[0:02] Good evening.
[0:02] Calling to order the regular meeting of the Dover City Council.
[0:06] Wednesday, September 23rd, a few minutes past seven.
[0:10] Apologize for that. We have called to order.
[0:13] If you could all rise for a moment of silence, please.
[0:46] Councilor.
[0:47] Richer. Here.
[0:48] Councilor Carmichael. Here. Councilor
[0:51] Cullen. Here.
[0:53] Councilor Robison. Here.
[0:55] Councilor Granfield. Here.
[0:56] Councilor Veitch. Here.
[0:58] Deputy Mayor Williams. Here.
[1:00] Mayor Shanahan. Here.
[1:01] Eight present, one absent.
[1:03] And for the record, Councilor Retrosi
[1:06] is out of the country on business.
[1:10] And pleasure to see him back shortly.
[1:14] And he last thought had story.
[1:20] Apologies.
[1:21] Item number five.
[1:22] Proclamations. Awards.
[1:23] We have two this evening.
[1:27] Two proclamations and an award from the city of Rochester.
[1:30] That will get you after the proclamations.
[1:37] Councilor Richer,
[1:38] do you want to join me for the direct support?
[1:42] Professional presentation?
[2:19] She's probably
[2:19] watching, and she's thinking, you better move the mic.
[2:23] Direct support professionals are essential to the physical, mental,
[2:25] and emotional security of New Hampshire citizens
[2:28] living with a disability and direct support professionals.
[2:31] Commitment and dedication to caring for others
[2:33] with disabilities personifies the true meaning of community.
[2:37] And Whereas, direct support professionals, direct care workers,
[2:40] personal assistants and in-home care providers are the primary providers
[2:44] of publicly funded long term supports and services with disability
[2:48] for individuals with disabilities in Dover,
[2:51] and Whereas, direct support professionals assist New Hampshire citizens
[2:55] with disabilities and leading independent lives,
[2:57] and are dedicated to developing close and trusted relationships
[3:00] with individuals, their families, and their community.
[3:03] To provide a broad range of daily living support.
[3:06] And Whereas direct support professionals, devoted commitment enriches lives
[3:10] by enabling community engagement of citizens impacted by disabilities
[3:15] and further strengthens communities by including people with disabilities.
[3:19] And whereas, 2026 marks 19 years of celebrating Direct Support
[3:23] Professionals' contributions to improving the lives of those
[3:27] they support and the communities they enrich.
[3:29] Now, therefore, I, Dennis Shanahan,
[3:31] Mayor of the City of Dover, in the State of New Hampshire,
[3:33] do hereby proclaim September 13th through the 19th, 2026
[3:37] as Direct Support Professionals' Appreciation Week in the City of Dover,
[3:40] and call this to the attention of all citizens.
[3:43] In witness whereof, I have here on to set my hand and caused the seal
[3:46] the city of Dover to be fixed this 23rd day of September, 2026.
[3:53] Present this to
[3:54] you, and you can forward it on to the folks that asked us to do that.
[3:57] Thank you so much.
[3:59] Thank you, Councilor Richer.
[4:02] We also have a proclamation.
[4:05] Whereas the aim of Children's Environmental Health Day
[4:08] is to raise awareness about the importance of clean air and water, safe food
[4:12] and consumer products,
[4:14] healthy environments and stable climates to children's health and development.
[4:18] And whereas, CEH Day was created by the Children's Environmental Health
[4:22] Network and celebrated for the first time on October 13th, 2016.
[4:27] And Whereas day is observed on the second Thursday in October
[4:31] as a means to celebrate the progress of children's environmental
[4:34] health movement and create a strong network of child health advocates.
[4:38] And whereas, CEH Day is a national effort supported by individuals,
[4:43] nonprofit organizations and government agencies.
[4:46] And whereas, CEH Day encourages individuals and organizations to raise awareness
[4:51] and understanding of children's
[4:52] environmental health issues, seek improved protections for all children,
[4:56] and perform acts of sustainability or environmental health wellness.
[5:00] And Whereas, together, we can safeguard the health, safety and well-being
[5:03] of our most precious resource children.
[5:06] Now, therefore, I, Dennis Shanahan, Mayor of the City of Dover,
[5:08] in the State of New Hampshire, do hereby proclaim
[5:11] Thursday, October 8th, 2026, as Children's Environmental Health Day
[5:16] in the City of Dover and urge all citizens to observe this day
[5:19] with awareness raising and environmental health and stewardship
[5:22] activities to create a healthier environment for our children.
[5:25] In witness whereof, I am here to set my hand and cause the seal
[5:28] of the city of Dover to be a face this 23rd day of September, 2026.
[5:33] And we will get this to the folks at Children's Environmental Health.
[5:39] Oh well, I'm so sorry.
