City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Citywide Neighborhood Committee, 26 Jan 2022

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From YouTube: Citywide Neighborhood Committee 1.26.2022

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Citywide Neighborhood Committee 1.26.2022

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B

Okay, thank you everybody. uh This is. uh My name is larry cachaldo, I'm chair of the citywide.

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Neighborhood committee we're having our committee meeting first of the year uh january 26 2022.

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um We I want to know if we have anybody in the um in the audience at this.

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Point who have any comments, any neighbors who have complaints or comments at this time.

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Or welcome kathy uh bergeron. Thank you for joining.

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And, let's see, I wonder if we have uh yep welcome.

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Okay, and do we have um marie gallagher uh here yet uh kevin? uh We have a marine keller, but no.

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Gallagher um and marine keller doesn't okay, yeah that'd be fine. She has her hand raised. She just.

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Doesn't want to be parented but panelists, so I can allow her to talk if that's okay.

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All right: well, we can begin the. um We have a very short agenda, but we can begin by asking.

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um uh Marie, if, um if, um uh if you have any any comments or any uh concerns that you have.

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Hello yeah, can you hear me? Yes, we can loud and clear. I'm marie kelleher and I live on beverly.

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Hill road, um I have a, I have a question to ask: um what can be done to get the city vehicles to.

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Slow down on our roads throughout the town, if we've talking and if they would obey the speed.

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Limit with how many of these vehicles are on the roads each day, they would be more effective than.

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The blinking lights and signs on every street that just tell you that you're speeding everyone behind.

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The vehicles would have to go the speed limit kind of like a rolling road block for speed control.

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We are not requesting anything unreasonable or costly, just obey the speeds examples. This week.

D

Just on my road alone was on monday morning on beverly hill road, a city police car, with no lights.

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Went past our blinking speed sign at 40. um on january 12th at 1 40 in the afternoon.

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A city work truck went by that same blinking sign at 45.. um The speeds are not unusual.

D

For the city vehicles and the speed limit is only 25., we have so many problems on.

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This road and again, we just feel that, if the speeding, if the trucks would go, the speed limit.

D

The city vehicles would go the speed limit. It would solve a lot of problems very inexpensively.

D

um That that was my my comment and my concern. Thank you uh on the uh thank you uh um marie have.

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The uh have you noticed this in uh more than those two occasions have you noticed this? The more often.

D

This is a daily constant occurrence all the time. This was not unusual. I do have the number from.

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The truck, if anybody wants to contact me, I can give you that number. I don't want to do it on.

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Online, um yes, I I understand it's it's it's and it will come up behind me and push me down.

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The road because I am going to speed limit, so it's it's both in front of you and behind you.

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um Maria are there any uh any uh automatic signs that give you the speed limit uh speed. That's.

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The speed of the vehicle on your road- yes, yes, those are the signs that I just spoke.

D

About that I saw the speed limits as they went past them at 45 for the truck and 40 for the.

D

Police car, okay, thank you all right. um I will I'll contact uh I'll contact you separately and.

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Then get the number on the truck, but I think that we can certainly um contact peter rice.

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um As peter's representative uh zach here by any chance.

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Hi, yes, I am, I am uh writing this down and uh I would be interested in knowing the uh city.

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Vehicle number: okay, uh zach I'll contact you um um what what is your uh extension? uh What's.

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Your phone number and I'll get back to you my extension. Oh sorry, the number is six zero. Three.

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Six one zero, seven, three zero four, that is my uh guest phone; okay, good I'll I'll, take care of that.

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And I'll contact the chief on this too. I think it's important that the you know with the flashing.

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Signs and other things going on there that the people should observe this, and it is a common.

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Although an unpleasant thing, but it's a it's a common um uh complaint that we have and.

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Maybe it's this time of year, who knows but I'll I'll look into it. Thank you very much.

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For coming by the way, I appreciate you being here to answer any questions: okay, good.

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um Thank you very much marie. I appreciate that is there anyone else who would like to.

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Oh, I see diane right, diane hi, I don't know what happened to my face, but that's okay.

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You can hear me anyway: um I live on union street yeah. Can you hear me, can you hear me.

