose as to whether the cares act, funds which.

J

Had been obtained for the uh from the federal government were being properly handled now, as.

J

The cares act, you will recall, was the federal program where money was to be spent on these.

J

Cities and towns and communities to help ameliorate the fact the effects of the pandemic.

J

Some of us were concerned that those cares act. Funds were not being properly handled or accounted.

J

For and the funds were being spent for purposes other than those for which they were intended.

J

Duncan not sorry to interrupt. I just want to make sure this is all germaine to the audit.

J

Committee, this is going directly to the community and just so I'm following along because uh of the.

J

uh Perception of uh financial impropriety is that is this the it is going directly to the my opening.

J

Statement what my opening remark was. I think it would be useful for us to consider the reasons why.

J

The audit committee was created in the first place: okay and I'm going again. I would love to get to.

J

The the actual uh issue, with the the proposed change in the ordinance all right I'll, tighten.

J

It up by saying we were concerned that the cares acquired funds were not being properly spent and.

J

That the city might have some legal exposure on account of that and as a final example, there's the.

J

Ongoing problem of the fact that the city budget has been increasing at an average of double the.

J

Rate of inflation every year for the past 25 years, despite the fact that the population of portsmouth.

J

Has not increased to any significant extent. It's been hovering around twenty two thousand twenty.

J

Twenty three thousand residents over the course of the last two censuses.

J

So, uh despite that, despite the fact that uh the population has not increased significantly, uh the.

J

Budget has been increased uh at a rate of double, with the exception of one year in the last 25.

J

Years, we've only had one flat budget, and that was during one of the years that rick beckstead was.

J

The mayor of the city, uh all of the other years, uh the budget has the city budget, has been increasing.

J

At the rate of double uh the rate of in uh inflation and I'll skip the arithmetic, in light of.

J

Mr mayor, your desire that I speed things up but to summarize things uh taking a long view of things.

J

Only seven years ago, in 2015, the bud city budget was only 97 million and in 2016 it was 101 million.

J

So in this last spring the city council passed a budget of 131.8 million dollars.

J

Which is the largest increase, uh certainly in raw numbers, and I think in percentages in the 30.

J

Years that I've lived in portsmouth, but after in a mere eight years, the city budget had increased by.

B

uh More than a third in 2000 in 2015 it was 97 million. The budget for 2023 is 131.8 million.

K

An increase of more than a third in eight years to some of that us.

K

This was unsustainable, so it was the confluence of this confluence of circumstances.

K

uh Possible misuse of cares funds. The 125 million dollars sitting in money market accounts unused.

K

And out of control budget and other things that some led some of us to question whether the city's.

K

Finances were being managed properly and while we were ruminating about all of these projects,.

K

Somebody noticed that the city had been using the same auditor to conduct the city's annual audit.

K

For the past 25 years, which was the malanson firm now to anyone, schooled in finance, accounting and.

K

Auditing this fact immediately set off alarm bells. If you ask anybody with experience and expertise.

K

In those subjects he will tell you that it is bad accounting practice to have the same auditor.

K

Auditing, an organization's finances year after year for an extended period of time.

K

As indeed, by this time, several certified public accountants and others schooled in.

K

Finance and finance and accounting have told you that it's bad practice, in addition to the.

K

Three current citizen members of the audit committee, mr mr white, mr furman and mr lynch.

L

One local resident robin rousseau is a certified public accountant herself and she is also.

L

Formerly the vice president of the institute of internal auditors for the state of new hampshire.

L

A position which she held for 10 years and she was also the auditor excuse me the lead director.

K

Of internal audit audits for two public companies- and she has an extensive uh backgrounded audit.

B

She spoke in meetings both before the governance, governance committee and before the city council.

B

At its last meeting- and she told you point blank that using the same auditor for an.

B

Extended period of time as an absolute no-no and you've been told by the same the same thing by.

L

Other professionals as well professionals as well, and the reason is that when you use the.

L

Auditor to audit your business or organization year after year for an extended period of years.

L

What happens is that the relationship between the auditor and the people that are being audited.

L

Becomes too cozy and the auditor becomes too complacent the recommendation of.

B

Of uh people in the know is that you shouldn't use the same auditing firm for maybe for for more.

K

Than about five or six years, uh what happens is when the auditor fought a team and the.

B

People that are being ordered to get too cozy uh they start to develop interpersonal relationships.

G

However, informal and when that happens, nobody wants to step on anybody's, toes and consequently,.

B

The auditor's independence and his objectivity are compromised. You are likely to get a less candid.

B

Audit, the auditor is more likely to downplay problems if you think it's going to embarrass.

B

The people that he's working with and as a result, you're not always going to get straight.

B

Answers and so when it came to light and when word got around that the city was, he had been.

B

Using the same auditor for the last 25 years, it became a matter of concern to a lot of people.

B

And thus the movement to switch to a new auditor was born and the auditor.

K

Audit committee was formed to search for an appropriate auditor to replace melonson now.

G

For the same reason, you don't hire the fox to guard the hen house.

G

You don't want the you, don't want the people who are being audited to become too cozy the.

G

Relationship between the auditor and the city staff should be an arms-length relationship.

G

There should be a distance between the between the auditor and the people who are being audited. It.

G

uh The relationship that you should have it sort of reminds me of a famous quote by one of the.

G

Bachelorettes on the tv show the bachelor I didn't come here to make friends and that's the same.

G

That's the same principle that should apply to the auditor now, for those of you uh for the benefit of.

G

Those of you who, unlike my wife, are not glued to the television set whenever the bachelor comes on.

B

Every season in the bachelor of these shows producers always make sure.

B

To include one or two troublemakers, or one or two villains, on the show, just spice things up.

B

And make it more lively, create some drama and make it more interesting, and hopefully.

B

Among the female contestants, especially stimulate a few cat fights- and there was this one particular.

B

Bachelorette, who was uh widely disliked by everybody, partly it was jealousy that she was.

B

Too successful and moving the bachelor, and also she tended to lord it over other people and when.

B

She was asked about it. She said, without apologies. Hey, I didn't came come here to make friends.

B

Duncan I I appreciate the uh the the segway to the bachelor. um I and I appreciate the the history.

G

Up into this point, it's useful we're not here to discuss abolishing the audit committee, nor our.

G

Need to independently select an auditing firm of which we have and and will do. I would love.

B

If you could keep the comments as they pertain to the proposed changes of the ordinance.

B

All right, then: let's talk about the compensation of the committee now, as originally envisioned a.

B

Year ago, this is a relatively new committee. As you know, a year ago, the committee was to consist of.

M

Five members, two city councillors, the city manager and three citizens who, if I can find the quote.

M

Vicky come on.

K

Well, I just have to extemporize, but it was people with financial expertise, expertise in accounting.

K

Financial management auditing. Now that sounded pretty good to me that sounded pretty good to me.

B

Because it meant we were going to have people who have expertise who are going to select the auditor.

K

And make a recommendation to the city council as to whom should be hired.

K

And we had we had, we came up with three people who were appointed.

K

Who had absolutely stellar resumes? There is.

L

The chairman chris white, has both an undergraduate degree and an mba from columbia university, where.

L

He double majored in financial management, accounting after graduating from columbia. He.

L

Worked for three years to earn his cfa, designation, chartered financial analyst, which is considered.

L

The gold standard for equity and bond analysis for investment purposes and he spent more than has.

B

Spent more than 30 years in the finance industry, first as a equity analyst and then as a portfolio.

B

Manager, he knows a thing or two about audits, for in that line of business, you rely heavily on them.

B

When analyzing the financial strength of companies and making recommendations to your clients as.

L

To whether or not to invest in them hawk furman, another member of the audit committee is presently.

L

Constituted is a graduate of cornell university and after completing cornell, he uh he entered.

L

And completed the advanced management program at harvard, he has formed several companies and.

L

Sold them at handsome profits and he is familiar with audits all the time and he currently sits on.

L

Several non-profit organizations uh in boston and is engaged in extensive, fundraising and those.

L

Those non-profits also get it audited. The third member of the audit committee jesse lynch has a.

B

Background similar to mr white's, he too holds the prestigious cfa, designation, chartered financial.

B

Analyst analyst- and he has more than fourth excuse me more than 20 years experience in the finance.

B

Industry, he is a principal of the firm of prime buckholtz, an 80 person investment firm, which was.

B

Formed right here in portsmouth, but it now has 80 people here and now has satellite offices.

B

In boston and atlanta, in addition to being one of the principals, he works as a manager for the.

B

Commercial and real estate he passed experience. He worked as a portfolio manager for the commercial.

B

Real estate division of td bank and, as in the case of mr white audits, are the coin of his.

B

Realm he relies heavily on them in assessing the value of assets and making investment decisions.

B

Now, given the background of these people, every single one of these three gentlemen.

B

Has more financial expertise in his little finger than the entire city finance department combines.

B

And I'm mystified that you were trying, listen, we can. We can make the point without denigrating.

B

Public servants here I'm I'm happy to listen and we're listening going on 20 minutes of of this.

L

Case if we could keep it instead of personal attacks, focusing on the need of civilians on.

G

The audit committee versus counselors- it's not a personal attack and the question you've answered.

B

Isn't easy and you've asked is an easy one. These people have stellar resumes, they have.

B

Stellar credentials and it doesn't make any sense to remove them and replace them with a com with a.

B

Committee that consists solely of city councillors and and the city manager or her designee.

N

What you are proposing to do, just so that everybody will know it.

N

Is you are proposing, in effect, to remove the three people with the most knowledge experience and.

N

Expertise in financial matters and in particular in auditing and leave the committee in the hands.

N

Of the people, who have the least knowledge, the least, expertise and the least experience.

N

In those subject matters it just doesn't make any sense. Now the suggestion has been made well, the.

N

Governance committee says that it's going to cure that problem, because what it's going to do is it's.

N

Going to authorize or empower the audit committee to hire experts when it thinks it needs them.

L

But the problem is, when you have people on there or the remaining members of the committee or.

B

People who know nothing, they don't even know what to ask for mr tabor in one of the recent meetings.

B

Admitted candidly, he has a liberal arts degree and he doesn't know anything about financing and.

B

Accounting now, in fairness to him, I'm in the same boat, I had a liberal arts degree and I don't know.

N

Anything about financing and accounting to speak of my friend, peter huda is always throwing around.

B

These terms, like cofa and non-attested services, I have no idea what she's even talking about.

B

But I do know my own limitations and I do know enough that when I don't know anything.

G

About it to ask somebody who does, and I would if I wanted to ask uh any uh who to hire as an auditor.

B

And as in this case, uh the people I would ask, were people like mr white, mr lynch and mr furman.

B

So to me it just the course that the uh governance committee for sure and apparently the rest of the.

O

City council is on is just doesn't make any sense, you're taking away the people with the.

O

Most knowledge and expertise and replacing with the people with the least knowledge and expertise.

O

And a problem is with the people we're going to be left, who lack that expertise? I fear that what.

O

They're going to do is they're going to rely on the city staff, but that creates a conflict of.

O

Interest because the city staff should have no role and no input in selecting the auditor and.

O

They should be isolated from the process and they should they should have no input as to.

O

They should have no input in guiding this election process, so uh I've spoken long enough, but I.

O

Strongly recommend that you reject all the all of the amendments that are being proposed tonight.

O

And you keep the audit committee just the way it is. Thank you. Thank you duncan anybody.

O

Else to speak on the audit committee and the changes within the document.

B

Petrahuda 280 south street.

B

I want to be clear the reason I am here to speak about the audit committee. So there's no question.

O

So the governance committee is attempting to eliminate the three citizen volunteers with.

O

Financial experience then spend additional taxpayer dollars to hire a consultant.

O

To assist this was my statement last time, I'm asking the same question: why.

O

So, after being involved the audit committee for the past two three years, I believe the residents.

O

And taxpayers should be made aware of the constant struggle to bring the city back into compliance.

L

With the city charter number 7.4.

M

Independent audit, which is also required in the state of new hampshire, rsas.

M

The biggest question here this redo of the independent audit committee.

M

Ordinance is taking off the financial expertise that was put on here to assist you, the council,.

M

We as counselors speaking from past experience, do not have all knowing all experience here.

M

That was unknown when we were going in.

M

So the reason that the citizens with extensive experience were put on here was to assist you.

K

Now the city requires an independent audit, and an independent audit means that the auditors.

M

Who are auditing the books of the city? Do not report to the city management.

B

So I'd like to make some clarifications in the statements that were made at the last meeting.

B

When this came forward the first time first, I will address the misleading statements by councillors.

M

Tabor and cook, who are on the audit committee number one quote all the experts and best.

B

Practices say that the audit committee should be composed of members of the governing body.

M

False in quoting the new hampshire municipal association, public sector, audit committees of.

M

Which both city councilors have a copy in the public sector, audit committees take two forms.

M

A part of the governing body through a committee as a whole.

K

B or they might exist in an advisory capacity to a governing body,.

K

With city council members and non-members serving the as audit committee advisors.

K

Then, since councillor tabor went on to state that the audit committee is now made up of.

K

Mayoral appointees councillor tabor, all of the members of the boards and committees.

L

Are mayoral appointees that are voted on by the city council.

L

So in sitting and listening to a governance committee meeting.

L

I thought our former city attorney was making light of a tense situation when he said.

L

This is a political move. This is a political committee to change this, so I guess my question.

C

Is why are you singling out the audit committee by making this a political statement, council tabor.

F

This committee is like every other committee. This is an advisory committee.

L

And we were lucky enough to get some financial expertise out of the citizenry, who.

N

Happily, volunteered their time and their extensive experience to put forward and work on this.

N

So the the biggest annoyance, I guess you would say- concert tabor and councillor cook- said this and.

N

You said mayor that the the statement that keeps being repeated here is that the audit committee.

N

Selects the auditor, the audit committee does not select the auditor. The audit committee evaluates.

N

The proposers and brings forward a recommendation to you to do your job as a city council.

N

And vote to select the auditor in the real world there would be four or five good proposers.

N

And the evaluation of the audit committee by the audit committee of these would would give you.

N

The city council, the opportunity to select out of five good proposers the audit committee's job.

N

And financial experts in this case would be to select the first choice. The second.

N

Choice and the third choice based on their qualifications, technical ability and, lastly, cost.

G

So, as I heard throughout all of this with the.

G

With the confusion of between select and recommend, I would like to.

G

Call your attention to the other committees who do the same job, all of the committees that recommend.

G

Candidates for police chief fire chief rec board, they all do the same thing.

G

They evaluate the candidates based on their skills and knowledge in that field.

G

This is exactly the same thing and they make a recommendation to the governing body, whichever.

G

It is the city council, the police, commission or the fire commission, so my question would be.

G

Why would you be singling out the audit committee here as doing something different.

G

The other, the last point I guess I'd like to make here is I I don't think.

B

As another speaker said tonight that you are taking into consideration the long term.

B

You want to remove over 100 years of experience on this committee.

B

And as we've seen and as we've heard with the from the city manager and the the.

B

Head of all the departments here, they they are involved in something called succession planning.

B

Succession planning means thinking about who will be the next to step up and do this job.

B

The future councils will probably not have any financial people on them just as last 20 years of.

B

City councils didn't have any financial people on them, so this committee was brought forward.

B

By volunteers, to help the city council assist the city council with the financial experience.

B

That they had and make a recommendation that you pick one of the selected proposers.

B

So I'm not going to go through what I went through and what what chair.

B

White went through in the last two years trying to move this forward. I'm not going to go through how.

B

We were toward it at every corner at every end by city management, how the responsibilities were were.

B

Taken away from the from the audit committee and brought back into the city management.

B

The fact is, and I'm talking to the people of portsmouth here so you understand exactly.

B

What we're talking about here, the task of the audit committee, is to evaluate and recommend.

B

An audit firm based on the financial knowledge of its independent volunteer experts. That's why.

B

They're there, the city has had the same auditor for 27 years, best practices three to five.

B

So I would urge you to leave in place the current committee.

B

To help you and future councils to make the correct decision here.

B

And not put counselors on there with no financial experience.

B

Thank you. Thank you. Peter.

B

Paige trace 27 hancock street. I promise you all. I will be a lot quicker.

L

You all need to get home at some point.

L

Taking away three citizen members from an audit committee and replacing them with three city.

L

Councillors says to me other than the fact that I do not understand how anything council lombardi.

B

Is top secret there again, I was not a member of the audit committee. I thank you now um as.

L

A city councillor as a member of an audit committee- councillor tabor, you know this.

L

It's public information, so what it tells me is that somehow someway the nine of you.

G

Are afraid of people advising you on? Finally choosing, perhaps a new auditor.

L

Finally, after 27 years, you all might step out and say: hey. We have nothing to hide.

G

The city's records are clean, the books are clean, the finance department does a great job.

G

We have nothing to hide. The problem is here that that's not the way you're acting.

G

You're not acting as if, okay, we get another firm. We bring.

K

Mendelson back in two years, three years, whatever you're, all digging your heels in.

K

In a very odd strange manner and saying no, we are going to turn down taking free advice, free.

K

From three citizen volunteers at least one with a cfa and I'm sure I know all of you well enough.

K

In your background that none of you have a cfa, um I'm just guessing that attorney or counselor.

G

Denton, judging by your smile, you probably don't have one you're highly qualified, but not a cfa.

G

So I need to know as a resident. uh What I now fear is your fear.

G

Your fear of using free qualified advice, 27 years same accounting, firm and you all.

G

Are sitting there going? No, not so much we're going to get rid of these three guys. However,.

N

Qualified we're going to take it on ourselves that doesn't make me feel so warm and comfortable.

B

You're handling my money, my tax dollars, my budget and you're going to hand it over to yourselves and.

N

Take it away from someone like mr white, perhaps you don't like his ideas? Maybe you just don't.

N

Like the fact that he's, perhaps going to advise you to get rid of mendelson he's not telling you.

N

To do it and you're not even willing to use the free advice, that's going to advise you. What do.

N

You think the rest of the citizens of portsmouth right now are thinking about this. You've got a.

N

Year and then you're back in it again, looking for the approval of the citizens of portsmouth.

N

And what you're also doing right now is probably not something that's going to make them very happy.

N

By giving up free advice, you know I I and obviously there's more to.

N

This I'm sitting here looking, we have four city attorneys tonight here, four.

P

Attorney sullivan attorney, moral attorney, woodland attorney, farini.

