City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire Municipal Alliance for Adaptive Management, 12 May 2022

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From YouTube: 5.12.2022 Municipal Alliance for Adaptive Management

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5.12.2022 Municipal Alliance for Adaptive Management

A

A

So I learned this week that the opera house is, we don't really have shows.

A

During the day, but this week, they're doing schoolhouse rock for students.

A

So we might get a little house rock in the background this morning.

A

I was just coming into the parking lot when two buses pulled in from farmington, so I actually.

A

Came in with the kids and they're all looking at me like who are you I'm like? Who are you.

B

That's actually cool. That's one of my favorites yeah yeah yeah. It's been fun because I can hear.

A

It in my office so you're here, I'm just a build. Oh my gosh, I'm gonna say: do you get I'm just.

A

Yeah really fun.

A

I'm gonna wait just a minute or two longer for melissa to join us, just because I think.

C

um Pretty much with the bulk of this agenda.

D

Gretchen, can you hear me I can where's that sound coming from who's talking, color fella.

A

Hi carla hi gretchen, um I don't know if you have time on the agenda, but I'm trying to schedule the.

D

Prmc meeting the pascatico region, monitoring collaborative meeting.

D

Perhaps for late june early july and if you have the time to just get a sense from people.

D

What general weeks days and that period work and don't work that will help me not waste people's.

D

Time when I send out a doodle, yeah yeah, we can do that before we get started. If you.

D

Whichever, whatever whatever works for you, um I think everyone's busy. Oh that's the answer.

D

Oh okay, I'm just kidding I'm one of those people, that's not busy, so I just I guess I lucked out.

C

It's crazy right now, I think everyone, but um so you were thinking end of june end of june.

D

Or early july, okay, um but if we have to push it, we we have to push it. No, I think that's good.

C

Do folks have preferences any vacations coming up.

A

The only thing is um at the end of june: that's when all our srf and arpa grants true applications.

A

Are due that's going to be a crunch week? That's true that is true, I would say july would be better.

A

For me, after the fourth, but in that maybe second week of july yeah second week of july.

C

Does that have a date that is good for you.

D

uh I haven't picked one, do you want me to throw one out or do that by doodle.

C

Well, we've been doing a lot of stuff on thursdays. Do thursdays tend to work.

C

For people thursday works for me I could do the 14th if people, if that works, for people.

C

It works for me, it works for me, okay, and should we just keep it at 10 o'clock? It's.

D

A nice time for people works again that yup that works. For me all right, we'll try to.

D

Keep it to two hours, we will keep it to two hours, perfect, okay! Well, thank you. Thank you.

A

An email from melissa she's not seeing a passcode on the agenda. Sorry I just I just replied to it.

E

With it, thank you yeah, you know what color, if we're really throwing things out here,.

C

10 is not 10 30s. I actually have a meeting from 9 30 to 10 30 on the 14th, which I think I'm supposed.

C

To be hosting okay, how about one o'clock is that, okay, I you know, since you asked thank, you, will.

A

This be uh remote or in person a class from 12 30 to 1 30 that day, oh um I'm thinking uh remote.

D

I usually get more participation when I do it remote.

D

So um that would be helpful in terms of um the class yeah I mean I can even do 10 30.

C

And you know I can be half an hour late too. It's not well. Let's do 10. Let's do 10 30 to.

D

12 30., it seems like the simplest solution. Thank you. I appreciate that. Okay, thank you.

C

All right, we got melissa.

E

No not yet not yet.

C

As soon as she gets on I'll get started, but.

A

If you don't mind, I have it pulled up in word, but um you know it will pick up sounds good.

C

Apologies again we're just gonna wait one more minute. Well, we've got one more person coming.

E

All right, I just admitted melissa.

A

Thank you, sorry about the confusion, melissa. All right great. I think we've got.

C

Everyone here, so we uh we'll get going um thanks. Everyone for coming busy busy.

C

Schedules got a really good turnout today, so I appreciate it uh call to order at 1007.

C

um Because this is the executive committee we're looking to approve minutes, but it would just.

C

Be from the november 4th uh executive committee, that was quite some time ago, I'd make a motion to.

B

Approve the meeting minutes of november 4th 2021 and second great, and I believe, we're all here in.

C

Person, so we can just do all those in favor, hi, hi, hi, excellent I'll have to abstain. I wasn't.

C

And actually chris to be, I think, the executive committee, um I'm I'm really really glad that.