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Yeah, okay: I live on union street off middle half for a long long time and I I work downtown and I.

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uh I walk on middle street and there are two things, especially in the winter.

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Anytime, there's we need another light between middle miller. Is that I always.

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Forget, if that's summer or winter, I know it's not fall or spring but summer or winter street.

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I think it's summer street and catholic street yes and cabot street directly across.

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From the women's city club, the street is extremely dark and we seem to only have street lights at.

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Intersections and of course we need them there, but that's a long stretch of street and there is.

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A pole directly opposite the women's city club on the other side of the street, and we really.

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Need a street light there, the street is very, very dark. The other thing is the intersection of.

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Summer um middle miller, there are signs that say no turn no turn on red, but.

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They are ignored constantly constantly and it's very hard to cross that street.

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If, if there was a police officer there, they could give tickets out in about 10 minutes.

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Everybody comes to that corner and makes a right turn on red, even though the street sign says no.

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Right turn on red, and I don't know what else can be done about it, but it is, it happens. Coming off.

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Miller, going making a right on to middle, it happens on middle making a right on to miller.

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um Those are the most dangerous parts, so it's it's just constant, absolutely constant, so zachary.

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See if you can do something about that for us, I I do not know the thank you thank process.

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um But I can bring this to peter rice's attention.

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Tell peter diane stradling requested it. He uh he knows me. Thank you.

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Yeah diane, if if this doesn't quite work out, get back to us and uh we certainly can.

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Can address this at the parking and traffic uh safety committee? I mean this is another thing.

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That we could do if this other that doesn't work out. So I appreciate it. Thank you very much for.

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That, okay, thank you. Welcome! No okay! Anybody else here who has any comments uh or concerns.

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Raise your hand, okay, thank you.

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Then let us go on to the uh um the next thing, which will be committee. Business.

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uh I know that uh we don't have any new members um to uh to talk about yet because there was nothing.

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Mentioned at the last city council meeting about city-wide neighborhood committee.

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But having john tabor here is very comforting: john. It means that we're not all fired yet and that.

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Some of us can return and continue on. So that's very helpful um one of the areas that I want to.

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Talk to you about is the attendance at the forums and I know that's been a constant concern of mine.

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um Since I've been on the committee, not that it hasn't uh not that the attendance hasn't been poor.

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But um in this last meeting in november I think we had like four or five and maybe just one or.

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Two spoke and, as all of you know, we spend a fair amount of time promoting it. Not only the city.

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Promotes it um the city, the committee promotes it in a number of ways, so through the social media.

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And we'd like to see a decent turnout, because we have the mayor, the city manager, peter rice,.

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And the fire chief and the uh and the uh police chief there and that's a lot of folks there.

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And I I certainly like to explore the idea that maybe we should.

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Think if we have to change either the venue or or something else about the forums.

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um But so the first person I'd like to ask ask, is john john you've probably seen these.

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In the past- and I wanted to know if you have any thoughts about that.

C

Well, I'm happy to be here tonight and be the council representative.

C

The work you do is important and larry. You've you've been sharing this uh or.

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Involved with this through three councils, right or at least two.

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um Yes, uh certainly for two years and then I've been on the committee since 2015. right right.

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We had, we spent a lot of time at the council retreat talking about.

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How do we residents.

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And make sure that we're communicating to them. There is no complete email list.

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There so I think we're we're one of our big initiative areas for our term to.

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To be more inviting of citizen input and find the multiple channels of communication.

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Through social media through email through.

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Even printed material to get the attendance up at events, people can become involved. You know.

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Gotten involved with the neighborhood committee and that's and they've gone on to serve the city.

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In a lot of ways, so it's really in our best interest as a city government to step up the.

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Involvement stuff of the outreach- we don't have the answers to that, but it's one of our priorities.

C

Well, thank you. um I had a few ideas and I mean to kick off 2022. Hopefully after uh this covered.

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Thing passes, uh I'm somewhat optimistic, based on what I've heard from dr fauci about the omicron.

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Eventually becoming a common virus, rather than having the the threats.

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That it offers hospitalization others that is well beyond the control of.

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So there's some optimism here that maybe sooner or later, this pandemic has to end.