[5:41] I could.
[5:43] Always absolutely can.
[5:45] Thank you so much.
[5:46] I'm Joan Widmer with NH Healthy Climate.
[5:48] We're an advocacy group trying to work on the health of our children
[5:52] and the other residents of the Hampshire, the environmentally sound and safe.
[5:57] Now they're going to snap a picture through that camera.
[6:01] That to you?
[6:03] I'll get that.
[6:04] Thank you.
[6:05] Thank you very much. Thank you.
[6:08] Producer.
[6:14] The honorable mayor of Rochester, Chuck Grassie.
[6:18] We have an award that he wants to give.
[6:20] Well, it's.
[6:21] It's not really an award.
[6:22] I have to I'm here to.
[6:25] I'm going to have to catch you up on this, because,
[6:26] as you know, the two cities have a number of rivalries.
[6:29] You know who's the largest?
[6:30] We're always going back and forth on that one.
[6:33] Who has the most Burger King's.
[6:34] I think we got you on that one.
[6:36] So but there's one rivalry that basically is bigger
[6:40] than all of the others that just shakes up both communities.
[6:44] Dover. Rochester.
[6:47] Football.
[6:51] We are the mayors.
[6:52] The three mayors of the Tri-Cities meet together regularly.
[6:55] And of course, I work with Dennis at the Municipal Association
[6:58] on a number of things as well.
[6:59] And this year I said, you know, hey, how about a friendly bet
[7:02] at the Dover Rochester game?
[7:05] And he said, great.
[7:07] And I'm thinking, well, you know, the loser buys beers.
[7:10] Oh, no, he says, the loser.
[7:12] Where's the other teams had at the next council meeting?
[7:15] And I said, damn it.
[7:17] I'm going to have a Green Wave hat at the next council meeting.
[7:20] Based on recent history.
[7:22] And I'm thinking, okay, I'll do that.
[7:24] But we also got to do basketball and hockey
[7:27] because I know we got a hockey team in Rochester.
[7:30] Well, he said, that's fine. That's great.
[7:32] Let's do that.
[7:34] I'd look far and wide for this because it's the only hat we had left.
[7:39] But I came here
[7:40] to get a picture of your mayor wearing a Spaulding Red Raider hat.
[7:46] Since Spaulding got on their surfboards
[7:51] and rode the wave to a big victory.
[7:55] Thank you.
[8:02] I told him I had to get a triple X, so.
[8:07] I've always put up a fine struggle.
[8:09] They did.
[8:10] But alas, in the end, we will seek revenge.
[8:13] I'm expecting a Green Wave hat in return.
[8:17] So you know. That one in my in my truck.
[8:19] And I believe it was worn by a sweaty 13 year old baseball game.
[8:23] So you will enjoy it.
[8:24] This was a new one. A brand new one off the shelf.
[8:27] Okay, so thank you.
[8:29] And I hope maybe sometimes we can get our councils together as well.
[8:33] I know the mayors get together and have,
[8:35] you know, and have time to talk about things.
[8:37] And it's very productive for us to work together on ideas,
[8:40] because anything that affects Rochester affects the tri city as well.
[8:43] And we have to do that.
[8:44] We have to stick together to work together
[8:46] to make everything better for our citizens and the people of our communities.
[8:49] And I know Dennis and I have worked closely together
[8:52] with Matt from Somersworth and and the county, and we hope that,
[8:56] you know,
[8:56] maybe sometime we can have a social event to get together in Rochester or Dover
[9:00] or Somersworth or whatever.
[9:01] So we all get together and just talk in an informal way and,
[9:03] and help some of the solve the problems and exchange ideas.
[9:06] Thank you so much. Thanks.
[9:22] Put it back.
[9:23] I do. Have a.
[9:26] Which fine.
[9:27] Dover restaurant. Are you taking an two?
[9:30] Well.
[9:30] Basically I'm picking up some stuff for her, so I'm going to go to
[9:33] Chipotle.
[9:44] I'll be watching when I get home.
[9:47] I know only the mayor lost today, but it really feels like we all lost.
[9:52] Revenge is a gift.
[9:53] Serve cold. Yeah.
[9:55] What's the hockey team, right.
[9:58] That play football?
[10:03] We have a hockey game coming up.
[10:05] We do? Yeah. Way after.
[10:08] Continue to be continued.
[10:10] Oh, thank you very much.
[10:11] Next up is agenda item number six.
[10:13] Approval. The agenda. Motion to approve, actually.
[10:16] Yes. Motion to approve.
[10:17] We have to approve the agenda.
[10:18] Seconded by Councilor Veitch.
[10:21] Are there any adjustments?
[10:22] Updates to it?
[10:24] We do have agenda item 13 b two with a substitute as a whole.