B

Gee, where is attorney bart trevor? Where are you home, hopefully,.

B

But four attorneys for one city, council meeting and you're going to give up something free.

B

Well, that doesn't make me too happy. It's probably not the best.

B

Of a transparent situation- and I wish you all the best of luck- because god forbid.

B

If there does come up some abnormality, something that's not quite right. I can only assume that we.

L

Are good and squeaky clean something bad comes up, you know what is it? The perception is everything.

L

And you have an option to do the right thing.

L

You have the option, though, even though you don't necessarily agree with them or you don't like them,.

L

That's not your job. Your job is to do what is best for the citizens of portsmouth.

L

And I know each and every one of you can do that, but your job is not necessarily to.

L

Have five of you sitting on an audit committee? Thank you. Sorry. I took so long. Thank you. Paige.

L

Esther kennedy 41 pickering nav. um All the speakers had assumed that you've already made your.

L

Decision and I'm going to come forward because you haven't voted to assume that you haven't.

G

Made your decision, I think we know mr lombardi and councillor tabor and councilor cook, because they.

G

Have moved made a decision to move forward, but that necessarily might not be the decision of this.

B

For this committee now I am concerned about pierce allen, but you have already talked to.

N

You about it so just move my talk to this point. So let's go to the audit committee.

N

When I sat on in your spot, I became very concerned about funding in our city, and part of it came down.

N

When we looked at the finances for the cares act- and I realized there were some things that.

O

I was not in agreement with as someone who has spent 24 years working in federal funds.

O

Then I started looking more with counselor huda and started really looking into some of the.

O

Things what was happening to our bonds? Why were we purchasing bonds so early? Where was the money.

O

And then I started looking at our awards, we were getting and the fact that when I went online to.

O

Review the awards, it was things that we were members of so these awards that we celebrate.

O

We're members of those organizations.

O

And we're paying a hefty bill to be members of them. So then I met with some of our city. People.

O

And I realized that sometimes the the budget was kind of questionable.

O

In my mind and their understanding of the budget, and so I guess what I'm asking you to do.

O

Is what I learned from my experience sitting there these last two years, realizing that we have to.

O

Really think about our budget as a city because of some of the hardships that might come after.

O

A pandemic- and I like doing my research in 1918- there were some major hardships after the pandemic.

B

And I was worried about that financially, even as a counselor.

G

So when counselor huda came forward and said, hey it's in our charter that we should be looking at.

G

This we should be looking at having a committee. We should be looking at having other people make.

G

Recommendations so we as city officials, are really not as heavily involved because they should.

G

We should really be kind of estranged from this process.

G

So it doesn't look like we're covering things up and we're being in control of those things.

G

And I said you're probably right so I got on with her.

G

And other counselors and even counselor tabor the mayor at the time councilor mccochran voted.

G

To have a committee, a group of individuals who had expertise, not even something I had now. I have.

G

I do multi-million dollar budgets. I work in federal funds at a public school administrator.

G

But I still think this was bigger than me and we asked to really put this forward and.

G

Have these I didn't know these experts at all. I just looked at their resumes.

G

And brought and brought them forward and asked them as citizens to be on a committee.

G

And really give us our expertise and look at what is the best auditing firm.

G

And bring a recommendation, we heard loud and clear: it's only a recommendation.

G

You folks, as I said earlier, are still in control of everything.

G

And bring forward that recommendation so that we could do what was right.

G

That's all we were doing so. I guess I have to ask you: why are we here? What is wrong with citizens.

G

Who have these major expertise who might have been appointed by the mayor and voted on by the council?.

G

Coming forward with ideas and thoughts and giving you advice.

G

I guess I'm really missing that point folks. What is so wrong with that? You don't have to take.

G

Their advice and from what the time I spent on the committee, it was very analytical. The.

G

Advice was just giving us information giving information to attorney woodland at the time.

G

She was representing the city on the committee and giving advice to her about the rfp and suggestions.

G

These are people who had all this experience, our citizens of portsmouth, giving it free.

N

Harvard people from all over who have been in this world of finance that none of you up there.

N

Unless I'm wrong or myself, even though I run a multi-million dollar budget, have the expertise in.

N

And that's all we're looking at here and yet you want to take them out.

N

And question them so as a citizen, knowing what I know about the budget of portsmouth.

N

And some of the inconsistencies that I've seen as a counselor, I have to ask: what are we covering up.

B

What is wrong with this- and I know you haven't- made your vote yet and I'm hoping.

M

You're thinking this there, I'm thinking that you're, probably asking the same questions.

M

And I hope you would, if you don't like the citizens that are on there, then as.

M

Past mayor beck said said: get rid of them when they come up they're coming up, but at least you're.

M

Now, going to have an opportunity of having people with expertise that we don't have to pay for.

M

So I really don't understand why we're even standing here tonight.

B

I really don't see it folks, you have the right to vote any way. You want nothing that they're.

K

Doing forward is is impeding your vote and I just ask you to really think about having.

K

This much information knowing that you haven't voted yet so your decision has not been made yet.

B

And saying what is right for portsmouth 27 years is not right for portsmouth.

B

And I take full blame for some of that. We kept trying to push things but capacity manager, behinko.

B

Had a very keen reputation for being part of uh understanding, the budget and the moves.

B

Now it's time to change and I tried to change it the last two years and I would ask you to.

B

Think about it 27 years is too long. Thank you. Thank you, esther. Anyone else to speak.

L

Dickbrackly to 13 pleasant street.

B

I'm reminded of the book that always starts out. It's a dark and stormy night.

L

And it feels like that's the way it is tonight in portsmouth I've. I have spoken about the audit.

L

Committee in the past- and one thing I've learned is that there there really isn't an authoritarian.

L

Advice, yes, you can quote the state statutes, but it is really a decision that resides with you and.

L

To your point, mr mayor, I speaking too far against, I would be against replacing.

L

The audit committee members, but for none of the reasons that I think have been articulated tonight,.

L

If you read the municipality association, um what they really say is: there's there's 13 cities.

L

In the what they're 217 towns in new hampshire most towns, don't have anything other than a budget.

L

Committee and they go through a very different process than cities do very few cities in new.

L

Hampshire actually have audit committees, some have finance committees, and there is just no norm.

L

And if you read the municipality association, essentially they say the norm takes two.

L

Avenues one avenue is the city council serves as the audit committee. If you're going to have.

L

An audit committee or, conversely, you use outside members and they tend to go one way or the other.

L

And I think there are only two or three cities in new hampshire that have audit committees.

B

So everybody is citing, you know what the rules are and everything else sarbanes-oxley, as you.

B

Know are the rules and it came with the financial crisis in 2008 and it it applies by and large, only.

B

To for-profit companies, so I've served as a cfo, I'm not a in a public company. I'm not a cpa.

B

And I've also served as a head of the audit committee for one sky, which is a non-profit.

B

That gets all its money from medicaid and the state and very sensitive, therefore, to financial.

B

Reporting which is included it's the one condition in sarbanes-oxley, that's relevant for non-profits.

B

So, as patron pointed out tonight, um really what you want to do with an audit committee.

B

Is have an arm's length from management who works with the other committee and what you.

B

Really want to come out of that is a clean audit, and I've worked with melonson at one sky.

B

And we happen to have board numbers in that sense, a little different than what you're addressing.

B

And melissa knows came back with not always a clean audit, but never with a major discrepancy.

B

So the real fallacy that I've learned- and this is what the municipality association reports.

B

Is that people think you have an audit committee to catch fraud? Audit committees rarely catch.

B

Fraud and that's not the purpose of an audit committee- an audit committee is really there.

B

To make sure your financial reporting is consistent with your internal controls,.

B

And whether, in fact, you have adequate internal controls and I never found medicine inadequate.

J

In that regard, what you don't do is have the same auditor for 27 years, municipality association and.

Q

Those in the field suggest that every five years you change an audit because not a lot of people do.

Q

This that is non-profit orders, because there's not a lot of money in it. It's not because they do them.

B

Poorly or they don't know how to do them, or they don't do them legitimately, they can't hire the.

B

Staff because they don't make enough money, just a practical reality of nonprofits. So, mr mayor, you.

L

Pointed out something when duncan was speaking that, I think, is part of what's happened here.

L

Somehow, somewhere along the way, this got to be there's an issue of financial impropriety.

G

I doubt that's the case and I I think we're doing a disservice to the audit committee.

B

By suggesting that there's some kind of financial impropriety that's occurring.

B

In portsmouth- and it seems to me that, therefore, if you replace the outside members who are.

O

Well-Versed and their only job is to recommend to you which order to use, and you can reject it.

O

I don't understand why, at this stage, you would want to create the impression.

B

That there could be a cover-up going on. There's no cover-up going on. There's no financial impropriety.

G

It's just a matter of deciding what this city council feels is the best way of assuring that its.

G

Financial reporting has been done appropriately and that's what an auditor is there for.

G

To make sure that what you're reporting they're signing off on it, they don't sign off on it.

N

You can't report it, so I suppose in the real world you know there are auditors that, are you know.

L

In influenced by others, but I I don't really think that's what you're dealing with here.

L

And I don't really understand why you would want to change an outside audit committee.

L

And worse, yet why you would want the city manager who's supposed to be? Apart from all of this.

B

Although she certainly can be a non-voting member, why you would want to have her hire somebody.

B

To advise city councilors, who may not be most apt, and so I would strongly recommend that you stay.

B

Not because there's a financial impropriety or that you guys are going in the wrong direction.

B

Or that somehow there's this contest going on between the will of two sides.

B

I think you ought to leave the citizenry on the audit committee and see if it works.

B

And if you don't feel it's working in your regard, the city council has the right to change. It.

B

And that's why I would recommend voting against your replacing the current.

B

Team, if you will on your audit committee, thank you very much. Thank you, dick anyone else.

B

um Peter whalen 100 gate street I'll be real brief. uh Mr mayor um yeah, the city of portsmouth.

B

Is 130 million dollar? If you want to call a corporation- and uh you know with 900 employees,.

B

This is a big deal, hiring an auditor and auditing the books and going through it is a big deal and.

B

You know you, you have a fiduciary responsibility and I get that you have the final say on it.

B

But these three citizen representatives represent us: the residents of portsmouth.

B

They're going to be a sounding board, you can reject their proposal for a new auditor.

B

You have that right to do it, but by getting rid of them tonight, just kind of leaves a.

B

Black cloud over this whole process- and I don't understand why we're going there.

B

You know this is about good governance. This governance committee, council cook is about.

B

You know this is good governance and having these three representatives recommended auditor.

B

Is the right thing to do, and they certainly have the financial expertise to do that.

B

So this decision, tonight's, about good governance and transparency.

B

You know each of you should be voting for that. We're not changing anything here.

B

You know the other. The other thing you want to think about is.

B

You know, having worked for some major corporations, the auditors or the the auditor really reports.

B

To the board of directors, which is a city council- and there should be an arm's length.

B

You know um away from city manager, the city manager and city staff.

B

And I don't see that happening in this process the way this is going to taking part here tonight by.

B

Passing this ordinance and changing it that arm's length is not there, it's not there. So I urge you.

B

To reject it tonight keep the audit committee the way it is. Let's keep the good governance.

B

Let's represent properly the residents of portsmouth. This is a big deal. Thank you.

B

Thank you peter anyone else in the auditorium.

B

Sue polidora middle street and um after listening to all the remarks, I remember.

B

One of the meetings of the governor's committee, which I attended and the impression that I got was.

B

uh The prevailing thought was they couldn't understand why the audit committee was even.

B

Put together, you know, why do we need one- and this is just the first step in eliminating.

B

That committee, getting all the people that are volunteers, I have the bulk of the knowledge out.

B

Replace them with city councilors that are already attending way too many meetings.

B

How long do you think that that audit committee is going to last not very long? This is just one.

B

Step it just it just came to me not long ago. This is what the ultimate goal is is to get.

B

Rid of this at a committee, you just get rid of this ordinance that put together the committee.

B

um I remember all of the all of the debates that went on and they make sense to me.

B

Why this committee came to be so, I would say again, please vote against changing this.

B

They don't make a decision, they are, uh they come to the board, they come to you.

B

For the board, with their recommendations, other ones that you should ask questions.

B

Regarding their expertise and finances, if you don't have them, but the ultimate goal is to get.

B

Rid of this- and it creates issues on my mind as to why so we're all tired, I'm very tired, please.

B

Send this back to committee uh to the governor's committee do not pass it. Thank you. Thank you.

B

Sue seeing no other speakers rise will go to the zoom first up, I believe, is chairman white.

B

Of the audit committee.

B

Can you can you uh hear us okay, good good evening, uh mayor mckernan city council? Thank.

B

You for the opportunity to talk with you tonight. My name is chris white. I live at 28, porter street.

B

The city council wants to revise the audit committee ordinance 1 spot 4-1-4. I would.

B

Agree, there's always room for improvement, but I don't agree with the proposed amendment.

B

The new governance committee, with shining lights, councilors, john tabor and kate cook.

B

Both of whom also serve on the current audit committee want to fire the private citizens.

B

Councilor tabor's motivation to make sure the city council doesn't delegate core responsibilities.

B

To anyone who's, not elected, you know core responsibilities like overseeing city management's,.

B

Financial records by not delegating these core responsibilities to say private citizens.

B

Councilor taber believes the audit can then be independent, as required by the city charter.

H

If only it were that simple, it's not clear why they want to get rid of these private citizens.

H

We took the same oath of office to to our municipal government, so our behavior is held.

H

To the same high standards as our councilors taper and cook, we private citizens have complied.

H

With the restrictions on releasing non-public information, we have been ruled discrete and rule.

H

Abiding keep in mind the city. Financial accounts are a matter of public record. The public has every.

H

Right to know what transactions take place to have, the audit of the city records be kept secret.

H

Runs absolutely counter to every sense of sound governance. It is ironic that this new ordinance.

H

Emanates from the so-called governance committee, counselors, taber and cook are apparently concerned.

H

The city council is delegating away its core responsibilities to non-elected people. I agree.

H

This is a key issue, but they are worried about privacy, private citizens serving on the audit.

H

Committee uh receiving these core responsibilities to me: that's not the problem. The real problem is.

H

The core responsibilities- counselor tabor, is so concerned about have been delegated for decades.

H

To that other group of non-elected citizens or non-elected individuals, namely city management,.

H

As this has happened, city management gets stronger. City council is weaker and less relevant.

H

In this case, it means that the city council and the audit committee are effectively unable to.

H

Conduct an independent audit of the city, because all the powers of the city management holds it's.

H

As if the city council has unwittingly, given the fox the duty of guarding the hen house,.

H

That government finance officers association, the gfoa specifically lists nine such responsibilities.

H

That should lie with an audit committee and the city council, as governing board. They are listed.

H

On page 39 question 19 of that blue booklet that we're so familiar with they covered defining the.

H

Scope of the audit all the way through the process of providing a forum apart from city management,.

H

Where the independent order auditor might raise concerns to the audit committee and or city.

H

Council, in other words, from soup to nuts, few of these responsibilities lie with city council today,.

H

They have generally been handed over to city management, thus destroying.

H

The audit's independence- let's consider three examples of delegation that the jfoa states are.

H

Responsibilities or should be responsibilities of the audit committee and or city council.

H

One conduct the audit procurement process. This includes the issuance of the rfp, the due diligence.

H

On each of the proposers, the recommendation and the negotiation of the contract, two supervise and.

H

Manage the audit process, including the review of the financial statements review of the independent.

H

Auditor's reports review the framework of internal controls and assessment of the performance of the.

H

Independent auditor three hold an independent and confidential non-public forum with no.

H

Management present for the auditors to report any significant concerns that might have arisen.

H

From the audit, including not limited to findings of management, fraud, abuse or control override.

H

Because city council has already delegated its responsibilities to city management.

H

It has compromised the financial audit, making it impossible to truly conduct an independent audit.

H

If counselors, taber and cook and the entire city council and mayor are worried about delegating.

H

Core responsibilities to the existing audit committee, they are focusing on a mole bill.

H

When there is an entire mountain, a problematic delegation staring them in the face. I'm going.

H

To mix metaphors the issue of delegating auto powers to the audit committee is a red herring.

H

At least with a current arrangement where there are private citizens involved, who are skilled in.

H

And knowledgeable about finance and who work for free.

H

There is an awareness of just how compromised the annual financial audit is, and just how far.

H

Short, it falls of being independent, as our city charter requires.

H

With the new ordinance councillors, tabor and cook, the rest of the city council will make certain.

H

These essential roles of an audit committee are delegated away from city council.

H

Locked up and completely controlled by city management, the new audit committee will be run.

H

By city councilors with little financial knowledge or skill, they will lean on city management time.

H

And again for guidance, city management will be only too happy to provide this guidance.

H

Or hire its own expensive consultant to advise them in this stance. Management holds sway.

H

Counselors are influenced, and the audit is further compromised for members of the governing board, who.

H

Are so afraid of delegation, these city councillors are locking the door and throwing away the key.

H

So the taxpayer will never know what's going on and neither will city council.

H

Nice work I submit there is another way that same gfoa booklet highlights this option. You'd.

H

Never know it listening to counselors, tabor and cook, but it's right at the beginning of the book.

H

Footnote 1 on page 11 of the executive summary allows for and in fact embraces the appointment.

H

Of audit committee members who are drawn from the citizenry because of their expertise and skill.

H

So does the new hampshire municipal association, all these attributes spring from these attributes.

H

Bring the ability to ask the difficult questions of management and auditors. These questions are.

H

Born from training expertise and a professional skepticism that is specified as being important.

H

To have on the audit committee, by both the gfoa and the new hampshire municipal association.

H

Appointment, I can't say this enough in this discussion. Appointment does not.

G

Equal delegation ambassadors are employed, are appointed, their powers are not delegated they're.

B

Chosen for their specific skills and knowledge, the same analogy applies to the private citizens.

B

Sought for the audit committee- and this is what the current city currently enjoys for.

B

Free citizens who work tirelessly to bring the audit process more in line with what the gfoa.

B

Stipulates these citizens want the city council and the audit committee to recover.

B

The responsibilities the city has assumed over time reversing the delegation of core duties.

B

That have shifted from the city council to city management that might result in the.

B

City being thought of being closer being in closer compliance with its charter.

B

Here's your opportunity to reclaim what should be yours, those responsibilities you want to protect.

B

Tonight the city council has a choice: does it want to bring its rightful powers.