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But as we, but so we have to be kind of flexible in the meantime. But I'm thinking of maybe april.

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And may there are two topics, uh john and the others. Thank you all for coming. The two topics.

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That come to mind right away. First, we had a very brief overview of sound barriers, but one of the.

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City counc previous city councilors, suggested that we hold a meeting at the franklin school.

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On sound barriers and invite not only uh school officials but also.

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There's like four or five other groups who are involved in this to come in and um and make.

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Public comment and and provide information to uh to this forum, so the forum with with, I would think.

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Would stay the same, that would we'd have the city, officials and them, and you guys there, but.

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We have what we'd add more of a topical uh view on this, and so it's narrows it down to to that.

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To sound barriers at franklin school um we would another one would be the neighborhood.

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Forum neighborhood forums in general, but another one. Another problem would be the.

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Parking permit program in islington creek and that in itself would have uh some special interest and.

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And we could hold a a um middle, um a middle school forum on this subject and have let's say uh peter.

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And, and uh and and miss mr fletcher and a few others are there to talk about what the results.

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Were of the pilot program, but also have some of the residents there to um to raise questions.

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About it and and what we think about it, so I think that's another conversation that we could have and.

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All of these, by the way I would uh present to the to a full committee when we get to that point or.

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At least to the point where we can have a quorum, the third one would be general parking problems in.

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The city- um this is something that peter whalen, who was who was the chair of the of the parking.

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And traffic safety committee had talked to me about. He said that there is a a city-wide problem.

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Mostly in the downtown and the immediate out of outer communities and- and I wonder whether.

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We could have a full committee meeting with some with some um participants. Let's say at city hall,.

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On this particular subject, the last time we did this, which was like 2016, we had a it, was.

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It was almost unbelievable, we had a full house, and people were shouting.

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Multiple participants talking on the same subject and but it was a very good session.

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And I thought- and I wouldn't mind repeating that again if, if we, uh if, if we think that.

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The problem is uh much wider than just this. I can think which I believe it is so those are the few.

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Ideas I have right now and they're more topical forums as opposed to forums that just focus on.

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On um on the voting awards itself, anybody would like to comment on that.

E

Larry, can I just uh jump in. I think that the attendance for the one in in november.

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Is a little bit hard to judge anything by just because of covid and then also because the.

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Election was happening, and I think people were a little bit burnt out of going to candidate.

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Forums and um the amount of information that was coming out so I I still think these forms are.

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Extremely helpful and important and a great way to communicate to everybody, um and I do think.

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That having a topic for them is a a great idea, um one of the things that we had done in the past.

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Prior to the forums that was kind of a launching off point to do, the forums was.

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We had had several round table discussions, um I don't know if anybody had ever come to them.

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um We did one on something that josh denton had brought up at the last city council meeting was.

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Having uh ward representation from the counselors- and we did a, we had a great.

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Roundtable discussion that was moderated, so it wasn't a lot of people talking at once.

E

And it was in the library- and that might be a great way to hold something um on that subject.

E

On sound barriers is more informational, but on the parking thing to do it as a round table.

E

But I don't I truly. I like the idea of the library yeah and in the library is actually a fantastic.

E

Location for the forums it's um during covid, I don't even know if you were able to get it, but.

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Once hopefully covet is over it's a it's. A great location. People are very comfortable going there.

E

um The uh the audio visual stuff is just set up. Peter rice would, I think, would have every.

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um Meeting there because there's just never any glitches. So that's just something to know.

E

And this is all post covet. It's been tough for the last couple of years. I mean it. It's.

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Just been hard to have these meetings, but I I do feel as though, um if you do one in april or may.

E

Maybe I think the one doing it at new franklin and having the sound barriers as a part of it might be.

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A great way to get the um the attendance of it up, but that's just my thoughts for doing it. That way,.

B

Okay, thanks, listen, I I I agree with you. uh The election did have a lot of things. uh A lot.

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Something to do with it, people are tired, now and they're, sick and tired of covered just.

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As all of us are, and so I can understand that it's just a little bit disheartening.

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um When you, when you have so much effort, and so many people involved when that happened, but.

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Nevertheless, uh we've been doing these forums for a number of years, uh kathy and and so to.