[10:28] Yes. Okay.
[10:29] Motion to substitute as a whole.
[10:31] Substitute with 13 B2.
[10:32] With a with the one that was on your desk.
[10:36] Moved by Councilor Granfield and seconded
[10:39] by Deputy Mayor Williams.
[10:42] Seconded by Council.
[10:44] Any discussion on that?
[10:45] If not those in favor of substituting this as a whole?
[10:48] 13 B2.
[10:49] That's unanimous.
[10:51] Motion to approve, as amended.
[10:53] We have a motion to approve the amended agenda, seconded by Councilor Veitch.
[10:57] Any discussion on the motion to approve the amended agenda?
[11:00] Seeing none. All in favor?
[11:02] Thank you. That's unanimous.
[11:03] Next up is item number seven.
[11:05] Public hearings are none this evening.
[11:07] Agenda item number eight, public forum.
[11:09] Mr. Mayor.
[11:11] The public forum.
[11:14] Is an opportunity for speakers who are residents of the city's property
[11:17] owners, designated representatives of civic organizations,
[11:22] businesses located in the City of Dover.
[11:24] Speaker shall address their comments of the Presiding Officer
[11:26] and the Council as a body, not in any individual member.
[11:30] And please give us your name and address for the record,
[11:32] in the event that a speaker fails to identify themselves.
[11:34] Presiding Officer shall make sure that that happens.
[11:37] You'll have a single opportunity limited to five minutes.
[11:39] So I will keep time up here.
[11:41] If you have more information you'd like to give to the council,
[11:43] you can certainly do so in writing.
[11:46] And if there are any questions or facts that we see
[11:48] fit to address, we shall do that at some point in the meeting.
[11:51] And with that, the public forum is open.
[12:00] Oh come on, address us.
[12:01] You can do so in the public forum. Yes.
[12:11] Good evening.
[12:12] My name is Robert McGuigan.
[12:13] I'm here representing Rolling Thunder New Hampshire Chapter 1,
[12:17] and I just have some information for each of you.
[12:19] And for your information.
[12:21] One of our items is a contribution of POWMI.
[12:25] A flag can be placed on a bench
[12:29] sponsored by Rolling Thunder and Hampshire.
[12:32] This is just a copy of my.
[12:36] About what we've done there.
[12:38] Do you have any questions about you know.
[12:40] When a voter, Mr.
[12:41] Mayor, do we need a motion to suspend the rules?
[12:44] Considering this a representative of civic organization.
[13:11] Good evening, Mayor Shanahan.
[13:12] Members of the city council.
[13:14] As I said, my name is Robert McGuigan.
[13:15] I'm here tonight representing Rolling Thunder New Hampshire Chapter 1.
[13:19] Rolling Thunder is a national veterans advocacy organization dedicated
[13:24] to raising awareness of American prisoners of war and those missing in action.
[13:29] Rolling Thunder was incorporated in 1995 as a 501 C
[13:32] for nonprofit organization, and includes more than 90 chartered
[13:36] chapters throughout the United States and abroad.
[13:39] All members serve as volunteers, although many of us do ride motorcycles.
[13:44] Rolling Thunder is not a motorcycle organization.
[13:47] Our mission is to ensure that more than 90,000 American POW
[13:51] Mia service members still unaccounted for and never forgotten
[13:56] to support this mission.
[13:57] Municipalities and organizations across the country have adopted the POW/MIA
[14:02] Chair of Honor Memorial, a symbolic
[14:04] memorial consisting of an empty black chair or bench
[14:08] bearing the POW/MIA emblem and accompanied by a plaque explaining the purpose.
[14:13] These memorials serve as a visible reminder of those who have not yet
[14:16] returned home, and provides comfort to families who continue to wait for answers.
[14:21] Examples of these installations have taken place at Gillette Stadium,
[14:25] Lowell Stadium, home and stadium in Nashua,
[14:29] numerous city halls, parks, and public venues nationwide.
[14:33] I have included a list of memorial installations
[14:35] that Rolling Thunder New Hampshire Chapter 1 has been involved with.
[14:39] Page two
[14:41] I was working with.
[14:42] I said Michael Joyal. I got my names mixed up.
[14:44] I'm sorry, I apologize.
[14:46] I was working with Chris to identify an appropriate location
[14:49] a structure for a Chair of Honor Memorial in Dover.
[14:53] A black bench owned by the city
[14:56] has been identified as a suitable and highly visible location
[15:00] in front of the administrative building, or this building has been recommended.
[15:04] I respectfully request the city's support to establish a POW/MIA
[15:08] Chair of Honor Memorial.
[15:09] At this location.