B

Back to the council and audit committee and remove them from city management.

B

Or does it want to seal the deal and hand over any of its remaining responsibilities?.

B

To city management, thus ensuring there will never be an independent audit for portsmouth.

B

One vote this proposed ordinance down. If you want an independent audit conducted apart from city.

B

Oversight and control and with the involvement of private citizens who have the skills and.

B

Expertise necessary to help you or two, if you want obfuscation and absolute city management,.

B

Control over the city finances and if you want the city council to delegate away any of its.

B

Remaining authority in this regard resulting in watered-down audits, vote to pass this monstrosity.

B

If you choose the latter voting the for the monstrosity, you threaten all the taxpayers.

B

Hold dear entrusting you to be their protector and watchdog, please don't fail us. Thank you.

B

Thank you, chairman white. Next up we have uh sheridan sheridan lloyd, his name and.

B

City residence good evening, this is sheridan lloyd from 45 cliff road in portsmouth.

B

I would like you to reject the change in this ordinance. Please leave in place the current.

B

Audit committee process and let them do their independent job, please let them go forward with.

B

Their recommendations for an auditing company and save taxpayers, money and move forward in this.

B

Whole process, we need to have independence and we sounds like we have a great independent resident.

B

And city council committee for figuring out the audit process and for going forward with.

B

Recommendations on a potentially a new auditing company 27 years with one auditing com company is.

B

More than too long, I have also been involved in other processes in the quality direction.

B

On audits and yes, you can end up having it, as other people have said, where you end up having.

B

Auditors that get too comfortable, it's always good to end up having a different point of view.

B

And we need to be able to keep the city going forward and financially extremely strong. So.

B

Please reject this change in the ordinance. Thank you. Thank you. Sheridan next up, uh zelita morgan.

R

Can you hear me loud and clear, can you hear me yes, okay, thank you good evening counselors as.

B

Alita morgan richards avenue- and I I want to um I want to ask you to reject the current proposal to.

P

Replace um the expertise with the city councilors, I think that um mr bagley eloquently spoke there.

P

Were several speakers, but I think um you've got to it's. I think you're creating a problem.

P

The independency of the independence of this committee is important as, like any other community.

P

They are there to work for us and to support you and support city management.

P

um It's not a witch hunt and I will I really have a hard time understanding.

P

Why there is so much I mean: what do you have against us? What do you have against.

P

An independent, I mean city councils, don't have to be in every committee, you know how.

P

Many sitting counselors are on the uh a trustee of trust funds as an example right. um How many.

P

City councils are in development committee. I just think about that right. The balance or the purpose.

P

Right, so if I am understanding this, what is a rationale to put three counselors.

P

In this committee that requires financial expertise, and I mean you all- have expertise.

P

In many areas, thank goodness, but none of those are finance. Okay, uh neither tabor or or or lombardy or.

P

Clock I mean I'm sorry, you don't have that expertise. Now we have. We are blessed.

P

To have such expertise here- and it's been an issue right. It is very simple: they are not auditing.

P

Any they are sending to the council for you to to review and decide the decision. Rest in the council.

P

And if we are to have really a transparent, it's a matter of checks and balances as well.

P

This has nothing to do with with the person currently in the city management. This is about.

P

You know the segregation, separation and transparency of the duties.

P

It doesn't matter who is in the city management we have conor. Today we can have john smith.

P

You know in a few years I don't know, but you have to have in place something that withstand.

P

The challenges that is there for all of us, and really it makes me not comfortable.

P

Knowing that, at this date and age, you are putting absolutely no expertise and by the way.

P

Giving you know authority to hire a consultant because you know of hand, you don't have the.

B

Expertise now it doesn't mean that the counselors are not smart is about the expertise and I'm going.

N

To emphasize this, so what can we stop being so I don't know what it is. It's very, very simple.

P

It's a committee to to review proposals and send to you recommendations for you to approve.

P

uh The city management has a representation, as just you know, a voice, not a vote, which makes sense.

P

Right but I mean it's like any other government: it's like the checks and balances. So can you tell.

P

Me what checks and balances you have here? I really there is none, so I I really would like it to if.

N

Possible- and I don't know- maybe you're just gonna- stick to whatever you are because you got this far.

N

And just go down the rabbit hole, but I asked you not to do it be wise and just take a step back.

P

I, as a taxpayer, you're potentially saying that we're going to be paying another consultant.

P

When we don't need to.

P

So I appreciate our time. I think I appreciate the effort, but I think you are creating a problem.

P

When none exists so please let's have some common sense. Let's really do the right.

B

Thing and really scratch this and just keep the expertise we have in our uh uh in our committee.

P

So, thank you so much for your time. Thank you for listening to all the voices here and I really.

P

Appreciate you giving serious consideration about what exactly and making clear make it clear to us.

G

Because it's not clear to me what problem are you trying to solve? It's not clear because right now.

G

You are making a problem. Okay! Thank you. So much thank you, zelita, seeing no other hands.

G

Seeing no other hands, we will uh end the public hearing uh any discussion amongst the council.

G

Counselor bagley. Thank you. Your.

G

I've honor a lot of thought into this and I have a comment and then probably a question for the.

G

City attorney um the gfoa blue book, which has been discussed at length in the audit committee.

P

Meetings uh specifies that all members of the audit committee should be members of the governing.

P

Body to ensure the committee's independence and effectiveness, no governing body member who.

P

Exercised manageable responsibilities that fall within the scope of the audit should be served.

P

As a member of the audit committee, so it sounds to me and I know it took four or five meetings to set.

B

Up the audit committee a year or so ago that maybe we didn't set it up perfectly, because the the blue.

B

Book says it should be: you know, elected officials who are on the audit committee. That being said,.

B

I don't know mr christopher white and I don't know mr jesse lynch, but I know mr hawk furman very well.

B

And I think very highly of him and I think the city is lucky to have his expertise um and I.

B

Wouldn't want to set the precedent to discourage people from volunteering with city work. So what.

B

I'd like to propose- and this is the question for the city attorney- is an amendment if possible and.

B

That amendment would be that the audit committee be made up of three city council members. One of.

B

Which would be appointed chair by the mayor and three? The three existing audit committee members.

B

I guess the answer to whether it's possible or not. It is certainly possible.

B

But it requires precise language that isn't written at the moment. Okay,.

P

Would you want to help me with that precise language of course? Yes,.

P

So is, I guess a procedural question: would that amendment? um uh Would we notice that amendment.

P

um Or could we change it to be, I guess like procedurally? Could we do it without a.

B

Is it a big enough change to be done at second reading.

B

The uh the test for whether it's a big enough change that it would call for postponement and.

B

Second reading in another hearing is whether it is so different from what is in front of.

B

The council now that it will be considered a different ordinance. In my opinion, your honor.

P

This does not pass that line and it could be done at second reading.

B

Cancer lombardy. Is that an is that a, I guess, is that a motion. I guess that is emotion.

B

Again, in order to have the motion, we need the language that will be changed in the ordinance, sean okay, and it was three.

B

Three three city councilors one as chair and three existing residents, so you would be.

C

C

Out of committee shall have five, it's tough to read with the red lines. um She'll have six.

C

Voting members, which they'll be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the sixth account the city.

C

Council three members shall be uh city councillors, of which uh the mayor would select the chair.

C

Or of which the the chair would be selected, all right.

C

Is that a motion is that a motion? Does it have a second? uh Did anybody want to second that.

C

Yeah also embark um yeah. I had actually very similar thoughts to this um and.

C

So then, I also wondered about the terms of the appointments um and that the city councilors.

C

Appointments should be concurrent or what, how would you say, co-co-terminus with their.

C

Appointments as a city council or as a as a city councilor, my thought would be that the the.

C

Private citizens, members would continue to have.

C

Three-Year terms so that there's a continuity across city councils.

B

Okay, so is that a further amendment.

R

Is that a further amendment or for discussion? Okay? So that the since it has to be precise,.

P

And I should not be the one doing this, but the um uh let's see uh the terms of the members.

P

Of the committee shall be for three year terms.

G

I think that's we have them as three year terms, as originally stated.

G

Right the terms of the count, the members, uh the oh sorry, the initial terms, okay, so it would be.

K

uh The terms of the members of the committee shall be on uh three-year terms. Can coterminous changing.

B

I guess the red light redline language from two to three, so all would have a three year term. Well,.

B

No because the city council shouldn't have a three year term, sorry they should be coterminous with.

B

Their city council, appointment, okay, so you're, saying a two-year term: coterminous. Yes, okay,.

B

So, and is that a a motion on the floor, I guess well, I guess the: why don't we take the first.

B

Motion which is a pretty large motion, we'll discuss that and then um we'll come back to.

B

Other uh other motions, counselor denton and then a recommendation would be. I were to make a motion to.

B

Adopt all the changes and then counselor bagley's motion could be amendment to those changes.

B

That way, we're not constant because there's no underlying motion, yet that's been made. Okay,.

B

That's a fair point about the entire for the entire morning, so I guess the question.

I

Would be if you with council bagley, if you withdrew your motion, I could then make that.

I

Motion and then you can make your amendment if the second agrees I'll rescind my motion.

I

Okay, all right, so I'm gonna motion to adopt the changes as presented. Second, second,.

I

And this is where I make the amendment: where do we vote, and then I make the amendment.

I

You have to make your appointment okay, so.

I

Counselor bagley, you have to make your amendment to this amendment. Okay, I move that we add.

I

That the three existing members remain on the audit committee for the duration of their terms.

I

That three city council members are appointed by the mayor.

I

And one of the city council members is the chair. Okay, second,.

I

All right any discussion, your honor there's kind of an obvious problem.

I

I think, which is that there are members on this committee right now.

I

In either the council has to the council has to deal with that in some fashion or other.

I

In other words, are we starting over with new counselors or are the counselors who are on.

I

The committee right now remaining on it. You need to deal with the transition issue, somehow.

I

Good to bear just a point, seems yeah. It seems like a lot uh in in in doing that.

I

Bob any recommendations on how we would accomplish that for purposes of this motion, I think the.

I

That uh we could add a sentence saying that all existing members um remain on the committee until.

I

For the remainder of their terms, so the existing council members stay on, or you could say that.

I

The entire membership of the committee on on the adoption of this amendment, the entire membership.

I

Of the committee should be replaced by the mayor so that you can start fresh.

I

Either way you deal with the transition.

I

Okay, um I guess, in the spirit of uh the uh the volunteerism I'd prefer to have the carryover.

I

Of the members that are currently on the committee stay on the committee.

I

But it's getting somewhat confusing in order to.

I

So we've adapted the purpose of this motion, the red lines and then we're further councillor.

I

Bagley is further updating that membership and term the audit committee shall have.

I

Six voting members who shall be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council.

I

Three members shall be city councillors, of which uh the chair will be selected.

I

I don't know why that would have to then.

I

We'd have to replace the.

I

Reconstitute the board, if or the committee, if it had already been established, but.

I

Well, you're on what happens tomorrow morning I mean: do you.

I

You might have some ideas.

I

Because the next says, um the the initial terms of the members of the committee shall be.

I

For now see that's the problem when we adopted that language.

I

The uh the original language so you'd have to strike the second part of the line. Okay, councilman.

I

um Thank you, your honor, I think the motion the amendment to the motion should be.

I

That we remove all the changes to section a and replace new changes with adding the six members.

I

Three being city councillors and of that the chair, and then we can add to that motion that existing.

B

um Sitting sitting city council is remain with a new one to be added to it. Does that make sense.

M

So we basically all the red lines that thought has been crossed out. We just reverse all of it.

M

And then add in the third member, I think that's the cleanest way to do it.

M

This gets to be impossible yeah. I think it is impossible because we'd want to strike b.

M

Too so, well, I didn't touch b, I know, but we b would be unnecessary, given that we.

M

Would have the three members of the citizens remaining on? um So that's uh it's a kind of a.

B

So we have to remove that, but that could stay either way. I mean it's just giving them a right.

B

To do something, it's not saying they have to sure, but we spent I mean I would not support that.

B

Language, we spent a lot of time on the last audit committee limiting the scope of what the audit.

B

Committee could do from terms of and remove all the changes and then import new changes of a and b.

B

I guess I question whether or not we would um so. I know that.

B

It might be um this is uh this is tricky because I understand where counselor denton was coming.

B

From in terms of putting emotion under the floor, because we were adopting a motion that was not.

B

uh There but maybe uh counselor cook, you got an answer. Thank you, mayor.

G

Counselors denton's motion also encompasses all the additional changes to the ordinance.

N

Not just the changes to audit correct, um so there were other significant changes to this ordinance.

J

um The elimination of the planning and development council, the elimination of the building commission.

B

The elimination of pierce island committee, which we've been advised, is no longer meeting.

N

The elimination of the micro enterprise advisory committee, all of those are also part of the motion.

N

That councilor denton was putting forward, so I think it's important to recognize that.

B

These changes are part of a bigger picture of changes and the only ones that were.

B

Substantive were those changes to audit everything else was like the first discussion.

B

We had tonight on in a hearing eliminating commissions that we're no longer meeting.

N

Okay, so um do we want to separate these out again and focus on the? The audit committee is separate.

N

I think that depends on what the council decides tonight. I would say that if we were going to.

N

Change the audit ordinance that we need to remove all the red lines because the red lines are there.

B

Simply because we no longer need them if they are just council members serving if they're not.

B

Council members serving and if what I'm hearing from the public comment is that we want expertise.

B

That's why this information was there in the first place, um the only reason that much is correct.

B

Yes, all right, counselor denton, all right. This may sound confusing, but here's my approach, you can't.

B

Get any more confusing stick with the emotion which I made to adopt all the red line, changes.

B

If council bagley withdrew his motion, I would then make a second motion to amend and not.

B

Make the proposed changes to the section on the audit committee, so those two motions then would.

B

Accomplish everything that's proposed, except for any of the changes to the audit committee.

B

And that would keep the audit committee ordinance as was passed that previously and then we could.

B

Amend that language, so the red line, language for the audit committee portion goes away.

B

Okay, I'll rescind my motion second degree. Yes, yes, so I want a motion.

B

To amend and not make the proposed changes to the section to the audit committee. Second.

H

Okay and so folks, paying attention at home, we should take a on what we should vote for on.

J

This, it's passing all the other red line, changes and removing the changes to the audit committee.

G

It's just the amendment correct just that amendment would.

B

That current, that amendment, that we I just made it's not to pass this motion, it's to accept the.

H

Red lines of the other uh of it would be to not accept the red lines to the audit committee and.

R

Then, when we passed the final motion, the original motion that would accept all the remainder of the.

R

Changes plus any additional changes we make to the audit committee once this motion passes.

R

Okay, if additional changes are made correct, okay concert bagley uh just to comment on.

R

Before we vote on the pierce island committee, I do believe their last meeting. They kind of.

R

Voted to disband I may have that wrong, but I think they kind of sunsetted themselves sunset.

R

The community just wanted to address that because it came up in public comment. That's a good point.

R

Well, your honor, what I think counselor dennis said: if that motion should pass, then keeping in mind.

R

That what it is is an amendment to an amendment. Then you would have amended the amendment so that.

R

Everything is in front of the council, as it appears in this ordinance right now,.

R

Except the audit committee, which will not have changed so it will still be the audit committee.

R

Shall have three voting members who should be appointed by the mayor? All city, councilors,.

R

That could be further amended. Yes, should we vote on that last amendment before any other amendments.

R

Are made yes, no has not been voted. That's what before the council votes, I wanted to explain.

G

What I thought that a memo would mean if you voted for it, so you know the result: councilman.

K

I disagree with that statement just because we're removing any changes so we're going back to the.

K

Original language of the audit committee to then possibly be amended. So first we're.

K

Making amendment to what's in front of us to just take away all the changes to the audit committee.

L

And vote on that so then we just have the red lines to the other groups which minus out the.

L

Other committees and then we can further amend the original audit committee. Language.

K

That's the way I understood it. I agree yeah uh the system here I apologize.

K

I feel like this needs to be tabled. I know that I apologize for governance. I know how much work you.

K

Have done on this, I just it feels like every time this comes back. There's several. You know friendly.

K

Amendments and back and forth- and I think that the governance committee and several maybe several.

K

Counselors need to go to governance and and talk through it there and then have it, be brought back.

K

Here it just, it feels like we're getting lost in translation several times over. So I apologize to.

K

Governments for even feeling like I have to say that, but I I feel like I have to say that.

B

Council tabor: um that's one way we could go. um I think, as a governance committee member.

R

I've had a chance to look at the new hampshire, municipal association and so forth, and to really.

B

Think long and hard about the citizen members and I do think they have value.

B

So I think- and we also have council lombardi, so I think you can see that.

B

The governance committee is open to changing this and it really is a whole council decision.

B

So as difficult as this is, we might do well to press ahead.

B

May counselor is it possible to exclude section 1.4 one zero from the vote.

N

And um send and then table that separately.

B

Is certainly possible, yes, would that be a better way to do it and then.

B

Then come up with the language that what we're trying to get at without.

B

Well, I I would say that um here's, the.

B

This is this is where it kind of gets tricky in terms of the process required to change an.

B

Ordinance takes a reading takes a second reading. We want as much as this discussion to happen.

K

In public as possible, it's just really complicated to update things on the fly and we balance you.

P

Know the send it back to community and have different language come back to us.

B

uh With the need for us to, as the governing body have these discussions as much.

N

You know in public as possible, it's not like. We could meet behind closed doors.

B

uh And and discuss this, this is, uh you know, be a right to know, um and so we could easily uh pass.

B

uh The other portions of this, the sun setting of the committees, um since they are not meeting.

B

Right now and do not plan to meet uh and with the case of the the pierce island committee uh have.

R

Sunset, I do not see necessarily the urgency of pressing ahead and tabling portion of this. I would.

B

Rather, if we were planning on tabling and crafting language that we could all support, I would rather.

M

Table this entirely until the next meeting of which we would have a new revised language.

B

That would speak to both the need of obviously include all the other things in there, but it could.

N

Try to mend together the the desires of the governance committee to have uh more more.

B

I guess accountability when it comes to voters and the audit committee, meaning.

B

Counselors on the audit committee, as well as what I think is a general consensus among.

B

The council of appreciating the citizen re uh volunteerism uh of the uh the many um countless.

B

I think it's I don't. I don't know it's it's fair to to age anybody, but a hundred years I've.