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Kind of change the tempo a little bit and not always just not go by just the voting awards alone.

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um Which is what I'm kind of suggesting that you have a theme, not not that it. It can be.

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Still open to to um to other questions of uh that residents can have for city officials, but.

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But to have a theme would give it a little more interest. You know, it'd be like holding a committee.

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Meeting doing the same thing right and except you're, now you have a a city audience. You know.

E

I I agree with that. I think that that is it. It does bring more interest in.

E

My only caution of that is one of the reasons we started. The forums in the first place was that.

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Everything revolved around an issue of downtown, or um you know uh the peverly hill road.

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Sidewalks or sound barriers, so our idea of doing the wars was to make sure that.

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Everybody was included so if there was an issue that is not big enough to be, you know, nobody's.

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Talking about on social media nobody's talking about it at the city council meetings that.

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Everybody has a voice, so so that's all, and I think that that could easily, with the way that you're.

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Looking at doing things could be uh included, but that was our reasoning for doing awards.

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Just because at some of those meetings- and I in particular remember one at the fire station.

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A lot of things came up that nobody had never heard of, because there were people that were.

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Comfortable to come to those meetings and- and we were trying to get the attention away from.

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Just downtown issues, and- and that was it so just to keep that in mind, and I think that that could.

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Easily be rectified with changing up the pace of it a little bit, but I just hope that everybody is.

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Included- um and I kind of like that idea- you know it's like a hybrid of sorts, uh a ward.

B

That's, I think, that's ward, four! Is it what for the fire station? I can't remember which one we.

E

Did I actually don't think the prairie station was making no the franklin school? I mean the.

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Fire station on lafayette road, I think it's walk forward. I think we were doing it, though I think.

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We held it there and it was actually your smart, your your your neighborhood, it's a borderline.

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Of three and four nine euros: ward, four, then, once you get to ocean road area, that's goes to.

F

Three yeah we've had. We also had over the urban forestry center yep, uh which is a night queen. I.

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Think it's it's a culture and environment. I think the public wants to know what is the definition.

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Of the cnc, what's their function, what's their goals what's their objectives? Why do they exist?.

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And I think that not to reinvent the wheel, but we talked about this last year several times.

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Created an environment, a safe environment for people to go and speak without being challenged.

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Or without being pointed at and zoo is a great tool, because someone can actually be talking with.

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Their name or not their name or not their picture and be heard and listened to. You know in a safer.

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Environment- and I remember, we promoted that a lot of topics are trending uh when the railroad.

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Track track topic came up uh that came up on the agenda, but it was, it was after the thunder was all.

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The rain show was already done. It went through the media, social media went through smg media.

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Outlets, you know print and online and then once it came to us and we started wanting to talk about it.

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You know for the public and for the neighborhoods uh we didn't get a lot of audience for that.

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And- and you just alluded to something like that- you know you got to catch it.

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Catch it early, those are trending topics, but the non-trending topics.

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Are are very important and things come up. It only takes that one person to put a highlight out there.

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And and that's happened, it happened in the year and a half. I was on the cnc.

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It's happened, it was kathy in the past and and you know, and everybody else so.

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uh But uh I think reinventing the wheel just a little bit tweaking it.

F

Larry, you know have john help. You uh would be a great uh something to look forward to.

B

Yeah well, it'll be a little bit of fun too. I mean uh certainly nothing but the very few people.

B

Showing up, I know, but sometimes kind of scale, one to ten. You know it could be like three or four.

B

uh The christmas tree, I think, that's a holiday lighting, is fun.

B

Certainly, I can call you, you know: lori yeah, I was going to say ken was trying has his hand up.

A

Okay, hey everyone: okay, thanks lori, um a couple of things uh when we had, um I think the idea of.

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Having a topic and having it focused and maybe not uh focusing on one ward, is a good idea, but.

B

uh One of the things larry mentioned was the islington creek neighborhood parking program.

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uh We need to keep in mind. The program expires on friday february, 4th.

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There's a traffic parking and traffic safety committee meeting the day before.

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So you know, depending on what the parking and traffic safety committee decides on the third.

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And what they pass to the city council with the city council subsequently decides having a meeting.