C

Milton is represented, but I think it is uh exeter summers. Excuse me exeter newington,.

C

um Dover, portsmouth and rochester are the five executive committees yep, but please.

C

All right now we're going to open up discussion and approval of the stakeholder committee pilot.

C

Project and I am going to turn it over to melissa in a second, but just to remind everyone uh kind of.

C

A little background on the pilot project as part of the settlement agreement, which is a little bit.

C

Separate from the municipal alliance, the three communities that entered into the agreement with.

C

Clf had offered to help support a pilot project. It hadn't been completely thought through at the.

C

Time so there was an understanding that it would just be some sort of in initiative or some sort.

C

Of innovative approach to the nitrogen management and each of those committees excuse me communities.

C

Pledged fifteen thousand dollars totaling forty five thousand dollars with the understanding that.

C

Clf would work with the stakeholder committee, so this is what ties municipal alliance back in.

C

um To do that, pilot project and melissa has been working and has come up with a project that she.

C

Thinks will be a good fit for this group and she's been working with her um stakeholder committee and.

C

We discussed it a little bit at our last members meeting and I'm gonna turn it over to her for.

C

Any updates and then I think, she's looking for the support and an endorsement from the.

C

Executive board for her to move ahead with that. So with that, I will turn it over to you. Melissa.

F

Thank you gretchen good morning guys, um so I I don't want to repeat things that uh that folks.

F

Are already familiar with um as to kind of why we've circled around this idea of exploring.

F

Cost-Effective ways to reduce nitrogen loads from septic systems.

F

As a as a another tool in the toolkit for working on the adaptive management plans, if anyone has.

F

Questions about the the outline of the the pilot, I'm I'm happy to um share that. um I think you have.

F

All seen the the project description, though that might not be fresh in folks mine, so I can send.

F

That around again thank you, gretchen, um the the uh so yeah as gretchen noted what I um I think we.

F

Have things fairly well um shaped up, but for a few things one is obviously final approval um for man.

F

For the project, but um equally important is that I don't want to advance this work until I really.

F

Know what questions you all want answered because the the specific survey questions and the.

F

Ways in which we solicit participation from homeowners will will be very much guided by.

F

By what information is going to be helpful for municipal officials in thinking about this? As as a.

F

Something that could be scaled up from this pilot uh project to something more widespread. So that's.

F

Really um another discussion that I that I love- and I I'm posting here in the chat right now. Some.

F

Of those some of the questions um that would be really helpful to have your thoughts on um other.

F

Updates from this current draft is that we've identified two neighborhoods that I think would be.

F

Really suitable one comes from terry and suzanne in portsmouth, it's actually. The neighborhood is.

F

In rye, but it's uh uh on sagamore uh creek, it's a neighborhood that is shorefront homes on the.

F

On the rye side of sagamore creek, um and so it it's within, you know the within the estuary and.

F

um The and then the other neighborhood is one that gretchen has suggested in dover. um That is off of.

F

108 heading west from dover um toward durham and is an area where um a neighborhood on septic that.

F

Would be very expensive to um to connect to sewer so again seems like a very suitable neighborhood.

F

um To to use as uh the the second uh neighborhood in this pilot, so I'm happy.

F

To answer any other questions, and then um you know, I know this meeting should be very short, so.

F

Perhaps people don't want to have a big discussion about these questions now folks could send some.

F

Responses to me in writing. That would be very helpful, but I'm happy to go. However, you guys want.

B

Yeah so I uh suzanne woodland representing the city of portsmouth, um a couple of questions.

B

Melissa um first off I see that there's a delta between the amount that the.

B

As the 45 000 is part of the clf settlement, um you actually have a project cost of 55.

B

I'm just curious if you want to explain how you hope to meet that delta, yeah and- and this is an.

F

Estimated uh it, it may actually be a little bit higher than this, even because, if we want to get.

F

uh Someone say from unh carsey center to help us in the survey design that could be.

F

Maybe a little bit higher than 2500, I think we will be able to find funding um as you you may.

F

uh I'll be aware, um you know where we're the great new hampshire charitable foundation has just.

F

Announced uh uh substantial amount of funding from a donor to support great bay, 2030.

F

Activities- um and so I I think uh I would solicit some support from that um from that grant- that.

F

To to support this pilot project um and not come back to ma'am and request additional funding.

B

I I might offer then, and follow up to that. If you need letters of support, uh we could probably.

B

Help make that absolutely yep for those for those who request for grant funds perfect. Thank you very.