B

Heard over and over again um and if an effective amount of of knowledge when it comes to that. But.

N

I think it would be better to the assistant mayor's point of having something that is.

N

It is clear uh that we could have in the packet, um and that would um would accomplish the goals of a.

N

A discussion in public now my question to the city attorney would be, is how would we accomplish that.

R

If we wanted to make changes to, uh if we wanted to table this ordinance and make changes that.

R

Appeared in the packet would that have to come under our counselor's name. How would that make.

R

It into the packet, if we were to do that at the september 19th meeting the council could.

R

Postpone could pass second reading of all provisions of this amendment, except those relating.

R

To section 1.410 postpone any consideration of amendments to section 1.410 until the next meeting.

B

And then, at that time I can bring in, for somebody can bring it for you.

B

A proposed written amendment that accomplishes whatever the council wants the result to be okay.

B

Now would we have to could we simply table the entire thing just for purposes of clarity until.

B

That second meeting or do we need to move forward with well yeah. I wonder what would be more clear.

B

It might be a good idea, your honor, to get rid of the remainder of the things.

B

So that they don't have to be on the agenda and log up anybody's thinking, sure, okay I'll take that.

B

So can I make a motion to separate out.

B

R

Action on section 1.410, until until you want, until our next council meeting and.

R

Put on the remainder of the what is up second reading of the proposed amendment as presented.

R

I'd second, that okay uh counselor bagley, um since I'm the one that kind of sprung this last minute.

K

Without talking to the city attorney first, should we hash out um kind of a general consensus of.

K

What we want the language to look like for next meeting now. That would be a tremendous idea, so.

R

I've proposed an idea of three city councillors and the three existing audit committee members.

R

And one of those city councillors to be chair for the reason that um they're going to have the best.

R

uh Idea of what the council wants, the audit committee to do.

R

So I think that'll make things work a little bit more efficiently. If one of the counselors is chair.

R

But I'm certainly open to other ideas or other suggestions, counselor lombardi and then and the.

R

The second- and I agree with that- the second piece of it is that the counselor terms are coterminous.

R

And I'm not sure that's in here already it's in there right now. It is but then but then the.

R

Non-Council terms, I suggested, would be continue to be three years instead of two having a.

G

And that doesn't like that, no, I just think they need to be staggered.

G

Yeah so three or stagger staggered you can do three-year terms, but you know they need to be.

B

Staggered so that they don't all come up at the same time. That's the only addition. Okay.

B

Assistant mayor, thank you and I would open up for discussion either tonight or.

B

Bringing back in governance- and I believe I mentioned this at the last meeting- would.

N

Be to potentially turn those citizen positions into advisory positions, essentially, within this.

B

Ordinance, there's a meant there's an amendment that we would. You know, give the power to hire an.

R

Advisor expert, so I think that if we potentially to meet halfway a little bit, in my view from where.

R

You know it was presented with governance to take all citizens votes off as we bring them back into.

R

More of an advisory role, so maybe a non-voted advisory role sits for the three citizens.

R

Because what I heard tonight is that we have all this expertise that we are looking for. Experts.

R

And people to advise us and not spend more money if we needed experts from the outside.

R

So to me it would make sense that, if that is the primary purpose of those citizen.

R

Experts would be to put them in the non-voting advisory role.

R

I think there would be, I think, it's a good discussion. We can bring it forth. I would.

R

I don't know if uh jim, oh he's still in the audience. I I think you need to.

R

You know the the dog has to be a little hungry to hunt. um I think they need a little stake to to.

R

To to to want to vote, but I love I mean, I think it's good- that we're in agreement now or I'd say.

R

A consensus without having taken a vote, so I don't even know how we've reached that. But.

R

um That we appreciate the uh the efforts of the the citizens uh that have brought.

R

Through financial expertise and and to be able to leverage that in the best possible way,.

N

I think that's, hopefully what the ordinance is going to come back with and without further.

N

Bob do you have some? Yes, john? I I thought I would just recite what I thought. The council.

N

Has agreed to so that I will know what it is to go and write if this motion passes the way it's.

N

Been proposed and what I think the council has agreed to is that the make up the audit committee.

N

Will be three councillors in three citizens that the council of terms will be co-terminus.

N

With their terms as members of the council, the three citizens will have three-year terms.

N

Except that the first three citizen members of the audit committee will have staggered terms and that.

N

And there was some discussion right at the end of from the assistant mayor that the uh the.

N

Non-Council members of the audit committee be advisory, uh have an advisory role rather than.

B

A full role so that last one there may not be council consensus on them, but I think the.

B

Council agreed on the other things yeah, I I have no problem with them being voted voting members.

N

um But that's that's. I guess that's up for discussion again, oh uh system. I apologize.

B

And I again paul apologizes, but I guess then why did we bring this ordinance up? Why did why did if.

K

If members of the governance committee feel like they're okay, if you know residents voted on this.

K

Committee, then, why this amendment to the ordinance come forward counselor cook. Thank you, mayor.

K

The reason this came forward is it was brought up by one member of the governance committee.

K

And there was a concern about following the gfoa guidelines, which said that they should.

K

Be members members of an audit committee should be members of the governing body.

K

So therefore we shouldn't have citizens represented, we should have elected members of the.

N

Governing body, because, ultimately, the governing body is responsible for the financials of the city.

B

And so that's why it came forward and that's why you see all the red line changes because.

G

Those items were no longer necessary if you weren't looking for volunteer citizens to serve.

G

If we were to keep volunteers on the committee and they remain voting members.

G

We do risk the same problems that gfoa envisioned, which is a conflict. A potential conflict arising.

G

Between citizen members and board elected members and the elected body, which is the reason why gfoa.

G

Says that your governing board should make up your audit money in the first place. So I put doing.

B

Three and three there's a possibility of having it that same conflict arise in this committee. Yes,.

B

uh Concert table yeah to answer the assistant mayor's question. I think we brought this up.

K

Because we were concerned about the primacy of the council running the audit process and.

O

As councilor cook says, we were trying to do the best practices according to.

O

The government finance officers association, which works with hundreds of thousands of.

O

Towns and cities across america and has looked at all the best practices and their.

O

Particular point on having the audit committee be. Members of the government in body was.

O

The members of an audit committee should be all members of the governing body for two reasons.

O

Oversight of the executive branch is a core responsibility that cannot be delegated.

O

And the inclusion of non-council members on the committee would inherently weaken both.

O

Its real and perceived authority by creating a gap between the ultimate decision-making power.

O

I.E, in our case the council and the committee, so that was why we made the change that we did.

O

But as you've pointed out to me, the new hampshire municipal association has differing advice. They do.

O

Have a role for citizen members- and I think the mayor put this well at a last meeting.

O

It's that balance of how do we balance the accountability they counsel by getting and while.

O

Getting the expertise of citizens who who have the know-how and want to serve. And I think that.

B

You know where we're at now making three counselors and three residents.

B

Gives us and a chair who's the.

B

Who's one of the city councilors, um makes that primacy of the council and the audit process.

B

um A principle of governance of how we're how we're going to go ahead. But we also get.

B

Equal weight to our independent experts and- and I think that's that's the balance, um that's where.

B

We start and we'll bring it back next time and and see if we've got it right, assistant.

B

uh Just attention, thank you. I think it's important to notice and note it and where I got.

B

The committee, the audit committee advisors, it's from the new hampshire municipal government, new.

R

Hampshire municipal organization is that they say non-council members would serve as audit committee.

R

Advisors, so that's where I came up, I I didn't just pull this out of there. None I added yes,.

R

The non-voting advisory role, but as as advisors so we'd have the counselor. The three counselors.

R

Sit as the three voting members and then we would have advisory positions for non-council members. I.

R

Yeah- and I see um I see that I think the wait- I won't jump into this council- then it's not.

R

My job to respond- I haven't, commented much to the merits of this, but the ordinance itself.

R

Specifies that the members of this committee are just advisors to the council, so if we had.

R

Just three city councilors voting on it and then three volunteers, just as advisers to them.

R

And the council essentially advisers to the council, I don't think necessary. I'd like to.

N

Keep it with the volunteers voting as well, because they're just advisors to the council, council, okay,.

R

uh Councillor bagley yeah, thank you, your honor, and I I think that the existing members should.

R

Retain the right to vote, I think it's uh you know. We're kind of we've got different guidance.

R

I guess it seems between the blue book and the new hampshire municipal association, so we're trying to.

R

Square circle here, so I think we're well there's not a lot of these in new hampshire. I think.

R

Dick bagley stated there's uh three. I forget the number. Maybe that's right, there's not a.

R

Lot of cities that do it a lot of towns do it, and this is uh we're gonna we're gonna, find.

R

There's a lot there's a lot of different governing bodies that want to deal with this in a way that.

R

We could draw from, um but I appreciate the discussion uh thus far. You know I will. I.

R

Think we're ready to bob. Are you ready to I'm like jonathan? I take it from the discussion that.

R

There is not council consensus to make the citizen members of the audit committee non-voting no, but.

B

We can bring that up at the at the next meeting. That can be an amendment to that, but I don't think.

O

There's consensus at the moment right, so what I'm just trying to get at is: where do we go from here.

O

And how do we get that where you want to be so I have a recommendation, which is that first off.

O

The count the motion that's been made by council lombardi should be passed.

O

In which case all of this ordinance, except for the audit committee, now passed a second.

R

Reading the audit committee will be postponed to the next council meeting. Then I'm going to.

G

Request the council to take the rather unusual step of suspending rules and passing third reading.

G

Of those portions which are passed second reading and the reason I do, that is to just clear the deck.

G

So the next time you're looking at this you're looking at one page and not all that you're.

G

Looking at now and then, if that passes, then at the next council meeting I will propose to you a.

Q

Written amendment to the audit committee ordinance, which makes it three councils, three civilians,.

Q

As the council members terms, coterminous with their terms on the council,.

Q

Three attempts to the civilians, but creates a stagger in the appointment which is actually.

Q

Something we've written earlier on in your honor. I will, I will think of some way to.

Q

Deal with the transition transition issue by using recommending how the mayor should use the mayor's.

Q

Power of appointment to okay to transit, from where we are right now to where we will be the day.

Q

It's adopted, so that's that's the picture. So if the council, so first we got a vote on the.

Q

Motion on the floor: yes um before we do it simply like there's.

Q

The only thing that I I took exception uh to in all the public dialogue.

Q

Was that a member said people you don't like, and that might not have been the intention.

Q

But I like everyone that likes portsmouth enough to spend time trying to to serve it. I think the.

Q

Idea is people, you don't agree with and there's plenty of people. I don't agree with. uh I I'm.

Q

Outnumbered in my house, um I I'm outnumbered in a lot of things that I do, but I I think that when we.

Q

Have conversations that try to put ideology aside um that try to listen to one another.

Q

And and really get into the details, and that's why I was a little harder than I usually am.

Q

With folks in in public comment, because I or the the public hearing, because I wanted to get to a.

Q

Point of understanding the details of this, because that's how compromise is made and that's how.

Q

Things are move forward, I'm happy that we can move forward and past second and third reading of the.

B

Changes that are more administrative and I'll look forward to seeing what comes before the council.

N

When it comes to changes that potentially could come to the audit committee.

B

So with that uh I'll call for a roll call vote on passage of uh council rombardi's amendment, okay,.

B

Ten um assistant mayor kelly, yes, counselor tabor, yes, counselor, denton, yes, councilman moreau; yes,.

B

Councillor bagley, yes, council lombardi; yes, council, blaylock, yes, councillor cook, yes, mayor mcgregor,.

B

Yes, that passes unanimously now I'll wait a motion to suspend the rules so moved. Don't we have to.

B

Vote on the second reading first, or do we vote on them together? That would be a question I thought.

B

Counselor lombardi's motion was the past second reading of those portions, except for section 1.010,.

B

Postpone one point: okay, okay, I just wanted to make sure we did the right thing. I moved to.

R

Suspend the rules, the third reading, the public hearing. Is it all in favor to suspend the rules.

R

Any opposed, and is there a motion to pass third reading uh as amended, I move to pass third reading.

R

Of chapter one, article four uh commissions and authorities through third reading.

R

Those portions of that which have passed second reading, those portions of of which have passed.

R

Second reading, second uh and we'll do a roll call vote on this as well. Okay,.

R

Sorry cal: no, it's fine.

R

Assistant mayor kelly, yes, counselor taber, yes, counselor datton, yes, councilman rowell,.

R

Yes, councillor bagley, yes, council lombardi, yes, council, blaylock, yes, counselor cook,.

R

Yes, mayor mchachran, yes, unanimous! No bob do we need anything else for that? No, no! Your honor! I.

B

I do want to add in that uh it will also include the provision that the.

O

Council member will be chair of the art committee as discussed previously.

O

And I will bring you a proposed amendment that somebody can make at the next.

O

Meeting, okay uh with that, we will take a 10-minute recess. Thank you. Please,.

S

S

uh I I it felt like we could have just uh uh had uh that ten minute break for a lot longer. All the.

S

Way to 10 30 and call it a night and and go about this uh tomorrow, but there's um there's still some.

S

Important a lot of important work uh to do here, so um I want to get right to.

S

The next uh one, um the the public hearing uh residual resolution authorizing a bond.

S

Issue and her notes of the city under the municipal finance act and participation in.

S

The state revolving fund srf loan of up to one million two hundred thousand dollars for costs.

S

Related to sewer service connections related to the sagamore avenue area, sewer extension.

S

Project and I will entertain a sample motion, uh move to adopt the resolution as presented.

S

Okay and then um we'll get to the presentation, but I just wanna, you know, there's a there's so.

S

Much that comes before the council um in terms of sometimes of public comment. You know, and public.

S

Comments not usually uh a two-way street. I broke my own rules on that and I called out some things.

S

So I want to call a couple other things as we get to this, because it's germane to this topic.

S

You know this 1.2 million dollars of authorization, it kind of speaks to the um you know the entire.

S

City, what we're focused on obviously sewer is one of the big things, but how do we pay for sewer.

S

And there was a number of speakers that spoke at length about um you know the the money. That's.

B

Sitting out uh in in checking accounts, um we spent a lot of time in the last council discussing this.

B

Very thing why we do this: why we bond money in a certain way? What is the profession why? Why is the.

B

Reason we would ever bond money, um you know ahead of the project or why isn't peter getting these.

B

Projects, you know shovels in the ground as soon as we cut the check. Well, if we were doing it a.

B

Piecemeal way, if we were simply cutting a check for every project that came before us, we would.

B

Be paying an enormous amount more in finance cost because we're not using the weight of the city or.

B

Aaa bond rating to go out and get bonds at times that are most favorable to us now we are all.

B

Summer, children, when it comes to interest rates on the city council up into about you, know three.

B

Months ago, when interest rates started going up, so it's been a while, since we've really had.

B

The opportunity to appreciate the professionalism that exists within the finance department of the.

B

City of portsmouth- and I am not going to name any names or or count up the number of years that they.

B

Have because I'm sure they would kill me if I put their collective expertise and thus ages in front.

N

Of everybody, but I have always been impressed and I believe portsmouth can be absolutely proud.

N

Of our finance team and bringing us forward proposals in ways that always balance the interest.

N

Of the taxpayer and the interest of you know a fiduciary responsibility and and bring money not.

N

Just to park it into account, all of that is, you know, assigned fund balance, but to do so in a way.

R

That creates the best opportunity for the city of portsmouth to really uh get as much out.

R

For every dollar, as we can, um and so there was a lot that came in the the previous.

R

Conversation, I didn't want to let it go. um I guess um uh unresponded to. I picked this time uh because.

B

I guess I'm the mayor and I can talk whenever I want, even though I'm not supposed to, um but that's.

B

uh It's important to be able to call uh that out so um with that, um I would love to uh to bring up.

B

uh Peter go through this presentation. Are we going to peter your honor? It's going to be my honor to.

B

Ask assistant city engineer, zachary, come up and make this presentation peter will assist as may.

B

Be necessary and mayor, thank you for the uh the words about our finance team. They are without.

B

Rival in the state, absolutely thank: you explains the suit and sitting back there for four hours.

B

With me, a second zach I'm going to straighten this up. Thank you for the introduction.

B

All right, sir, take it away. I'm zachary cronin assistant city engineer for the city.

B

Of portsmouth and I'm here to talk about the sagamore, app sewer extension project.

B

A little bit of project background the sewer extension project centers around sagamore creek.

R

On the north of the creek, we have sagmore ave, cliff road, shaw, road and walker, bungalow road.

R

And on the south side we have sagamorav sagamore grove and wentworth house road north of the creek.

R

We have severino trucking, currently under contract, constructing the sewer main within.

R

The right of way, you may have seen some of the construction over there and last month.

R

The city council voted to award funding for the sewer main on the south side of the creek.

R

In this project area, there are approximately 88 properties or 91 sewer connections and the.

R

Funding of those connections is what I'm here to talk about. We can move to the next slide.

D

So the city of portsmouth is paying for the construction of the sewer main in the street and.

R

Sewer laterals to the right of way that ended a curb, stop and underneath the contract. The city is.

H

Purchasing and installing the pumps at the properties that wish to connect as part of the.

D

Part of the project, so that is purchase and installation and connection to the houses.

D

That leaves the property owner or homeowner responsible for the cost of installation from.

D

The ejector port on the pump to the curb stop at the edge of the right of way. So that's excavation.

D

Installation of the pipe and then restoration over the trench. Now all of that work would be.

D

Executed by the city contract, meaning that all of that work needs to be funded so that we can.

D

Execute the contract and have the contractor do the work. So that brings us to the next slide.

D

Project costs there have been 39 properties that have shown interest and would like to get an mou.

D

To connect into the sewer and connecting to the sewer, so that's 30 properties on the north side.

D

Of the creek north, yes of the side of the creek and nine properties on the south side of the creek.

D

That's 1.1 million dollars on the north side and 0.4 million dollars on the south side for these 39.

D

Connections into the sewer, a total of 1.5 million dollars and that's an average resident.

D

Cost of sixteen thousand dollars and seven sixteen thousand and seventy seven dollars.

D

Now approximately six hundred and twenty seven thousand of that will be repaid.

D

uh To the city by the residents over time, that is for their section of the work, the.

D

Ejector port to the curb stock within the right of way.

D

That brings us to the bond proposal. Staff recommends funding the 39 connections at.

D

A total of 1.5 million dollars, 300 000, was approved as part of the fiscal year 22 funding.