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A forum a couple of months later may or may not be moot also when we had the war ii.

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Meeting forum several months ago, I can't remember when it was now.

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We did talk at a good deal about the neighborhood parking program I spoke and some of the other.

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People who normally speak about it spoke and we had a pretty good discussion. I got to talk.

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To uh then mayor beckstead about a little bit afterwards, but um you know that I would. I would.

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Put that one on the back burner until we find out you know whether or not it's going to continue.

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Or you know what the sense of parking and traffic safety in the city council are, but I think looking.

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At parking in the city in general is a good idea, and uh but you know in general, I like having a.

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Focused meeting that doesn't and not one on a topic, and it's not just for his particular.

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Neighborhood, I think, really will get you more people to come in. So I think that's a good idea.

B

Well, just thanks ken uh just uh just a footnote on that, and that is that uh there are other.

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There are, there are other neighborhoods, especially in the uh like the south end who've had who have.

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And have had traffic have had parking problems rather, and so it it. It is a.

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Wider issue- and I would like to address the wider issue- I think that's that's an.

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Important thing so I'd like I like that part of the idea, and yes, uh the talking.

B

Trial is is will be over soon, but I really want to make sure that the outcome of that, especially the.

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Analysis and comments from the residents are made public so that we all can benefit by the pros and.

B

The cons of that of that particular program when I originally looked at that program some time ago.

B

There were like 25 variables that could be included into a parking program, um uh such.

B

As boston or baltimore or some other places- and so it's it's a complicated issue, but I agree with you.

B

It's not a a single neighborhood, maybe a little bit on too much but making it a citywide problem.

B

Or issue I should say and getting different factors once we know the results of the parking.

B

Trial would be very helpful, so that's a very good suggestion. Thank you. Yeah.

B

Okay, anybody else uh lori has a hand up. Are we looking? Are we looking for lori mcrae right now.

H

So I wanted to just I'm a little bit confused. Can you couldn't hear me? Okay, I think yeah.

H

Okay, so I I support what mark was saying um earlier all of his comments and I I think they.

H

Might take a good it would be worthy of taking a a look at them and considering them.

H

But I am confused um because when people when I say something like oh I'm gonna attend the.

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Citywide neighborhood committee meeting they're like well: what's that who's that what do they do.

H

And I'm still confused what you do. I show up. I've shown up a few times, I'm trying to.

H

To get an understanding of the purpose, the mission um is it about like individual neighborhoods, many.

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People in town, don't in the city, don't even know that there are once upon a time there was a name.

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And it still is up in city hall, the neighborhood map, but people don't know the boundaries of their.

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Neighborhood or that it's given a name, I live in little um in little harbor neighborhood, but people.

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Think the boundaries are what they are not um so it's very confusing and I think, sort of.

H

You know, as a committee thinking about focusing in and honing in on what is our mission? What is.

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Our purpose, who do we include, and how do we um approach people and kind of market.

H

It that way, a little bit maybe portsmouth 400, is another way to bring this in with the city.

H

uh The focus on the cities and neighborhoods I've had a few conversations with people about that.

H

um So I I don't know I mean I know people show up. I've done a lot of community organizing.

H

In the work that I've done in the past and people show up when there's something that's relevant to.

H

Them they just don't show up when they don't know. What's going on, um they'll want to show up where.

H

There's a location that like, if somebody said, we're meeting at little harbor school well, if.

H

I didn't have kids in the school and I show up, I mean I don't know where to go for the meeting room.

H

Or or any of those sorts of things, so you know some consideration of where the locations are. I.

H

Like the idea of the library, everybody knows that things happen there and they're they're really.

H

Really great to work with and very accommodating, I like the idea of continuing with zoom.

H

As as an option as well as in person, regardless of pandemic issues or not, um it gives people.

H

That I mean for me it's hard to get out at night sometimes, and um I don't always want to bring my.

H

My adult son, I'm a full-time care provider for him and he doesn't want to always.

H

Come with me, but he would need to come with me and um I think a lot of people.

H

Have individual circumstances that that I'm here tonight, because I'm able to.

H

um Be here and anyway, those are a few things that have been running through my head, going forward.

B

Thank you. Thank you, lori. Those are very good. uh We. I thank you for the support on the library.