B

Much um if, if I might have a second uh question for you, I know when we met the last time you were.

B

Hoping to um get some economic diversity um in your two pilots and I'm wondering do you feel that.

B

You've achieved that or or not well I I I do in a seacoast sort of way right, um so the neighborhood.

F

That you and terry have suggested uh along sagamore creek, I think, would be the higher end.

F

Kind of waterfront homes rye very pricey properties, the neighborhood that that the gretchen.

F

Has suggested in dover, I mean, I think she as she noted the average price selling price for those.

F

Homes is uh like four hundred thousand dollars, so that's not um necessarily modest by anyone's.

F

Definition, but in the seacoast uh scheme of things these days, um I guess that um certainly is uh a.

F

Somewhat less affluent neighborhood than than the one along sagamore creek, so I think there would.

F

Be some um you know some diversity, socioeconomic diversity, um but perhaps not as much as we might.

F

uh Want, if, if anyone has another neighborhood that they want to suggest um which, which really uh you.

F

Know which would diversify the um the two sites even more. uh I I'd be delighted to to here thank.

C

You and I I would follow up. I yeah the prices of homes are just crazy, but the neighborhood that we.

C

Identified is kind of what you what we were thinking, um yeah yeah, I mean smaller homes, smaller.

F

Lots not waterfront um and in an area where uh extending sewer you know is, is very prohibitive.

B

Thank you very much.

C

I'd ask this gretchen I'd: ask that we I we can't actually see those questions that you put in the.

C

Chat so I'm hoping maybe jamie could get those up because I thought I was really impressed with.

C

The questions that you had, I thought it really. I honed in on some of the things that we had.

C

Been talking about so I just wanted to make sure those get up there so that folks can see.

C

What the pilot project is is looking to answer. Oh, um I just can't see that I think if jamie.

F

um Maybe I can send them around by uh just a reply I can. Actually. I can just read them.

C

Yeah I'll just read them here we go.

C

F

I've got them right here, gretchen um if you want how willing are property owners to install this.

F

Technology in their septic tanks, how complicated is the installation at a typical property.

F

Property owners willing to pay for an annual inspection.

F

How reliable and available is the service provider if issues arise for homeowners.

F

Is if a property changes hands, are new owners made aware of the retrofit system and willing to.

F

Continue maintaining it if the cost of the system were not covered by this grant, how much would.

F

Property owners be willing to pay to substantially reduce nutrient discharges from their septic.

F

Systems do the systems perform as advertised? Is there any need to have municipal staff involved in.

F

The installation or inspection, so those are some of the questions that I'm but that you might.

F

Want answered, but I'm I'm sure you have many others that I haven't thought of.

C

I'll throw out, um we've got someone from the city staff who just rode over with me today and.

C

He brought up the idea of of I was saying: well, you know you plug it in it's added electric.

C

Cost- and he was curious if there was a way to to look at doing a solar that would just.

C

Be for these systems. I thought that was a neat idea. That's something we're doing with our.

C

Pedestrian light crossings and stuff, so just you know interesting.

F

Well again, I don't want to take up too much time on your agenda so yep. I just want to make sure.

C

Everyone had a chance, you know melissa. I again just want to say I appreciate um I I feel like.

C

This subcommittee really heard some of the concerns that the municipalities, or you know,.

C

I think there's a lot of support for this project and I think it has a great chance to make a good.

C

um Den into the nitrogen reduction- and I think the questions that you're asking are all the ones that.

C

That we need some answers to so I you know if we're going to roll it out at a larger scale. Sorry.

B

So I'd make a motion to approve the stakeholder committee pilot project as presented by.

B

The stakeholder committee uh and ms paling perfect, let's second, that all right all those in favor, oh.

A

Sorry, I have, I have a question all we're approving. Is these this proposal we're not endorsing.

A

People actively purchasing sledgehammer just fulfilling a contract for the.

A

The thing for the 45 grand correct this would authorize the stakeholder committee.

B

Well for the communities uh to release the money of 45 000 that was put in by.

B

Dover, rochester and portsmouth as part of its agreement with the conservation law foundation.

B

To conduct this, but it wouldn't force any individual homeowner to participate.

A

Forcing the study- yes, okay, I've got a question from sally sewell. um What happens if the power.

E

Goes out, does it need to be connected to a generator? Will you track actual as-built costs.

F

Great question.

A

Yeah melissa just to add to your excellent list just.

A

Things I'd be curious about. You know what are the actual costs.