D

Which leaves a need of 1.2 million dollars, which is the proposal we have in front of you tonight.

D

Thank you, zach.

D

um Any questions from the council on this.

T

This is the mayor. Thank you. um What is the the timetable for the completion of the whole project.

T

So the north side, sewer main uh we have under contract to be completed by december.

T

30Th of uh 2020 and then we are projecting that the sewer main south of the creek.

T

Would be completed in the construction year of 2023.

T

That is more than likely when the private side connections would begin and we have funding in.

T

Out years, till fiscal year of 28 to fund and complete the private side connections, thank you.

T

Councilman, if anyone beyond the 39 properties that we're funding for now want to connect at a later.

T

Date are we going to need to do additional funding for that, or are they just going to.

T

Be responsible for making all payment we've carried funding through until fiscal year, 2028.

T

So that would uh would cover the approximately 66 properties that we have designs for currently.

T

Now we would need to rework the unit costs moving forward, but we do have funding.

T

Projected for that so you'll continue like the same deal going forward. If other people change.

T

Over the next handful of years- and yes over the next handful of years, yes, but just a clarifying.

T

Question on that not the same deal and that will do the the same work. But the price.

T

Could be different for those given that it's a a new we would have to enter in a new contract.

T

With uh yes, yes, a new contract would need to be entered into, but the the cost apportionment.

T

That split would remain the same. It's the unit prices that would uh differ right, uh councilmember,.

T

I just want to say that I think this is a great project, we're taking people who are.

T

Very close to the water off septic systems and putting them on to a sewer system that.

T

You know treats the water treats the waste and.

T

I think this is a win-win for them, as well as for the city. Thank you. Thank you.

T

Councillor tabor um zach, if a homeowner doesn't opt in and sells the house does the new homeowner.

T

Will we allow that new homeowner to stay with septic or will we require that.

T

New homeowner cut over, I spoke to kevin caveney at des and the septic approvals.

T

Are by the system not by the homeowner, so should the septic system adhere to all.

T

State laws, then it would be fine to continue being used. Thank you.

T

And maybe just a clarifying comment here, because I was involved along with counselor tabor on this.

T

Lengthy process before.

T

Just does that correct me from wrong. Typically.

T

And how we picked up the owner cost here is that previously this would be the owner cost.

T

Of connecting into without a low gravity system, we would simply uh we would have them tie in.

T

The old septic tank would tie into the street in any other um in any other project throughout.

T

The city of portsmouth, where we're adding sewer your responsibility, would be from your or your.

T

Waste pipe exits: your house would go to a septic. Your responsibility would be to tie into that.

T

Sewer main and we're trying to replicate that here, even though it's a different system.

T

A low gravity system requires a pump and so we're picking up the connection to the pump.

T

And the homeowner is still picking up extensively. The same amount through a loan fund that we're.

T

Yes, it's fairly similar the gravity systems, don't require pumps, so they, the homeowner, pays from the.

T

House to the sewer main in those instances, um this does keep it fairly comparable to a gravity.

T

Connection, so it is fairly comparable in that way, and the reason why I think we're doing this, or at.

T

Least the reason stated at the the previous when we were on the previous counselor together was.

T

That, since this was an epa, consent, decree and and kind of went outside, maybe you know collectively a.

T

Community, you know, or a neighborhood coming together and saying we want sewer. This was.

T

The feds telling us telling our residents that this had to happen uh and we entered into that.

T

Agreement uh with them, uh obviously there's a cost and so we're trying to mitigate that as.

T

As best we can yes, this was uh this is our uh consent, decree uh second modification project.

T

It was chosen by the uh the council thanks zach, any other questions from the council.

T

We now have the opportunity for uh members of the public.

T

If you'd like to come up and and speak in, it uh feel free to do so.

T

Now I didn't say this before and again trouble, but you know it's a three minutes. You know in your.

T

Heart and your heads here, no filibustering. It will be brief. Okay, feature huda, 280, south street, so.

T

First, I want to say that I have um no objections about this project moving forward. I think this.

T

Is great, we've worked long and hard on it and it's come a long way from what it originally was.

T

My question- and I don't know if this is for um our finance department or perpetually prepared.

T

Peter, uh according to the memo that was given to us by um brian goetz, terry demaris and zach at.

O

The last meeting the work for the separate funding for the authorization on july 11 was 2.5 million.

O

Included the south side, so the north side is in the consent degree.

T

We were just told that the south side is not going to start till 2023, possibly because we.

T

Don't even know if we're going to finish the north side in 2020, so my question is: what is the.

T

Reasoning behind not using some of the funds that are have already been appropriated, the 2.5 instead.

T

Of requesting another 1.2 here and moving forward later, to request that, when the plans come forward.

O

I don't know if you can't answer, but maybe somebody else can and that's that's my question.

G

Any other speakers, thank you. Thank you.

T

Peter, do you want to speak to the funding timing? Yep, we've closed the hearing.

T

If I may answer that question the south side of the creek, the sewer main is.

T

Included in our consent decrease, so we do need to finish that work.

T

The other aspect is that we're going to be executing a change order to lock in the.

T

Prices that the contractor was willing to hold until september and if we did not lock in now.

T

Those prices would not be valid so that that's uh a very critical part of this.

T

Certainly, we've we've seen so this is a project that we spent a lot of time.

T

Talking about and if there's like any project that when we're talking about um requirements.

G

uh And not opt-ins, you spend a lot of time, but in that process we saw as this council that the.

B

Prices that came back from what was originally quoted to what was uh available to do uh given.

B

um Inflationary pressures, you know, construction prices, uh you know brought a.

B

Enormous enormous additional cost. Now I think I closed the public comment, but I didn't look.

B

At zoom so uh kelly can I do. I have to suspend the rules to reopen the public comment, or can I.

B

Call on the member of uh the zoom! Well, I didn't hear you technically closed. Okay, all right! Okay,.

B

Sheridan, could you please uh just state your name and the city residents and your please try.

B

To keep it to within three minutes. Thank you, mayor mcrecran. um This is sheridan lloyd, 45, cliff road.

B

In portsmouth, I would like to just clarify some of the things I have been involved in this uh low.

B

Pressure sewer system, design and implementation forced implementation on our neighborhood since.

R

Day one when it was announced to us in 2019 clarifying, not all properties are actually.

B

On the waterfront or close to the waterfront, so a lot of the properties are actually not impacted on.

B

That applica, that aspect of it the lateral lines when it was negotiated just so people are aware.

B

Residents as well as the council, lateral lines in other parts of the city actually run now at this.

B

Point: fifteen hundred to two thousand dollars for a lateral line for the uh homeowner to pay.

M

As it's been stated for our neighborhood, because it is all granite, it is all cliff, it is all rock.

M

um Ours is all ending up being blasted. Actually they haven't done any blasting they're just.

M

Like hammering for hours and hours and hours every single day, um ours, as you said, is an average of.

M

About sixteen thousand, it goes up to twenty two thousand dollars for a homeowner to connect to.

B

This sewer system- this is not in keeping with what a lateral line costs in other parts of the city.

B

um This was a city negotiated, consent decree. This was brought up by the city.

B

As an example, or as a suggestion to the epa, the epa did not bring this up themselves.

B

It has also been discussed at meetings early on on this that this whole thing was supposed to be.

B

To eliminate or reduce pollution in sagamore creek, and it was agreed upon that this most likely.

B

Will not have an improvement on sagamore creek's pollution levels, because most of the pollution is.

B

Coming from up creek, not from this neighborhood, some of the other suggestions I have and some.

B

Of the other information is, I would request new rfqs for all of the lateral line work to be done.

B

um Here is an example, and or do we need to have extremely tight controls over what is actually.

B

Being done, we had our property evaluated a year and a half ago, a year to a year and a half ago,.

B

At that point in time they did all the diagrams and discussions on what we have where there's.

B

Granite, where there's not granite, what the whole history of the area is the quote that came back.

B

To us and to the city includes a cost to the city component of this whole project on our property, a.

B

One thousand and eighty dollar cost doesn't sound like it's big, does it for the whole size of the.

B

Property the whole size of the project, but what would you get for a thousand and eighty dollars.

B

They would move seven potted tomato plants from where they're going to be digging and then they.

B

Would put the seven potted tomato plants back in position and their quote from moving seven potted.

R

Tomato plants is over a thousand dollars, if that's just one component of the errors and the omissions.

M

And or the overcharges for some of the work that are being done, I would be horrified to find out.

O

What other overcharges there are. Another thing that was brought up in an earlier meeting was the.

O

Request for the property owners to have all the specifications, so we can go out and get our own.

O

Contractors and get our own pricing on doing the lateral line component of this and it yes, we had.

O

Discussed it would include the other components of it, but the cost of a 13 000 pump in a tank.

O

Is insane at this point in time, especially, there was a discussion that everyone already has.

O

um Septic tanks, which are sitting right in line with where you want to end up putting.

O

These lateral sewer lines, therefore, there should be allowance, as it was discussed that we already.

O

Had the tanks in line and in place that these tanks would end up being used, that should bring.

O

Down that thirteen thousand dollar cost to the city for these tanks and comps, that's what I have.

B

To say at this point in time I think the overage on this we're looking at probably a 15 million.

B

Dollar project, if and when we get this whole thing done and remember the epa consent decree.

B

Was for less than 3 million dollars? If I remember correctly, it was like 2.1 or 2.5 million dollars.

B

For the whole thing we're already up at like 8 million dollars and we're still pounding.

B

Getting holes in the ground at 15 feet per week is what the progress is on this on sagamore avenue.

B

This is going to be a very long and drawn out project we're now out to 2028.. It was originally.

B

Supposed to be done by 2022, then we are told more recently when it started in may it was going to be.

B

Done by 2026 we're four months into it and we've already added two years to the project. This has.

B

Been going to be an extremely expensive and long torturous process, thank you. Thank you. Sheridan.

B

Any other comments or questions from the council.

B

Oh counselor denton thank you honor, I'm just to clarify just because there's a consent decree.

B

That says we have to spend a certain amount on something it doesn't mean. We can't go above.

B

And spend more money if it's for a good cause like this, especially given how septic tanks are.

B

Often, worse than sewer systems, when it comes to pollutants being discharged into the ground.

B

Any other comments, questions.

B

With that um again, a lot of work uh has gone into this uh and appreciate all of the comments. uh The.

M

Amount of time that we spent on it uh the previous council, uh getting to a point, um would love to be.

B

Able to do more with the money that we have, but the pressures that we have on us as a council and.

K

A city, I can't imagine that the costs are going to be going down any time soon. So um with that.

R

I'd like a roll call vote uh on the the motion on the floor to adopt the resolution as presented.

N

Certainly assistant mayor kelly, yes counselor tabor, yes, council, denton, yes, councilman rowe,.

N

Yes, council bagley; yes, council lombardi; yes, council blaylock; yes, council cook; yes, yes,.

K

Thanks zac next up, we need a motion to suspend oh, we guess we do all right.

R

You're and I'd make a motion uh to suspend the rules and go past 10 30.. Second, all in favor.

B

Hi hi begrudgingly hi my favorite vote of the night. Every time we did good the first couple.

B

Yeah, I know we did until we got to some longer public hearings. um Now we have a third and final.

B

Reading of ordinance, uh this is to change, make changes to the code of ethics. Sample motion moved.

B

Past third and final reading of the ordinance, as presented so moved. Second, any discussion.

B

Councilman, um I think there has been a lot of discussion around the ethics ordinance and, in my.

B

Time in volunteering with the city for the last decade, we always know that every ordinance you.

B

Know whether it's new or you're revising it you've got to put it into practice to see how it works.

B

And to see how you can make it better, so I think we're at a point where this one's ready to be put.

B

Into practice and to see how it works and if it doesn't work, we can make changes down the road so.

B

Well, I it's it's hard to it's hard to make ordinances, it's hard to change, ordinances.

B

I think that we demonstrate that you know there's uh fallibility uh when when we have to.

B

uh Write uh the laws- this is one that um has has gone a long time. um I appreciated the discussion.

B

In uh so much as uh we came back with the idea of the uh the chief or the ethics investigative.

B

Officer uh there was some comments of a you know. The city manager can't appoint that.

T

Person what, if x, what, if y, what, if z um and to the credit, uh I think, we've come up with a way.

B

That you know recommendations still drawing on the expertise while giving it to the board.

B

To make the decision um it's a, it, creates a, I think, a better system for us. I look forward to.

B

Not using it, um but if so, I do believe that we will have a process to deliver um more.

B

More fact-finding and truth-gathering, uh which I think is always a better way to to reach a.

N

Decision so um appreciate that and with that, um since it is the third and final reading and.

B

I'll ask for a roll call vote assistant mayor kelly. Yes, counselor tabor, yes, counselor denton,.

B

Yes, councilman, yes, council bagley; yes, council lombardi; yes, council, blaylock, yes, so cook! Yes, yes,.

B

City manager, the floor is yours. Thank you. Your honor we've already taken up.

B

Number one thank you to deputy fire chief number. Two is the approval of welfare guidelines and I.

B

Won't read everything that is in my comment. I would uh share that the last time the city's.

M

Welfare guidelines were updated, was back in 2015, and this group should know that the new hampshire.

M

Local welfare administrators board of directors late last year worked with attorneys from the nhma.

M

To update model guidelines, many of which, most of which was adopted by a welfare officer, ellen tully,.

M

Working in conjunction with attorney city attorney sullivan, so they've been attached for your.

M

Consideration and late this afternoon, a redlined version of the welfare guidelines was distributed.

M

And for those following at home or who don't have the ability to see those uh largely.

M

These were word smithing changes and ways uh to make the policy more readable and user friendly.

M

And those include definitions for client and had different types of housing.

M

And pertinent to what we've lived through for the past two and a half years, an acknowledgment of.

M

Accepting electronic versions of transmission of information, whether by phone or by video,.

N

And there's a section about allowing each welfare area officer at their sole discretion, to support.

N

The limited needs of or limit in a limited capacity non-citizens and lastly, that there's.

N

A prohibition against using assistance for such products as alcohol, tobacco or pet food.

N

But otherwise they largely remain intact and per the rsa. The we're looking for the city council to.

N

Move to adopt these welfare guidelines, as presented so moved second uh counselor bagley.

N

uh Thank you, your honor, a question for the city manager on page 23. uh What you just mentioned, the.

N

Food vouchers may not be used for alcohol, tobacco or pet food. um Can we push back on the pet food.

M

Component of that, or is that a federal regulation or state regulation that you want you, I you were.

B

The ones who adopt these guidelines- and you can make that change. um This is local money. I might.

M

Add not federal state, so I the reason you know if somebody's in a situation where you know they.

B

Need assistance from the city and they have a a pet that may be a significant emotional part of.

N

Their life and it may help them get back on their feet, so I don't think we should exclude pet food.

N

So I would make a amendment try this again tonight uh that we strike the word pet food on.

N

Page 23., section e: oh sorry,.

N

Item three second.

N

N

Looking through that.

N

So but these are redlined from when are these redlined from.

N

Just redlined in our new uh this document got emailed to you later. uh Okay,.

N

I guess the only the only problem I would have with this is that.

N

The other changes are not redlined in the packet I'd like to. I mean, if we're not.

N

Like we've cue down on pet food because it came in right now and so moving out of just accepting.

N

What has been agreed upon by this by a a team of communities, since we don't have the redline.

N

Version I would have issue that we're adopting other changes that that we might not be.

N

That could be, as, as you know, glaring to us if they were redlined instead of uh an adopted packet.

B

Councilman I sort of disagree because I read that you know it might have been something that was.

B

Already in there versus it happened to be a change, but um I guess I don't see that as being a problem.

B

As much as you do.

B

I I'm talking to you the anti-dog mayor, um the um I guess I just. I am curious that the.

B

I mean I support this motion. I guess my concern is that they were redlined and other changes to the.

B

Welfare document were not redlined, so I don't know where the document uh has changed versus where.

B

It is well your honor. Everything in blue is either added, or it's in blue and red lines like.

B

So red lined, I guess, isn't the right term, but it's been blue lined if you will. So if you go to page.

G

26, are we talking about this in the so in the electronic packet? I don't see it as blue lined.

G

No, oh I'm sorry, I'm looking at the hard copy, so only on the email version and I guess my question.

G

Is were these changes that existed within? um Are they changes that were from the previous.

B

uh uh Welfare guidelines, because I don't see changes right. I just see welfare of guidelines.

K

This particular one, your honor, appears to be an addition, and it was not. Currently, it was not in.

K

The 2015 version, so are these, so okay, so is that so is this? Are we just updating this.

N

But uh from the 2015 guidelines, so the hard copy is the old guidelines with the changes.

N

Recommended and then what's the digital packet is a clean version with all the changes in it.

K

So the email version had the red lines in it: okay, correct because I didn't read that one I just.

K

Read that okay, but you read the one with all the changes right, but I guess like so uh changes are.

K

um I guess in the I'd like to know where the city uh of portsmouth is making a a modification.

K

Versus where we are just adopting because move one way or the other would signify a policy decision.

K

Versus simply, you know, like we've added um a lot on housing, and you know even things like you know,.

K

What is a client in this so that that's my question? That's tomorrow, I guess my only concern.

K

Was because we actually are taking this list from what used to be known as the food stamp program.

K

Whether or not, then that is what would disallow us from changing it. That would be my only question.

K

Because if we're trying to follow this, now called snap, the supplemental nutrition assistance program.

K

um Then I guess yeah. I just would wonder whether or not we're going if we can do that legally.

K

Would be my only question? Well, if I may bob, perhaps you and ellen talked about that that.

K

That any material added was something that was brought forward in conjunction with.

K

The welfare, administrative board directors and the new hampshire municipal association.

N

But I was not present for those discussions if it makes sense to have alan here.

B

To speak to those directly, we we can do that she's not here this evening. We would have to.

K

Bring this back for the next meeting, I was not present either. I did not prepare this document.

B

Okay, I guess my problem is the um like. If it's a, I don't know like if the if these are nmha.

B

And you know, new hampshire missile association is fantastic. I don't know you know, but portsmouth is.

B

Different than manchester, when it comes to uh welfare, so I don't know if these are.

O

Are right-sized um and since we don't have the right size for portsmouth? And since we.

O

Don't have uh the red lines were not or the blue lines were not originally in the packet, and you.

O

Know, council bagley pointed out one particular one. It gives me pause to accept all of them.