B

Because I'm a champion of that too, just for your information, we are connected with the portsmouth.

B

400 I've had I've had a number of meetings with folks who are running the um the neighborhoods and.

B

Community uh aspect, of course, with 400, so I think we're going to be more involved in that um we.

B

Are our goals and objectives and how we run and who we're supposed to include or not include a.

B

Part of the bylaws and we don't publish, we have not published those and they're kind of they're.

B

More, like city ordinance, speak rather than um more common, speak um laurie. How would you think.

B

We should um promote what we do. um Let's say in your your neighborhood: uh what what what type of.

B

Way would you recommend? Well, I know I am I still speaking I mean I want to make sure I.

H

Wasn't on you um I know in my neighborhood we have a facebook, neighborhood group.

H

And people that's one way: people loop in and stay connected. We also have an email chain.

H

And there are a few of us that over the years you know we kind of shifted around different people.

H

Kind of take charge of it, but we have email chains in our well specific to little harbor neighborhood.

H

As well as the local facebook page, so that's one way um and we also kind of call each other. You.

H

Know we're smart and those of us that want to do that. I I do like your. I wanted to mention too that.

H

I, like the logo, I see it, I now recognize it. I now know what it means, and I know how connects to you.

H

So that's I I like the um the symbol of that as well, and I think everybody should use that.

H

You know just for branding purposes, but anyway, those are a few ideas. Okay, good! um That's that's!.

B

Interesting, I'm still noodling over the idea of of uh some type of promotion that talks about.

B

Who the citywide neighborhood committee is we've been around for since the 90s? I guess.

B

But um 1990s that is- and I I I don't know, that's a hard topic to.

B

To for people to get excited about john, do you have any uh um comments by the way um that maybe.

B

You uh we can think about this. How do we make ourselves more as laurie points out? How do we make.

B

Ourselves, uh how do we make the neighborhoods more aware of what we do? I guess that's the question.

C

To be honest, I don't have a quick answer. I really want to just listen tonight, um since this is my.

C

Maiden voyage, with the neighborhood committee.

C

I'm going to take away the thought of how do we promote the value of the neighborhoods.

C

Groups and how do we keep them strong and communicate regularly? What we're doing.

B

Thank you, uh cathy um one of the do you still send email emails out. We used to try to send.

E

An email out every other week to try to just keep ourselves in front of everybody, um and we.

E

Gathered the email addresses at the forums or at um meetings that we had and just added to the list.

E

And kind of you know did that, and that was one way that I mean. I know that it's.

E

Communication has changed a lot in the last few years and I know that now, there's.

E

There's facebook and there's next door and there's the city newsletter, and it's all that.

E

And I just don't know if a targeted email might might do something to keep everybody out there.

E

To aware what's going on and then the other thing is something larry you and I have talked about at.

E

Length is um recruiting people from the different neighborhoods I mean, and typically national night.

E

Out is a the best way to do. That is to find somebody from every neighborhood that you can.

E

That is aware of the facebook group or the uh email group that that is out there.

E

And I know that people move and it changes and it's tough to find anybody. But you know putting.

E

Some kind of initiative into that might be helpful and then um maybe if you can the mission statement.

E

Is put that in the city newsletter and say this is what the mission is of the city-wide neighborhood.

E

Committee and we'd love to see you at our meetings. I mean that's just my thoughts.

G

Yeah, so that's interesting, I kind of like that. um The the the idea of.

B

Of sending emails out to our normal mailing list, I've been kind of reluctant to do it more than.

B

Like once a month or something like that, we've had a lot of emails, especially.

B

um You know with national night out and and the the city lights uh program.

B

And I I really I'm one. I always feel that I I don't want to tax um our mailing list with.

B

With all kinds of things, but I think that's a good point- is every so often talk about uh what we do.

B

um The other thing is, I do have a list of 23 representatives from each neighborhood, which.

B

Are the neighborhoods that participated in national night out? We don't publish the the.

B

Names of those people- and I don't often send them anything except during national night out except.

B

With few exceptions, sometimes there's some particular issue and I might send a few of.

B

Those neighborhoods, maybe about six or seven, have extensive mailing list and it's up to the.