A

Curious yep, thank you that's great, um and then I just want to clarify that the uh the grant will.

F

Go from mam to the stratford regional planning commission, which will administer um this project.

B

Thank you melissa for that yep. Thank you all right. So we've got a motion in a second to approve.

C

The um septic system draft the septic system proposal from the stakeholder committee and it.

C

Would be funding the forty five thousand dollars to the stratfor regional planning commission.

C

Any other discussion all right, all those in favor aye, aye aye aye great. Thank you um all right. Next.

C

Topic is review of recent invoices. I don't believe there there needs to be any votes on these, but.

C

Katie can give us some updates on invoices. They did pass around one of the unh invoices. Yes, so the.

A

Invoice that gretchen distributed was the first invoice received from prep, which has.

A

Been approved and processed and as you'll see that the description, the invoice is all in support of.

A

The field season 2022 activities, as was approved by mam, so we did review and release the funds.

A

Because they did coincide with the vote with the monitoring activities that were already approved.

A

And we are all set up for the 2022 brown and caldwell support, so we'll be processing.

A

Those as we receive those towards the 50 000 that was approved great. Thank you.

C

All right, as always on our agenda, we keep item number five. The stakeholder.

C

Comment, melissa, did you have anything else, you'd want to add.

F

No not not at this time. Thank you great. Thank you.

C

All right, then, item number six, we'll open it up to public comment thing. No one. Anyone online.

C

All right, seeing no one and we'll move it to other business.

G

One thing I I guess in it brings to mind after seeing that size of that bill, and I know and.

G

Milton does appreciate because we were late to the game. uh The three communities that put up a.

G

Fly and share the money, but I don't always expect that. That's going to be the case.

G

Two months from now starts, sadly, the budget process for.

G

A lot of communities um that are not council, former government and if there's going to be.

G

Some thought about a different cost sharing or.

G

Fiscal activities in 23 then I need to literally be aware of that.

G

In the next two to three months, because as it gets into fall, the more solidified that gets.

G

It's harder to do something. um The budget discussion on our end has already started, and that.

G

I'm sure, with everyone else, our voters voted in a two percent tax cap and we're wondering what.

G

The fuel prices are going to do to um being able to stay within that two percent and that tax cap.

G

um Because on there's just a host of factors- and you know we're all seeing it in our own budgets,.

G

And in our town budgets, uh city budgets, that some of our costs are in certain areas are going.

G

Right through the roof, so um the more notice I can get.

G

To bring that back to the board the better off we'll be that's all.

D

Katie, may I uh jump in yeah absolutely.

D

Just in terms of the estuarine monitoring stuff, um it's chris right, correct.

D

That's going to be the main subject of that prmc meeting that we scheduled for july 14.

D

And we had heard from folks that this meeting used to happen more in the fall and a lot of.

D

People were saying: well, it's a little too late. You know we need to start this budgeting process.

D

More like june, so that's why we've moved these meetings up so some of those things I think.

D

Will maybe be solidified in that meeting chris, not everything because prep isn't involved in.

D

Everything, but certainly all the stream monitoring stuff will be reviewed in terms of next year's.

D

Budget and if you have anything- and I would extend this to anybody who is hearing this.

D

If you have anything in particular, you would like me to put on the agenda.

D

um You know, let me know and maybe um cc jennifer perry who's. The co-chair of the prmc.

D

Ted dears was the other co-chair, but with his promotion he is.

D

We're gonna have to fill the other coach air spa. Hopefully that helps chris nope.

C

Yeah understood yes,.

C

Yeah, hey jamie. There are two chat comments, um and could you just confirm that.

C

Whether those are intended as part of public comment or.

E

uh I've got the one initially from melissa with her questions and then sally's uh additional.

E

Question to be added, but other than that I don't see any other chat questions.

E

Perfect, thank you um and I did have the old agenda. That's actually different. I can throw up the.

E

The current one, if you want well, I think we if, unless there's any other comments, anyone else all.

C

Right then, we're gonna move to item number eight, which is a motion to adjourn. Don't move ns. Second,.

C

Second, by suzanne, all those in favor hi, hi excellent. Thank you. Everyone. Thank you.

D

Thanks everybody bye carla.

A

A

I want to say bye, brian, but it's it's not it's brian. It's funny. His photo shows.

E

Brian's got the fancy account all right, I'm going to log off thanks guys.

A

Yeah thanks jamie. Thank you. I have to ask.