O

If we are, uh if we don't know the reason for those changes or those changes aren't mentioned in the.

O

In the packet answer bagley, thank you, your honor question for the seat. Mentors is there any.

O

Downside to this hunting this to the next meeting. No none whatsoever, we'll ask ellen to be here and.

O

uh We'll take that up then so, could we have it just a digital packet with the red lines yep so.

O

Shall I rescind my emotions, we can just table this matter and we'll bring it forth on september. 19Th.

G

Procedurally kelly does the counselor have to send anything he can make the motion to table and then.

F

I make the motion table under city managers items which require action.

G

Item two until the next meeting. Second, all in favor.

M

Item number three is a request to schedule at the initial request of counselor cook and approval of.

M

The council, a work session devoted to how to um allocate the remaining american rescue plan act.

G

Or arpa funds and that conversation took place at the july 11th meeting, the staff is proposing.

B

That we hold the work session on september 12th at 6 pm in council chambers. I know that is the.

O

Night before the primary, I also know it is a conflict with perhaps one or two counselors.

O

So, if, if it were the will of the council to schedule a work session but look to consider.

O

Other dates, we could do that um so not sure where you would like to go with this mayor. We could.

K

Consider that september 12th or we could look to other dates, such as the 13th, which again is the.

K

Primary or wednesday september 21st, there does not appear to be an evening conflict that night.

H

B

Your honor right move that we uh have the arpa work session september 12th, as recommended.

B

Second, any discussion uh you're on I'm just I will be in chicago that week and unable to attend the.

B

Whole week so the whole week is, you know for that, so all right, you're not allowed to join by zoom.

B

Exactly or you can what's the work session so we're gonna.

B

Any other discussion, all in favor.

N

Thank you. Next up is a discussion of the neighborhood pilot parking program. We had.

B

Mentioned that we would bring this back to you for your consideration, because the.

B

Program is set to expire on september 6. in the packet. We have a presentation that initially.

B

Was presented at a council meeting and at which time it was referred to the parking and traffic.

B

Safety committee meeting uh that presentation is back in your packet with some updated numbers.

B

uh We do not plan on showing the entire presentation tonight, however, we do have.

B

Parking director benjamin fletcher, on zoom, if the council has questions but based upon the data we.

B

Have looked at, we are trying to determine what is best in terms of the future of the of the program.

B

So, as mentioned, it's set to expire on september, 6th.

R

The the way that the packet is updated essentially includes data from the summer months.

R

And extends the program to a full year, because I believe we started on august 4th of 2021.. So.

R

Perhaps to for a starting point, if the council were interested in extending.

R

The neighborhood parking program, while we tried to determine whether fees should be associated or.

R

Whether whether the program should be continued, the recommended motion is that a motion be made.

R

To maintain the program for 90 days, during which time city staff could bring to the fee committee.

R

A recommendation regarding fees that should or could be adopted to sustain the program.

R

I'd like to make that motion: is there a second second? Okay, any discussion.

R

I've thought, along and hard about this program and considering I live with it. Every day of my life.

K

um And I really think it's a good program and I think one of the ways to sort of make it work for.

K

The whole city is to take away the two free hours that we give now and just make it all paid parking.

K

But if you live in the neighborhood, you can then buy a permit and not have to pay for parking on.

K

The street you pay for the permit instead, so it would just be like, through the app that they you.

L

Can park downtown you would park when you're there and that way that would help pay for the.

R

Cost of it and I think, having looking at what that cost might be, for people are paying when they're.

K

Parked in the neighborhood that aren't that aren't permitted will that offset most of the costs and.

K

Then what the permits would be, I think the fee committee could look at that, but that would be.

L

My want of a direction to look at okay, so your recommendation is.

L

Is to put all uh paid parking in there, but then you then it looks like you're getting a discount.

L

Instead of buying for something okay yeah, you get a per you pay for the permit and you get to park.

L

Without having to pay right, you're permitted or you pay to park one or the other okay, um I think.

A

That would be something that would be useful to go to the fee committee to see how that would be.

L

Implemented councillor bagley is the pts representative. I just want to support.

O

Councilmember's recommendation um I actually went to her house last week. I think it was.

O

And I don't have the neighborhood parking pass, but it would have been. You know it.

O

Would cost me a couple dollars to park for two or three hours on the street? There normally I'd.

O

Walk but I think it was right, it was one of the really hot days and I just didn't want to walk.

L

So I think that's an excellent idea and I think we it would be a good place to kind of test pilot.

B

Only letting people use the app so you would have to use the app there wouldn't be kiosks.

N

In the neighborhood, let's say right and we could see if, if we get any pushback on that.

N

Because I think that's kind of where parking is going in the future, I think it's a great idea. Yeah.

N

Okay, if counselor monroe does say so herself, she thinks her idea is a great idea.

N

I know I meant about using the apple.

N

I think we have to look at where we are now, which is.

N

People can get permits for free, so the question to me is: how far do you move everybody from.

B

You can get a permit right now for free, because that's what's customary and usual.

B

My question would be, if you metered the whole area, could you meter, maybe just the streets closest to.

B

Downtown would you have to do the entire npp area that we've got now.

B

Because, well, I think these are great questions for the fee committee and understanding.

B

That and I think that's a good place to to move the discussion. Yeah counselor.

B

Table you're on the feed committee stuff. Yes, that's right! So there you go your honor. Can I.

B

Make a recommendation for councillor tabors, you might want to look to the city of dover for what.

B

They charge for neighborhood parking permits. Okay, I think director fletcher could assist with that.

B

Yeah councillor cook, um thank you, your honor. um I I have questions about the neighborhood.

B

Pilot parking program in this neighborhood because it doesn't seem to have a huge impact.

B

And change in number of spaces, but then you have some residents who are very, very happy.

N

With it- and you have others that really aren't very happy with having the program in place, I I.

N

Think it's reasonable to extend it for 90 days and bring forward the discussion at the fee committee.

B

But I I strongly suspect, we'll hear back from residents if we go to a fee structured system.

L

That we might not even have the level of participation anticipated in this program, because.

B

It's great when you're getting something for free, but suddenly, when you have to pay for it, you.

B

Have two cars: three cars, four cars: it's getting really expensive, so it'll be interesting to see.

B

How this works, I think in the long term, I think, unfortunately, as parking becomes more difficult.

L

In the city, we might end up in a situation where we need neighborhood parking programs, not just.

L

In this area, but in other neighborhoods as well, so so, even though we're not seeing a huge impact.

L

Right now from this program, um that's not to say that that won't change over the next 10 years.

L

Thank you counselor cook, and I would agree. I've always well. I've supported this as.

L

As so far as that, I think that long term, we probably end up with something like this.

L

In more parts of portsmouth, I think it's. uh I share your concern of how much people are going to.

L

uh Want to pay for it, but I think understanding that is going to understand what the true value.

R

Of the program is, and if how many people actually want uh this program uh to exist, we've got to put.

R

A price on it and I think we would be kind of throwing out the work that we've done.

R

uh To not put a price on it uh and get that. You know that hard data from how many people want to.

R

Want to participate at that at that level, so um I would support the motion on the floor to.

M

Send this to the fee committee and if there's no other questions all in favor, aye aye any opposed.

M

Thank you item number. Five um speaks to a wayfinding easement for city property,.

M

Located at 93 pleasant street, I want to mention that um the project located at 93 pleasant.

M

Street no longer considers living units. It's I believe, it's office space now, that's it! That's.

M

Written, um but what's important here is that the planning board granted site plan approval.

M

For the project and as part of the project, the property owner has agreed to relocate a city-wide.

M

Wayfinding sign currently in the right-of-way onto the private property at 93 pleasant, which will.

L

Make the right-of-way that much more accessible the planning board recommended that the city.

L

Accept an easement to access, maintain, replace and repair the relocated sign. The easement is in your.

L

Packet for consideration- and we would look to ask the city council to move to authorize the manager.

L

To accept and record a sign easement over 93 pleasant street in substantially similar form to.

B

The easement deed from dagny taggart llc contained in the packet so moved. Second, any discussion.

B

All in favor aye any opposed. Thank you up. Next is a rather complicated matter, and I will do my.

B

Best to summarize- and I will also mention that assistant city attorney jane ferrini- is here.

B

And jane is our in-house expert on this matter. This is the request to renew the community.

B

Coalition communities, 2.0 membership agreement and it's timely because the full board is meeting on.

B

September 22nd and looking for all current members to affirm or renew their intent to.

B

Remain with the group and reauthorize the mou in advance of that meeting, and we have put that in.

B

Your packet for consideration tonight, you will recall that this group came back together when.

B

The concern with shared shared concerns among all the communities participating arising from.

M

The findings and recommendation back in late 2020 by the commission to study school funding.

N

And its ancillary effects, so um I don't know if this group has questions for.

O

Jane or if there's any questions about the desire to renew the mou.

O

O

Counselor cook, yes, thank you mayor, um there's some uh foreshadowing in the packet of upcoming.

O

Bills that may be coming before our legislature, this coming term related to changes potential.

B

Changes in education funding, I would love to hear um attorney ferene's uh thoughts on where.

B

We think we're going with that if we, if we really think these are or going to come to fruition,.

B

Perhaps while jane while jane is coming to the microphone, does it make sense to move.

B

um Make a motion to continue discussion, yeah, yeah, honor I'll make the motion.

B

That the city council moved to authorize the city to continue to participate in the coalition.

B

Communities, 2.0 and authorize the city manager to negotiate and execute a two-year renewal of.

B

A mou with the coalition communities 2.0 in a form similar to that in the packet. A second.

B

Thank you, counselor cook, you're, correct and so far as last session, there were maybe 50 education.

B

Bills that were tracked, and only one that was on point relative to really this funding change and.

B

That was uh sent to study committee so that one is still live and if it comes out of study committee.

B

um And becomes a bill, then that's definitely something that would warrant um attention and.

B

And lobbying efforts, but I think um the other thing that's briefly mentioned in the summary.

B

Is there's two pending lawsuits as well that are directly challenging the excess swept issue.

B

One is the convail case which has been kicking around gone to the supreme court and come back.

B

Down to the superior court level, that will be heard, I believe the trial is set um for the spring.

B

But there's a brand new case that was just filed in june, and that is from founding members of the.

B

New hampshire, fair education foundation, and so I think there will be a lot of activity.

B

On this issue, um I think the thought was to to wait because of these pending.

B

Cases with this last session, but we don't know who's going to get elected, we don't know you know.

B

Which way the political winds will blow- and this is a very complicated matter that is.

B

Tough to track um with 50 bills on education and the formulas complex, you really need a.

B

Presence in concord to kind of not only know the the scheduling of the hearings, but also.

B

Take the temperature of the folks that are really putting these motions and amendments forward so.

B

I do think they would be. uh We would be well served.

B

To continue uh having a lobbyist, we would have to go back out and bid for another lobbyist, but.

B

um I do think that that it would be um advisable for the council to move forward on this. Thank you.

B

Any other questions comments.

B

Nope thank you chain. Thank you, jane. Thank you. um I uh yeah. I will be supporting this. um It is a.

B

It's an incredibly difficult uh and probably our biggest challenge in the state of new hampshire.

B

Is how do we find education? um I view this coalition as a way to bring forth uh the uh the.

B

The conversations and concerns of of folks that are in portsmouth, just as willing to fund.

B

Education as anywhere else in the state, and do so in a way that is fair uh and equitable, so that we.

B

Can one day uh solve that, but not with a system that would be shifting the unfair burden to to.

B

Those least able to pay uh on the on the other extreme, so um all in favor aye any opposed post.

B

Next, oh you're, up next sorry, my last item: your honor is a request for a monitoring well license.

B

For 60 penn hallow street site plan, a full rule for this project includes grading and drainage.

B

Plans and our dpw department, along with new hampshire des and the owner, met recently to.

B

Review the grading and drainage plan and recommend a revision to the existing drainage plan regarding.

B

The location of monitoring walls that surround the site des is requiring four. There would be two.

B

On-Site and two off-site on city property beneath the sidewalk on panhalo adjacent to the building.

B

And because these two wells are located under city property, a license from the state states required.

B

Essentially, there is no cost to the city. This is simply facilitating the continuance of monitoring.

B

To track pollutants, the owner will submit a revised grading and drainage plan to show exact.

B

Locations after consultation with digsafe and dpw and the owner agrees to comply with specifications.

B

From both the dpw and the state uh that are listed in the packet, so we're looking for the.

B

Council to authorize the manager to negotiate and execute a license with dagny taggart llc to locate.

B

New hampshire des required monitoring wells under the city sidewalk along penn hallow.

B

Adjacent to the brick market, building at 60 panhalo street. Second, any questions.

B

Counselor cook, thank you, your honor. I just have a question on timing. I just I find it interesting.

B

That all of a sudden, now we're going to have to tear up sidewalks that were just put in to put in.

B

Monitoring wells, so um is: is this a new hampshire des timing issue or how was this decided so late.

B

I'm getting guidance from staff. If you don't mind, peter ice appears to have the most.

B

Information on this matter.

B

The brick sidewalks are there currently are actually temporary they're putting in a granite.

B

Inlay, so the timing is actually okay, because they're gonna be doing work in the sidewalks.

B

Anyway, okay, so the the des is really the one that dictated you know when they chose to make.

B

A decision, thank you, that's what I was guessing. So thank you, so we're getting fancier sidewalks there.

B

That's okay with those sidewalks, that's great any other questions and thanks counselor cook.

B

All in favor aye any opposed.

B

All right, thank you. Thank you. City manager,.

B

Onto the consent agenda, looking for a motion to adopt the consent agenda so.

B

All right look forward to the crop walk on sunday october 16th, the seacoast area crop walk.

B

um Let's see, uh presentations and written communications, email correspondence, look to.

B

For a sample motion to accept and place on file so moved second, all in favor aye. Any opposed next is.

B

The capital improvement plan, your honor beverly zen, will be joining us via zoom uh kevin. If you.

B

Wouldn't mind promoting her to panelists, while I figure out how to bring up her presentation.

B

B

Hi beverly, how are you you're free to go.

B

You just got on mute.

B

My apologies good evening, mayor and cancel. Can you hear me now weekend.

B

So once again good evening um this evening, I'm this evening, I'm going to be presenting on the.

B

Capital improvement plan development. Tonight's presentation is part of this year's kickoff.

B

For the capital improvement plan, development um alerting the public and the council and the.

B

Community that we are accepting um uh proposals at this time and tonight I'll briefly cover.

B

What is a capital improvement plan, but it's not I'll talk a little bit about the timeline and.

B

The process overview and then I'll. Finally, I will conclude with discussing public input.

B

Opportunities that will be available throughout the plan. You could advance the slide. Please.

B

What is the cipd, the cip, is a six-year plan for prioritizing.

B

And planning for major capital projects such as roadway, paving or building improvements.

B

It is a planning document alone. It does not commit any funding for the public. It is also.

B

Three things is an informational tool to better understand the city's long-term budget strategy.

B

It is an opportunity to suggest projects to be included in the cip and finally, it's an.

B

Opportunity to comment on proposed projects that are being considered for the cip thanks.

B

Why do we go through the cip process on an annual basis? Well, one good reason is that it's just.

B

Good planning it helps us to plan for projects that have bigger fiscal impacts, both short-term.

B

And long-range um it allows us to anticipate the impacts of those and plan for them well in advance.

B

To make sure that we're able to cover those projects equally important, the state requires.

B

That we develop a capital improvement program under rrsa 674.5. The cip should be developed.

B

To include major projects currently underway and future projects that are to be undertaken as well.

B

Most importantly, the state notes that the sole purpose and intent of the cip.

B

Is to help the mayor and the council in their budget deliberations, putting together that budget.

B

In accordance with state law, the city has adopted process language.

B

Into the charter that provides the following that the mayor shall rep, the manager shall prepare and.

B

Commit to the council's six-year capital program, at least three months prior to the final date.

B

For the submission of the budget, this should include a general summary of contacts. Contents.

B

A list of all capital improvements proposed during the next six years.

B

Cost estimates method of financing recommended time schedules for each improvement and estimated.

B

Annual operating and maintenance costs- and this is directly out of our city charter next slide. Please.

B

This is a very important slide. um Often we get applications that uh do not qualify.

B

Specifically, as a cip so really reviewing what is this? What is what what types of projects.

B

Qualify as a cip are really important, but we do take all the uh proposals that are submitted.

B

And when they are um not cip projects, we need to redirect them to the appropriate process where the.

B

Applicant or the uh uh the citizen commenter can receive information about how the idea.

B

Can be addressed through a more appropriate process, but, generally speaking, cip projects are.

B

Land acquisition, construction or expansion of a public facility, street utility or public.

B

Infrastructure rehabilitation, rehabilitation of a public facility or public infrastructure.

B

Provided the cost is 50 000 or more design, work or planning, study related to capital project or.

B

Implementation of a master plan, an item or piece of equipment, non-vehicular nature that.

B

Costs more than fifty thousand dollars and has a life expectancy of five years or more and.

B

Replacement purchase of vehicles which have a life expectancy of five years or cost more than fifty.

B

Thousand dollars that being an important threshold that fifty thousand dollars uh next slide, please.

B

So what are the plan inputs and there are primarily three.

B

uh Three sources where we get our our cip projects, the first being the adopted plan.

B

For the previous fiscal year, in this case, it would be fiscal year 23 to 28. uh those cip projects are.

B

Migrated forward into uh those adopted cip projects are brought forward into the new plan, but.

B

They might be adjusted to represent budget changes or changes to the feasibility of the project. Might.

B

So those projects are updated and brought forward. Citizens can again also suggest projects and.

B

Finally, staff can submit new projects that align with the criteria that I mentioned.

B

Before that the qualifying criteria- so these are the three inputs for the cip next slide.

B

This is an important slide um to help community understand how the staff works with the city.

B

Manager and the planning advisory committee to evaluate and prioritize projects and bring those.

B

uh Forward to the council: how are they evaluated and prioritized? They must respond to a federal.

B

State requirement: these are the criteria we use or address public health or and safety needs.

B

Alleviate substandard conditions or deficiencies. um We evaluate them to see if they're eligible.

B

For matching funds that are limited in terms of the timeline and availability, timing or location.

B

Coordinated with a synergistic project, can we get economy of scale by having these two projects that.

B

Are related done at the same time, um do that are they identified in a planning document or study.