B

Coordinator of that neighborhood to decide if they want to forward your message or not so it's.

B

Kind of iffy, but I have I have done that in the past on a few items and with the limited success.

B

So I could certainly try that as part of the campaign, if you wish awareness campaign um on who.

B

We are, and it's a few people very active folks down in the 1-3-1-4 area, who would be dying to.

B

You know to get get much more involved and I think that would be helpful, so I've only identified.

B

About three or four people who are really super active would like to become much more involved in.

B

The uh in their neighborhoods, but those are all very good ideas. So thanks. Thank you very much.

B

For that all right, uh anybody else, larry yeah, um you know, as you know, I've been sitting in on.

G

These meetings more or less for the last couple of years um and one of the things I think you should.

G

uh Advertise is that it's a very easy non-threatening forum, where people can address.

G

uh The city government, I mean we have meetings where we have the chief of police, the fire.

G

Department, uh peter rice, uh we have john tabor here right now and you know I have the example.

G

I always give people when they say. Well, you know what good is this thing? I talk about chevrolet.

G

Avenue where we had one of these meetings, some of the people who have to walk that at night.

G

Came and talked about how danger it was. There was no sidewalk there.

G

um People took notes, people listened and there's now a sidewalk there and it's not so dangerous.

G

To walk there anymore, so I I think what you need to do is let people know that this is a very it's.

G

A forum where, if they have something they want to say, and they want to say the city and they're, not.

G

Sure how to do it, uh this is a good place to do it, and it's fairly, you know, I don't think anyone.

G

Will find a very threatening environment and um obviously the the city does listen and I think.

G

You need to make people aware of that. As I said, I talk to people occasionally about that. I sit in on these meetings and they say why.

G

And that's what I tell them so um you know, like I said, chevrolet avenue thing is just one real.

G

Easy uh success story. I can pull out of out of my hat real quickly and I use it a good bit thanks.

B

Okay thanks, I appreciate the comment. Yes, okay,.

B

Anybody else lori, not laurie soloway,.

H

Yeah yeah, I was just thinking. What are another way of getting the word out is there are, is, would it.

H

Be possible, I don't know or timely or appropriate or whatever, to make announcements larry at the.

H

City council meetings about the updates regarding what the city, what your committee is doing.

H

You know because people tune in every week. We have.

B

We do have we. Certainly we have a public relations person at city hall who announces these meetings.

B

um We, if the issue is serious enough uh lori, um I I and any of the committee can go before the.

B

City council and and address those particular issues and and either ask for solutions or.

B

Provide a solution, uh a possible solution, so we do have that access to the city council.

B

The council, of course, has uh is just over, I think, overworked with all kinds of issues that can take.

B

Them hours at night, so I don't like to to to to be on the agenda more than I need to. I mean.

B

I just sent a report on what we did for the past few years uh to the city council. I guess I gather.

B

That john, you received it along with your your other council members. um So but I I if, if it's.

B

Urgent enough lori, I will definitely make sure that one of us would go before the city council.

B

And make that and address that and one other thought um it's an informal thing, but um stephanie.

H

She's pronounced her last name support, um so some she'll put announcements out on the portsmouth.

H

Comma nh facebook page uh to let people know what's going on and it's you know it suffered.

H

From the city, but a lot of people in town- oh it's like it. You know it's good and bad. You.

H

Like it or hate it, but but a lot of people scroll through it and look at it, and I know I I get city.

H

Information from there or I find out things about the city and a lot of the counselors are on it.

H

And they look at it, so it might be another way of you know promoting activities if you're holding a.

H

Forum or whatever um you know, put the logo out there and give the info and and just do a post.

B

Lori, are you talking about the unofficial um people, usually yeah people usually post on.

H

Both of them, if they want to send information out or whatever they'll, do it on the unofficial.

H

And then they'll do it on the portsmouth comma nh once they typica. So I typically see posts.

B

Certainly, a good thought, because I I do normally promote the meetings and the forums.

B

Through uh both of those media as well as uh next door, and so we could use them a little.

B

Bit more and uh and do do more targeted. uh uh uh I won't call them embarrassment, but public notices.