B

They improve quality of or provide added capacity to existing services. Do they reduce long-term.

B

Operating costs provide incentives to economic development and, lastly, do they respond to a.

B

City-Wide goal or submitted resident request. It is important to note that while we apply.

B

These factors, then we utilize these consistent consistently in the prioritization process. Other.

B

Factors like emerging community needs public health and safety or city council priorities.

B

All can be considered in the development of the project list as well. This allows.

B

The whole process to be nimble and responsive to emerging community needs next slide. Please.

B

Funding sources: all projects are evaluated um by staff to determine what resources are available.

B

And the overall impact of the city's short and long term budgets staff works with the city.

B

Manager and the planning again planning advisory committee to prioritize prioritize projects.

B

Based on the aforementioned criteria that I mentioned, um and also the.

B

Funding impact with the general rule to try and keep the annual capital outlay.

B

To less than two percent and to keep the debt service to let them less than ten percent of.

B

The total budget I'll talk a little bit more about those two factors in the upcoming slides.

B

The cip once again is an important planning document, but it does not bring forward any.

B

Financial commitment, as as a document as an adopted document projects are proposed.

B

They're reviewed and adopted by the planning board or recommended for adoption by the planning board.

B

And then the cip is reviewed and adopted by council and the projects for the next fiscal.

B

Year move to the proposed budget and then the budget is adopted. So let's talk about what happens.

B

uh When a project is adopted into the budget at that point, there's a limited financial commitment.

B

If we commission the next slide, we'll talk a little bit about how that works.

B

There are two general ways that projects can be accounted for in the budget.

B

Either through capital outlay or through a bond issuance, the simplest way to describe capital.

B

Outlay is that it's pay-as-you-go funding or cash again, as I mentioned earlier, the city.

B

Schools to allocate no more than two percent of the total budget towards capital outlay.

B

And this is appropriated upon the start of the new fiscal year and the adoption of the budget.

B

This is very different than the bond issuance and bond issuance is funding through financing.

B

And bonded projects, bonded projects requires separate public hearing and a vote for city.

B

Council, after cip budget is adopted, so this is a two-part process, although it may be accounted.

B

For in the budget, it is at that point not funded until that second step has taken after the cip and.

B

The budget have been adopted, the city's net debt service as a percentage of the general fund budget.

B

Target is 10 well below the state required um maximums. um I'm told that our city capital outlay.

B

Has historically been about one percent and I think that's where we are now and again, we.

B

Are well below this, uh the state maximums with that 10 percent target, so the next slide, please.

B

There are many public input opportunities throughout the process. The uh beginning.

B

With project submission, you have a project that meets the criteria. You may submit that, and we are.

B

Asking that those be submitted uh no later, this is september 30th, so we can make sure that we include.

B

Those in our review of all the projects and bring that forward to the uh with consideration to all.

B

The other projects that are in the queue planning board will have a public hearing and city council.

B

Will also have a public hearing where projects can be commented on and then of course, there's the.

B

uh Added opportunities through the budget process, where projects can be comment, commented on as well.

B

Just working through the uh the time, the timeline for the process in august and september, which is.

B

Where we are now with process kickoff again we're inviting citizen requests at this time.

B

October, those uh citizen requests will be reviewed in addition to the departmental requests that will.

B

Be submitted um and the financials, as I mentioned, looking at the funding sources and trying to work.

B

Within those two percent 10 percent uh limits, the projects will be assembled and will start to.

B

Beginnings of draft documents in november december, the planning board will review and hold a public.

B

Hearing- and this is after the planning board advisory committee has worked with staff to sort.

B

Of bring that draft forward the hold of public hearing and recommend an adoption to city council.

B

With potentially some refinement, but a recommendation will come forward.

B

In january and february, somewhere between january march city council will review.

B

The draft document hold a public hearing and adopt the cip and then take that document forward.

B

To inform the budget development that will occur between april and june next slide, there.

B

Are three primary ways that the community can submit a project and we have worked really hard.

B

Under the guidance of the mayor to simplify this process, you may just go to the planning department.

B

Where we have hard copies that you can fill out by hand, we have really simplified of the the.

B

Applications, uh you may uh um just fill those out and and in writing handwriting, um not a lot of.

B

Information just a major project. You know a little bit of information about the project, description.

B

um And then we will kind of work with you to fill in the rest of the information as we develop the.

B

The project um you may submit online, we have the same billable form if you go to plan.

B

Portsmouth slash capital improvement plan. You can find the fillable form and fill those out online.

B

And lastly, we've kept an option available through viewpoint. If you sign up through viewpoint on.

B

The city's website you're able to submit a ciip request through viewpoint. We kept that option open.

B

We've already had a couple folks, take advantage of that and we had some rolling applications left.

B

Over from last year that we'll be bringing forward this year, so these are the three major ways that.

B

You may submit a project and we are available to help anybody who has any questions about that.

B

And that concludes my presentation. I'd be glad to answer any questions.

B

Thanks beverly yeah, first off great job, delivering that at 11 o'clock that didn't seem boring at all.

B

And it was a lot of information with some pretty tired folks up here.

B

So, thank you for your patience um and for doing such a great job on that presentation.

B

And I did check, I think some other counselors checked. We might have skipped ahead and tried the.

B

Qr code: that's on the uh the presentation um so that works and takes you right to the area.

B

To to be able to submit the application- and I do appreciate um you making that um very.

B

Understandable for us lay people who happen to even sit up here about how to accurately.

B

Submit a project- that's that was great and I I hope to see a lot of people take.

B

Advantage of that, any questions from the council councilman not so much a question as a comment. I.

B

Made this comment when I saw this presentation at about this hour last thursday night as well.

B

um But uh I just like to make sure that the public is very aware if they're actually still.

B

Watching us um that's submitting these anything, you want done in your neighborhood. You know.

B

You might not know whether or not it fits into it. It's okay to submit it, because we will go through.

B

Them and figure out whether or not it's project that's already going on or something that maybe.

B

We hadn't thought of or it maybe it belongs in a different place. So I don't think that there's any.

B

Project you shouldn't submit mayor. If I can add to that, we saw some real good success with the use of.

B

The qr codes in garnering an understanding of what the public might want to see with.

B

The fleet street project back in the winter, you may recall so we're planning on putting this qr.

B

Code out in municipal buildings and in invisible places to get more input from folks, we may not.

B

Always capture it's great, like the library and and places like that, awesome right.

B

Well um again, uh thank you, beverly, thank you for the the excellence at a late hour and for.

B

The work that is going in, I think that we all want um more people to be. We want, I guess the.

B

Problem of a lot of great projects to have to decide through because there's a lot of public.

B

Engagement around what the future of portsmouth is going to be, and I think making it easier to.

B

Do so and understanding the process that we have to you know we have a great process to.

B

Prioritize, I think all of it is about trying to get more people to be a part of their government.

B

And understand that you know this is the. This is a step to do it. So if you're watching at home or if.

B

You're watching tomorrow, 2x speed on youtube and you're. At this point, slow down go to uh go to the.

B

City website go to plan portsmouth, fill out and share with your neighbors and your friends about.

B

You know a project that you want to see happen thanks. Beverly have a good evening. Thank you.

B

Next up I'll just keep going mayor, if you like, we are bringing forth as panelists.

B

Both seth mcnally, the president of the new hampshire seacoast greenway alliance,.

B

And our very own dave allen, who is our local rep they're, going to give a very brief update on.

B

Where the project stands relative to transformation of the former b.

B

M rail line into a robust recreational opportunity so kevin thanks for bringing.

B

Them both up, I know seth, is going to speak first and I've got your presentation right here. So.

B

All right, can you hear me: okay,.

B

All right, I think, we're good to go. Steph.

B

All right, hello, mayor, mckecran, council members, I'm seth mcnally, a board member of the new.

B

Hampshire seacoast greenway alliance. Please go to the next slide. uh The purpose of this.

B

Update is to give you a brief introduction of the new hampshire seacoast greenway alliance,.

B

Give you an update on the greenway and rail trail design and a construction schedule.

B

And share information on upcoming public input sessions regarding trailhead design next slide.

B

uh The new hampshire seacoast greenway alliance is a non-profit corporation, whose mission.

B

Is to assist in developing the new hampshire seabill spring way. It's a 17-mile network.

B

Of rail trails and bikeways connecting the communities of seabrook hampton falls hampton.

B

Northampton rye, greenland and portsmouth the advisory committee formed over 15 years ago, but.

B

We've officially become a non-profit this year with the support of the national park service.

B

And the rockingham planning commission, as well as the east coast, greenline new hampshire.

B

Seacoast greenway alliance is now tax-exempt 501c3 organization with no paid employees.

B

And the purpose of the group is to provide for regional coordination on policy development.

B

Management, maintenance, fundraising and from and promotion of the new hampshire, seacoast greenway.

B

We plan to work with our partners, the eastern trail alliance, to the north.

B

And the coastal trails coral coalition to the south, who our trail will connect with when the.

B

New hampshire, seacoast greenway is complete. There will be a small segment in the east.

B

Coast greenway, which will connect 3 000 miles of protected off-road trails, traveling from callus.

B

Maine to the florida keys and it is currently 35 percent complete after you go to the next slide.

B

Now, I'd like to introduce david allen, new hampshire, seacoast, greenway alliance board,.

B

Member, to give you a rail trail, design and construction update uh dave floor is yours.

B

Thank you good evening, mayor member of the council city manager, so um the information.

B

I put together on on this was actually done middle of last week and it's already.

B

Actually accelerated, as opposed to falling behind, so this project is a department of transportation.

B

Project they have consultants who are doing the design. I believe you had a presentation.

B

In february of this year, that gave you an overview of the project.

B

Since that time, the preliminary design has been completed, the final design and.

B

Preparation contract documents was, which was supposed to begin soon apparently began soon, and.

B

They've actually upped their advertising date from november. 8Th is what they were saying last week.

B

And now it looks like they're going to be able to advertise on september 30th of this year, so.

B

I'm very encouraging that the project is moving forward on schedule. Construction would then.

B

Begin in spring of 2023 and completion in the end of 2024 and again, the funding is in place.

B

To uh to get this done so we're we're excited about this. So next slide. Please.

B

So one of the uh the things that the contract is for the design of the trailway itself, so they'll.

B

Essentially, build this trailway. I think the first phase is nine miles of trails down to hampton.

B

What they don't include in their design and part of their funding is the trail head.

B

Which is the access to the uh to the trails with so what, uh as um seth had mentioned, there's been.

B

A group of people who have been working on this for 15 years and in that time, they've.

B

Worked with the communities to identify locations for those trail heads this map shows um in.

B

Particular the three and a half miles of trail or 3.6 miles of trail in portsmouth, and there.

B

Are several areas that have been located that have been identified as potential access points.

B

And so we're going to be um we're going to be doing some work in that end, and I was going.

B

The reason for this next couple slides is just to tell you a little bit about.

B

Some of the design process here so if we can go to the next slide, please.

B

So there's uh the new hampshire seacoast community connections workshop will be taking place.

B

In portsmouth on september, 22nd and 23rd uh hosted by the hampshire seacoast.

B

Greenway alliance, the rockingham planning commission and the national park service.

B

As well as bob white, a local landscape architect, so I'm sure some of you know him.

B

As rounded up several other landscape architects, so we're getting some profound service.

B

And um the intent on this is to to work on coming up with design concepts. I think what we have.

B

To remember here is that this is a continuous trail and it's not strictly um what portsmouth.

B

Wants for signage and and and design so this is the intent is to try to get a a.

B

Consensus of all the communities as to some sort of standard design. So, as you can imagine, somebody.

B

Traveling up this corridor is uh doesn't get confused if they come up to a different sign.

B

Type or a different look for the trail, so these workshops are intended to get community input.

B

And and put together some design considerations for the communities. So if we go to the next slide.

B

So, as I mentioned, we've got the 22nd and 23rd in portsmouth and it'll start with a.

B

An afternoon bike ride on the quarter beginning at the eileen dondero drive the parking area there.

B

With stops at three areas that have been identified in portsmouth, which are the stump dump.

B

Fanfield road and ocean road, as well as going all the way down to breakfast hill, which is actually.

B

Greenland but the the intent is to to take a look at those get input. Do a nice, slow, casual ride.

B

And then come back and and uh have some conversation with people and then really the.

B

The rubber hits the road on friday when there's going to be a a drop-in workshop at the levinson.

B

Room in portsmouth library, where the designers can take input from people and start sketching up.

B

Ideas and and putting together plans and then a an evening presentation.

B

Early evening, so that people can get out and do their friday evening thing if they would like.

B

Again, the public is, is encouraged and invited to attend, and um just part of the wreath just.

B

So you understand the reason that this is coming before you this early and with.

B

Not quite as much detail as the fact that there isn't an early meeting in september.

B

Your next meeting is until the 19th, and we felt that that wouldn't give us enough time to to get.

B

The word out and to do justice to both the council and to the public. So um we are very close to.

B

Having uh more detailed information that will be coming out, we'll send that out to the council and.

B

uh To the media and try to get that out as much as possible to the public um and any questions.

B

Concert cook. Thank you, mayor.

B

I'm just wondering if there's any potential for a trailhead entry point. um That's.

B

Beyond barbary lane is that that's as far as we go or well that's as far as.

B

This portion of the rail trail actually goes. um You know that the the purchase started there.

B

um Certainly, there are plans, you know for more trail, going up along the north mill pond.

B

And I think I think the city staff is is aware of that and I think the bike pet plan there are.

B

There are some potential connections there, but um at this point that's really the terminus of.

B

The official rail trail that's being constructed as part of this project. Thank you.

B

Councillor tabor um thanks david. If people want to ride on thursday, this september, 22nd.

B

Do they have to have a mountain bike? Can they have a any kind of bike? No, I think you know.

B

I I would not recommend a a real skinny, tired road bike, but if you have wide tires on a road bike, you.

B

Know, uh certainly a hybrid type county bike would would do fine on this. You know, there's not there's.

B

No hills or anything here, so um it's really just you can see from some of the pictures that we've.

B

Included in there that there are some some areas where it could be wet. If we've had some rain.

B

Ahead of time, but I would, I would recommend something a little more substantial than a.

B

A racing thin road tire right, then skinny road road bike tires, um and what time is that.

B

uh That time has not been established yet that will be coming out. So I.

B

I suspect it's going to be right around the sometime in the early afternoon. Great thank you.

B

Any other questions.

B

Well, uh very much appreciated, uh seth and and dave for again uh a great presentation.

B

At a later hour, uh when I got a chance to do a ride uh with some folks around portsmouth.

B

It was, um it was awesome to to stop and point out areas that are part of the the bike. Ped master.

B

Plan and to counselor cook's questions, you know the the trail itself won't go all the way into.

B

You know portsmouth, there are some working railroads that would prevent that. um But a lot of.

B

The focus is some of the new uh bike uh path stuff to connect people and get folks out of the city.

B

And onto that uh trail very easily, so you know young families take advantage of that. So thank.

B

You very much dave and seth and appreciate the the work that uh went into this and glad to hear.

B

That it's moving ahead of schedule and already funded. These are great things. Thank you. Thank you.

B

Next up is a letter from barbara mcmillan she's. The chair.

B

And on behalf of the conservation commission, requesting reconsideration.

B

By us, the council, before proceeding with a plan to rehabilitate the entire pierce island pool.

B

uh And associated systems look for a motion to accept and place this letter on file your honor.

B

I'm actually going to motion for a report back on the issues raised by the conservation commission.

B

A report is there a second second and solely the some of the issues raised.

B

Are concerning, I know these projects are in the work I just want. I guess a summary to know.

B

What's going on and what could be done to possibly mitigate the concerns.

B

So, uh okay, um I would say there are some things that are uh I probably in flight, that.

B

We could take into a consideration with the, um especially with updates the ability to.

B

To procure solar panels on more mississippi buildings, but I wouldn't want to give the.

B

Impression that we'd be able to move, uh or at least not without a more.

B

Heavy investment move uh uh pierce island pool. I agree.

B

Currently stands, and so when this letter did contemplate moving pierce island pool.

B

To a place outside of the 100 foot wetland buffer right, it's not something that that I would support.

B

Moving that, I think it's great in terms of having the waterfront that's accessible to.

B

Young children, young families, but I would support if the spirit of the letter is to understand.

B

um Ways of which, especially when the bath house were to come online or.

B

Areas to support the uh you know green and renewable uh aspects uh of the.

B

The bath house or the the pump uh station that's well within, but I wouldn't I don't know.

B

I guess, with finite resources from the the uh the city staff doing a an exhaustive search on where.

B

We could place you know pierce island outside of where it currently is. I don't know if it would be.

B

Prudent for us to to do so. Your honor uh director rice could present a bit.

B

Now or we could provide a written report back whatever the preference of the council would be.

B

My just given the hour, I'd probably prefer just a written report. Counselor cook.

B

Thank you mayor. um I think my concern is that we have volunteers serving on the conservation.

B

Commission, who had enough of a concern about the situation if they wrote the council letter.

B

Well, I I do not believe it's feasible to move the pool um from its current position.

B

um Financially alone, that would be uh quite an undertaking. um I do think it's reasonable.

B

To explore um the situation, and so that we we know we're fully aware as a council of.

B

What the long-term impacts are going to be to the pool into the area around the pool? I think.

B

That that's important for us to know just in our planning in the long term sure I would certainly.

B

We should we should understand that I think you know the um while the concerns of the the.

B

Conservation commission um are uh valid uh the the purview that the conservation commission has.

B

Over the ability to, I guess, request these changes, as I understood them, fell outside of the.

B

The charter of the conservation commission, so uh these are um certainly concerns that.

B

uh We can look at and I think, as part of you know, the the climate action plan understand.

B

That but I would want to make sure that we are spending the time that we have with.

B

uh City staff, to make sure that it's as best uh used and utilized for uh I guess areas you know.

B

If and this might be the will of the council for us- I mean we could easily take up um and.

B

Put in the cip the ability to move pierce island to another location and understand how to do that.

B

um But I don't believe that uh we want to spend an enormous amount of uh resources, since they are.

B

Since they are finite, so I would want to I guess if I could, if we did, we've done away with friendly.

B

Amendments yet in the governance, I can't remember if we have no, we have not, um but if we could limit.

B

It to the scope of future work planned at the the park to make sure it is of the best uh that is.

B

Aligning with our our role as an eco municipality, that would, I would you know, I'm fine to support it.