B

So that's a good idea thanks for that, okay, I have to leave the meeting, but then I just want to thank.

H

Everybody for for doing this and trying to make a stronger, better city. So thank you. Thank you. Lori.

B

B

Mark I was thinking on the word, visibility in order to have an organization or any type of.

F

Business be visible, it has to advertise this. The number one advertising is the city newsletter.

F

And their an idea would be to have the what is might be called the cnc news.

F

Where it's information- and I see john- you know he come from a publication background.

F

Is you got to stay in front of people and the best way to stay in front of.

F

People is to use the resources that the city has in the city newsletter.

F

How many times a week does it go out and to how many people, and when you expose this group to.

F

That amount of people on a consistent basis, and then you have it news related to neighborhoods.

F

You know someone can write up a 10 paragraph or five cherry short link and say this is the.

F

News and people read it, so it's just staying in front of people. uh That's gonna, create curiosity.

F

Within the public- and it's gonna show that this is an active group or it could be an active group.

F

That's it that's my fault. We are an active group.

C

We are very active yeah we're just busting out the scenes and stuff.

B

And uh you have suggestions uh excellent. I won't find a committee person waiting for that.

F

So you know just just more exposure and use that newsletter and make sure the.

F

Cnc, because the only time you see the cnc in there is when they're having a meeting.

F

But you don't really know what they're doing, and so, if it says scenes.

B

So we can, I can always talk to her and see if um what else we could do.

B

But that's a good idea thanks! Yeah and john can help you with that or help us with that.

B

All right anybody else would like to speak for just a couple of thousands of the facebook groups.

C

Have close to 8 000 people who are members and that's excluding who's outside the city.

C

I looked at the advertising statistics.

C

um And the city's letter, I think, is well over six thousand now that's weekly.

C

C

I think each of the the more I talked about the email chains.

C

Those are very influential, um and some of those, for example,.

C

Aaron garganta has the neighborhood list up there.

C

And that's a very active list and helped a lot in the very beginning.

C

So all of those reach a lot of people.

C

And I think it's it's it's both hands. I think you have a strategy to.

C

The only tricky part about facebook is.

C

It's great to push things out. It gets very tricky when you start to engage.

B

Engaging with people.

B

uh Thank you, uh john listen. I have. I have used the unofficial.

B

City of portsmouth, which has twenty thousand uh allegedly uh 20, 000 members in the group.

B

And I like mark's idea of the um of the newsletter.

B

I use we can use social media on a regular basis um and as long as it's newsworthy. But the thing.

B

With with uh unofficial, both real and unofficial and unofficial, real um the city of portsmouth,.

B

Is they get so many um pieces of information, so many people contribute.

B

And we're just like one and within 20 minutes there might be five or six others after so really.

B

The the difficulty I have with uh social with that type of social media approach is that it's.

B

Just a flash that you get a flash, you get some information, some people will read it.

B

Some people may be either tomorrow the next day and then then it's gone, but um it's certainly.

B

I wouldn't stop using it myself for that. uh For the reasons I think that it does reach some people.

B

And- and all you need to do is if, if you see something that we're going to um at some event,.

B

That we're planning, I think, would be they get a notion that maybe they want to attend and that's.

B

That's the whole idea of this, so thank you we'll be talking more about this john, I'm sure yeah. It's.

C

A good topic- and it aligns with what we want to do as a council, too engagement, communication, piece.

B

Hey is that is there anybody else who wishes to comment.

B

um Then I'll suggest that we uh close the meeting unless uh um le I suggest we close. Oh, you want.

B

Go ahead, um um ken I'm just waiting to buy okay. Thank you. We'll close the meeting today.

B

um I'll prepare the minutes laura. You can help me um uh refresh. Make sure that I have it uh accurate.

B

So, thank you all for coming. This has been a surprise for me. I expected to be out of here.

B

um Actually, um at seven o'clock it's now 7 24, so we've had a very good meeting. Thank.

B

You all for attending and um have a good night and and don't forget.

B

Keep your um you don't have to go out on saturday, unless you absolutely have to.

B

Keep shoveling uh mark I'm supposed to get on a plane. Saturday wish me luck.

F

Yeah. Thank you. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Everybody have a good night bye.