B

Either way, but I'd like to make sure that we are focusing our efforts on on areas of opportunity.

B

That uh that we can change and get the most impact out of for the costs associated with.

B

With uh implementing those changes, I would agree with that. I would also want some information on.

B

What happens if water gets in the pool and the pool water gets out? That's all future mitigation.

B

Okay, yeah counselor bagley, um I guess maybe a question, then a comment is this: going to.

B

Delay any of the improvements to the pierce island pool. I know that some of them are in pretty dire.

B

Need of happening no uh and uh the planning board voted to um right. Did we take up the pool house.

B

uh We've actually already approved it, but it's being done in two stages due to costs of what the.

B

Estimates came back, but it was approved some time ago right, but we had to do the improvements to the.

B

Pool and a separate year that the new bath house. Because of costs and and I just want to say as a.

B

Parent, who spent a lot of summers at the pool with my daughter, I am 100 against the idea of moving.

B

The pierce island pool it is a fantastic asset for the community and it belongs right where it is.

B

Your honor director rice reminds me: we are out to bid on the project right now. Yeah, so I mean.

B

I I appreciate uh you know it's it's good to think about all of these things, um as they.

B

Relate to one another, and I think especially in the pool house, understanding where we could.

B

Modify the energy sources so that they're more aligned with being an eco municipality but.

B

You know I, I guess, I'm also a big believer in uh creating stewards for the environment and.

B

You know young kids, you get out of the pool, you look out of the river and there's not a lot of.

B

Places where, as a young kid from any means, you can go for free and see the majestic of the fiscal.

B

Running past you and want to protect, that is something that I think isn't you know when I.

B

uh We certainly want to be mindful of the 100 foot, setbacks and everywhere, but we also want to make.

B

Sure that future generations are also as mindful of what is in our backyard to protect, and I think.

B

That the pool is one of those things that we are fortunate very fortunate to have in the city of.

B

Portsmouth- and I would imagine that many people uh you know- began a lifetime of trying to protect the.

B

Environment by seeing you know the environment up close and it's a it's a special place.

B

uh To uh to see that uh for yourself, so I will support the uh the motion um as uh as counselor.

B

Denton has uh adjusted uh from the sample motion and look forward to report back on what we can do.

B

To further improve our status understanding that the the bid is out all in favor any opposed.

B

All right, oh here we go on to the council, can we get it done before midnight? I sure hope. So. Yes,.

B

Sure hope so all right, so um so uh these aren't. uh None of these are to be voted on.

B

But congratulations um assistant mayor uh to be our council uh representative to the trees and.

B

Public greenery committee, you did a great job spearheading that and your reward is.

B

uh You get to go to those uh those meetings. I had my first meeting the other week excellent already.

B

Cause it debates um and then I would like uh the council to consider the appointment of.

B

Luis rodriguez to the cable and television communications, commission, the appointment of.

B

Tory brooks the sustainable practices blue ribbon committee, the reappointment of patricia bagley to.

B

The trees and public greenery committee and the appointment of jeffrey matson as an alternate to.

B

The zoning board of adjustment- those will come up before you as a vote before the next council, and I.

B

I will regretfully, accept the resignations of henry melinchuk.

B

From the conservation, commission and andrea ardito from the covid response.

B

Task force committee and then on to counselor denton. Thank you.

B

I move for report back on how entities that want to address our housing shortage can apply to.

B

Partner with the city of portsmouth for funding through the new hampshire department of business.

B

And economic affairs invest new hampshire grant program. Second, and just I'll be real brief. There.

B

Was a letter in the packet addressed to the executive council? It spoke of the 100 million.

B

Dollars which is now available towards affordable housing, it broke down four different types.

B

Three of those involved, municipalities, whether it be the 30 million per unit grant or the 5 million.

B

Per demolition grant and the question I simply want to answer is: is there a way for.

B

Entities, let's say like the portion of housing authority to partner with the municipality.

B

For those grants, because that's not clear in the letter councilman, uh the city is already.

B

Trying to get one of the grants to help us um with zoning changes for our phase three.

B

Just so you know the city's already been working on that um the planning department.

B

And I've already been in contact and been forwarding. I've been participating in a lot.

B

Of webinars about this and I've been forwarding a lot of information to craig walsh, the executive.

B

Director of portsmouth housing authority, so um yeah not to worry we're we're on top of it.

B

That's it's the best of the bill that we can. We are looking at all the different ways that.

B

uh We can possibly you know, use use that money or access that money, but first and foremost, is.

B

Yeah we're asking for one of the hundred thousand dollar grant. So that's my quick update on that.

B

I am satisfied with that update.

B

um So uh if we still need to vote, do we want? Are you satisfied with that update and repo, or you.

B

Want a uh a report back in addition to city staff is already working with the portsmouth.

B

Housing authority towards some of these items, I'm satisfied: okay, yeah. We will pull the motion then.

B

Draw my motion all right, councilman. uh This is just really a quick update. I have included in your.

B

Packet, an update for a land use committee. We have the phase. One amendments were voted on by planning.

B

Board last thursday, we based off of what you were sent. There were some minor changes and we'll have.

B

Those all to you in final form for first reading, if you guys do indeed because I'd make a motion.

B

Bring forward first reading for september 19 2022 for the phase one zoning amendments. Second,.

B

So we'll have all of that, and it was just basically we changed cemeteries. A little bit.

B

Lowering height, we changed railings on roofs and we removed all the civic districts from.

B

Any changes, so they will still none of this, and when I talk about civic properties, I'm.

B

Talking about um churches, uh historic homes, those kinds of properties, because when we changed the.

B

Character district downtown, we just kind of forgot to apply any sort of zoning to any of.

B

Those areas so we were trying to add it, but it's turned into a bigger bottle of wax than we were.

B

Thinking so we're going to table it for now and look at it later, but the rest are ready for you.

B

Guys to review and do first reading next next meeting and adus, uh we are doing a second run.

B

At uh some red lines of that on september, 2nd in land use, and we should have it back to you to.

B

Review and send a planning board, hopefully also at our next meeting there. You go my full review.

B

Thank you, councilman, um and you know I think, there's comments around uh portsmouth. I think all.

B

Of these, things are aligned to keep portsmouth a very attractive city, one of the things that.

B

Stuck out to me was the the grading, change and changing you know, that's a big one. We need that.

B

Change so, like you know where yeah development, one, I think on uh you know that was close to.

B

The north mill pond, you know there was folks that felt that you know by changing the grade. You were.

B

Kind of going outside that so, I think, having a level playing field on on that is some some.

B

Positive uh steps for it, and so I commend you on the effort and appreciate that this already passed.

B

uh The planning board uh and the work that went into that um both uh yourself and the.

B

Other members, um to get that to a point where we can vote on this and move it forward to.

B

A first reading, um so any other comments or questions counselor, bombardier yeah. I also.

B

Comment on the uh changes in the the roof structures and how that is going to help.

B

um Keep the skyline a little bit varied, which is, I think, an important piece.

B

Awesome all in favor aye aye any opposed counselor bagley you're up. Thank you. Your honor uh first is.

B

The parking traffic safety committee action sheet in minutes of august 4th.

B

2022, uh a motion that we move to accept and approve the action sheet and minutes.

B

Of the august 4th 2022 parking traffic safety committee meeting so moved second.

B

Whatever you want all in favor, aye aye, I think he motioned. Yes,.

B

That's right, this is, uh we have two more motions. uh The first is move to approve two 15-minute spaces.

B

In front of 22 daniel street, um that's moe's sandwich shop.

B

If I get a second second I'll, just speak to it quickly, so uh why the brick market was under.

B

Construction there used to be three 15-minute spaces there. We moved two of them in front of.

B

Mohs during the pandemic, so they've been there for the last three years and now that the brick.

B

Market's kind of coming to completion, uh the thought is: we'll get rid of one space out of.

B

The three and we'll leave the two in front of most because that's where they make the most sense and.

B

The reason we're doing that is on daniel street the two-hour parking we have 200 utilization.

B

Which means that basically, those parking spots are always full.

B

And for the three 15-minute spaces, I believe it was something like 26, 25 and 30 utilization and.

B

When we set the cameras up, what we saw was people are constantly pulling into the 15 minute spaces.

B

Seeing the sign and then immediately pulling out, so we really need this inventory uh this one space.

B

To go back to two hours because that's where the need is, however, we don't want to kind of penalize.

B

The sandwich shop and remove all three of the spaces, so we thought this was a good compromise.

B

So the second motion I'm gonna make now is.

B

You should vote on the first month yeah. We need to vote uh so all in favor of the uh the first.

B

Motion on the floor, aye aye aye it's getting late um and the second motion is move to change.

B

Move to change the three existing 15-minute spaces on the south side of daniel street to regular zone a spaces second hand.

B

All in favor aye aye any opposed any comments. Nope.

B

Thank you, councillor bagley councillor cook,.

B

Thank you. um The arts and nonprofits committee is embarking on a new process to create a.

B

A revision to the cultural plan: it's been over 20 years since we had a cultural plan.

B

In the the city of portsmouth, so it's time to do a revision that said they're looking for volunteers.

B

To serve on a subcommittee, so they wanted me to come before the public into the council to let.

B

Everyone know that we're looking for subcommittee volunteers for the arts and non-profits committee.

B

To serve specifically on the cultural plan committee, so we don't have an immediate deadline.

B

For that, but we'd like to start the process in the fall, so I encourage residents who are interested.

B

To send in applications to the city, thank you, council cook, council blaylock. Thank you. I want.

B

To thank councillor cook for bringing this up. um I've had several local artists contact me and.

B

You know what's the process, how do I help? I want to help. You know great artists that have grown up.

B

In portsmouth you know, graduated from high school still live in portsmouth real community members.

B

I'm also I play on a men's baseball team, and the art teacher at the high school is also a teammate.

B

Of mine he's expressed the same thing. I know he helped out with the fundraiser for the skate park.

B

Because the kids do some artwork, but I think this is great to have it organized so there's you know.

B

Everyone knows where to go and there's a clear process, so thank you concert.

B

Is there a a website? Do I miss that um there is no website um they envisioned us going through.

B

The standard process of applying to serve on a committee? Okay, um because it would be.

B

A subcommittee of arts and nonprofits they're, technically a member of that committee for that.

B

Purpose yeah, thank you. Would it be possible, um maybe a question for the city manager to.

B

Put like a banner thing on the website, if you want to sign up for this click here and.

B

Float that for a month we're looking at the uh fabricator of banners and I I think we can make.

B

That happen, yes, he's smiling, so that would be good. Yes, that is stephanie. Oh that's, stephanie. Okay,.

B

Good. Thank you all right, excellent. um Thank you. Councillor cook.

B

Next up, approval of grants and donations first up in acceptance of grants of the public works.

B

Department from the department of environmental services household hazardous waste, of up to four.

B

Thousand two hundred and thirty eight dollars uh I'll accept a motion to accept and expend 4238 des.

B

Grant for the purpose of household hazardous waste collection events and authorized the city manager.

B

To execute any documents which may be necessary for this grant contract so move. Second, second,.

B

All in favor aye any opposed one of my favorite days, collection, one day I'll, have it all out next.

B

Up acceptance of various police department grants first up the department of justice through the.

B

Arpa for the new hampshire internet crimes against children, task force of seven hundred thousand.

B

Dollars and a usp ca, akc, reunite k-9 organization of 7 500 I'd, accept a motion to accept and move.

B

The grants to the police department as presented so moved second, all in favor, aye and opposed and.

B

Then back to the city manager, thank you. Your honor attorney sullivan has prepared for you a lengthy.

B

And as promised thorough review of public forum issues at prescott park, um I would acknowledge.

B

That the council has received many inquiries and emails not only about the goings-on at prescott.

B

Park but also in market square, so bob- and I really bob can't answer any questions about the memo.

B

But I would also take this opportunity to say that since the police department has been present and.

B

Explaining the rules to folks in attendance at market square deputy chief maloney shared with.

B

Me today that he's been monitoring this personally in the last few weeks and neither he nor his shift.

B

Commanders have seen any issues, so they feel it, at least with regard to market square. Things are.

B

Tracking in the right direction there, but I'm happy to make bob available for any questions.

B

Counselor bagley yeah. Thank you. I'm still receiving reports of the five or six chairs.

B

Set up in prescott park so they seem to have moved back to the original location.

B

um Could you speak to that like if there's one or two people and they have six chairs like.

B

Is there a line like that you have a ratio of people to chairs or something that we should be.

B

Thinking about enforcing or is that kind of chairs are only a lot of people are sitting in there. Okay,.

B

Chairs that are set up as holders for signs or banners are not permitted. Press combined.

B

Core market's square. So if somebody on a sunday, because that seems to be one of the days that.

B

I get the most texts uh sees. That is there, I mean. Is that something you would call the non-emergency.

B

Line of the police department and report, or it's a it- is a civil matter, not a police matter. Okay,.

B

Honestly and of course, that sunday is a problem, saturday's, a problem, the uh city staff available.

B

To do something about it on a sunday is not great. um There is probably nobody capable.

B

Of responding immediately to something like that on a sunday best thing for a citizen to do, would.

B

Be take a picture of it, send it to present to the legal department on monday. Okay, thank you.

B

Council cook um is there a possibility that we can have a a code enforcement officer of.

B

Some type available just for a short period of time until some of the violations died down.

B

On the weekends, because it seems that most of those violations occur on saturdays and sundays,.

B

It is certainly possible to do that. The ranges have to be made through the city manager's office.

B

Councilman, um it seemed through reading, through the extremely detailed and lengthy.

B

Memo that there's really not a lot of clarity to this, I feel like we need to probably put.

B

Into the very near future of really figuring out exactly where these areas should be and exactly.

B

Where the boundaries are because I do feel like it's been kind of naturally expanded and some.

B

Has been voted on some hasn't so based off of that I'd just like to make a motion that we put.

B

It on whoever's committee, maybe governance. I hate to put another thing on yours, but.

B

To somebody, maybe that so maybe uh what you might be asking for is recommendations from.

B

The city attorney on ways to uh further clarify not now we have not careful, but you know, there's.

B

A constitutional right to uh the speech speech that we disagree with um uh and right, I'm more.

B

Talking about the exact areas that we have and that's and that's correct, but we've.

B

You know uh somewhat defectively allowed uh more. uh I believe that the city attorney went.

B

Down and and was ready to enforce areas of prescott park that was under his impression.

B

uh To be limited to uh where the speech uh was historically occurring and was.

B

Presented with videos of where it had been occurring and given permission to do so so.

B

I would um I think, to to provide something and provide suggestions of how we can.

B

Codify our rules, but we got to be you know somewhat. We got to be very cognizant of the.

B

Fact that if it looks like we're trying to prevent speech in one way or the other, then.

B

It simply could not, uh it won't stand. The test um and municipalities lose all the time when.

B

It comes to yeah, I'm not I'm not looking to try to make this difficult. I just would like there.

B

To be one role and everybody follows it versus feeling like, we might have several over the years.

B

Bob, do you think that's in your purview to to take another crack at an opus for.

B

Seeing where, uh where we might be able to provide more clarity yeah after tonight, your honor, my.

B

Purview is defined entirely by the city, well, the city manager. Could we have a report back.

B

About the means of which to make clear to both um folks that wish to express their.

B

First, amendment and and folks that want to view uh those expressing their first amendment and.

B

Understand that they are doing so in a place demarcated by the city, you are the the document.

B

That the council got tonight was kind of an overview. It is certainly within a realm of.

B

Possibility or ability- I guess for the uh for me- to provide a more refined document, perhaps.

B

Making recommendations to carefully define the public forum areas much more so than the one in.

B

Prescott park is currently defined in and I think, even recommend the reasonable time. Placing manner.

B

Regulations which the council might adopt on a content neutral basis, we could write all that.

B

Thank you, your honor, by way of segwaying from informational items to miscellaneous.

B

I should mention tonight and I'll mention when we bring up the audit committee again.

B

At next meeting that the rfp for audit services is out and published and on the website and.

B

Responses are due back by qualified audit firms on october 10 12th, so that is taking place. Counselor.

B

Dutton, I have one miscellaneous thing and it is to motion to suspend the rules to hold third reading.

B

Of ordinance amending chapter 1, article 3 boards, if someone seconds that I'll explain.

B

Why, second, so part of the confusion earlier tonight was there's two separate amendments.

B

One on boards people got to speak to and then the other one on committees.

B

We passed second reading on one and then third reading on the other. I think it would just make.

B

Sense for us to pass third reason if we still can by suspension of the rules on the first one.

B

A that way we don't have to deal with it at the next meeting. We could just deal with the.

B

Audit committee, to do so, your honor, the council, would actually be suspending two role.

B

Two rules, because third reading, on the same second reading and the second rule.

B

Is that it's not in the location on the agenda, however, it is certainly within the realm of the.

B

Council's authority to do that, and in fact, in prior times it was very common for the council.

B

We have motion to suspend the rules, both rules- yeah, plural rules, right, two rules, the rules of.

B

Out of order uh motion uh or uh not your main, to the part of the agenda, what rule is that there's.

B

The first one, the first rule being suspended as a rule that calls for three separate readings.

B

Okay, so we got the three separate reading on three separate night working to suspend that.

B

We're also looking to suspend a rule pertaining to allow third reading to take place under.

B

Miscellaneous on the agenda well, third reading take place under miscellaneous under okay.

B

And we were allowed to suspend two rules at once: yes, sure, okay, all in favor, aye aye, any opposed.

B

Motion that we pass third reading of ordinance amending chapter one article three boards. Second,.

B

Council cook, thank you mayor um normally, I would.

B

Question doing something like this and moving something on the agenda um for the simple fact.

B

That I I want to make sure that the council is very transparent in our considerations.

B

But, given that we've already looked at this twice- and we really didn't have any comment at all from.

B

The public, I think it's entirely reasonable to go ahead and move through third grade.

B

I will also support this. uh Oh man, we're gonna, make it if I talk before good night, um but we.

B

Spent a lot of time at the last the previous council talking about times where we would not.

B

To spend third reading, we did that um at various times uh when it was in the best.

B

Interest of the city to do so, I think, for the discussion at the following meeting. It is so.

B

um And the rule exists to be used in special times, and this would be one of them. So.

B

All in favor aye any opposed I'd entertain a motion to adjourn second.

B

um All in favor aye aye good night portsmouth. What did we get.

B