[15:11] The cost of the city would be minimal,
[15:13] considering that the bench is already owned by the city
[15:16] and has been allocated at this time,
[15:19] so the only cost would be in anchoring the bench in the specific location
[15:23] and purchasing a plaque describing the memorial.
[15:27] The installation would serve as a meaningful tribute
[15:29] to veterans, active duty service members and their families.
[15:32] It would also provide the city with a dignified location point
[15:35] for ceremonies, media events, and educational outreach.
[15:39] Rolling Thunder New Hampshire Chapter 1 would be honored to coordinate
[15:41] with the unveiling of the memorial at the city's Veterans
[15:44] Day event on November 11th, 2026.
[15:48] Thank you for your time and consideration.
[15:50] We look forward to the opportunity to working with the City of Dover
[15:53] and ensure that our POW/MIA service members are never forgotten.
[15:57] If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them.
[16:01] Thank you, Mr. McGuigan.
[16:02] And thank you for your service.
[16:04] Thank you.
[16:08] Anyone else for the public forum?
[16:12] All right. Seeing none.
[16:13] Public forum is now closed.
[16:15] That brings us next to item number nine, our City Manager's Report.
[16:20] Mr. City Manager.
[16:22] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
[16:24] Report in writing as usual.
[16:25] And it covers activities of the various departments
[16:28] over the course of the last month.
[16:33] As usual, on dry your attention to,
[16:37] a report
[16:39] on the status of the major financial funds in the city.
[16:43] That starts on page
[16:46] 7172.
[16:49] And at this point, two, two months into the fiscal year,
[16:53] not seeing any issues
[16:56] of concern or trends at this point in the numbers.
[17:00] However, I can assure you that we are watching closely.
[17:04] What is happening with fuel prices and ultimately how that is
[17:08] driving other costs
[17:12] throughout the organization?
[17:17] I also want to make mention and thank,
[17:22] our a number of volunteers.
[17:25] We had 45 volunteers that came out and walked over
[17:31] 380 miles or so around the city
[17:35] doing a survey of our parking system.
[17:39] Evaluating the use and of 2000
[17:42] parking spaces that we have throughout the downtown. It.
[17:47] They were collecting data
[17:48] that we were able to use or will use to validate
[17:51] how often parking spaces are utilized, how many parking spaces users
[17:57] utilize and incorporate that into the master plan update.
[18:04] They they surveyed
[18:06] the use of the parking system, these volunteers
[18:09] over the course of three days, including weekend and weekdays.
[18:12] So they had a pretty good representation of how
[18:15] the public parking system is utilized here in the city.
[18:19] Also want to mention that we still have a survey ongoing,
[18:24] as the transportation chapter of the master plan
[18:28] is being updated and people can go to the city website
[18:33] and they'll find a link for the transportation master plan update.
[18:37] And there's a link to the survey there,
[18:41] which strongly encourage folks to provide their feedback there.
[18:44] As you know, the master plan helps guide
[18:49] the overall development, growth and needs
[18:54] identifies needs in this city over at least a ten year span.
[18:59] So it's a very important document for us to have in planning for
[19:04] and anticipating the needs of the city.
[19:07] And with that, I'll conclude my report.
[19:10] Any questions for the City Manager? Councilor Richer.
[19:14] Do we have any updates on the warming center?
[19:16] What's happening?
[19:17] The the high this weekend is going to be 58.
[19:20] So we know that temperatures are only going down. And
[19:24] my understanding is the construction is moving along.
[19:26] We are going to have a meeting of the tri cities,
[19:30] I believe, next week to discuss the
[19:34] opening of the warming center,
[19:37] which I suspect will be very similar to how it's been operated in years past.
[19:42] Probably likely starting
[19:44] sometime in November around the Thanksgiving,
[19:48] the holiday, and continuing on through the winter months.
[19:51] And we won't have, a vote on who's managing that this year.
[19:56] No, the county is operating.
[19:57] The facility is part of the agreement that we have with the county.
[20:01] It will be the same.
[20:02] My understanding is the county
[20:03] is contracted with the same entity that's operated for the last two years.
[20:07] Okay.
[20:10] And the last I spoke with the county commissioners.
[20:13] They were getting assurances from the
[20:18] the contractor that it is on track for completion.
[20:22] On about 1115, the last town,
[20:25] probably three weeks ago, it was essentially framed in.
[20:28] So there was progress being made.
[20:31] So and we do have a backup plan for any time
[20:34] between the initiation
[20:38] of the season and the completion of the new facility.
[20:42] If the. What's the backup plan?
[20:45] We'll provide a shelter somewhere here in the city.
[20:48] Okay.
[20:50] I also have another question, but is there any.
[20:53] I thought I saw your hand up for that. No.
[20:54] Okay.
[20:58] Apple harvest is coming up.
[20:59] Everybody's excited about that.
[21:01] There's a lot of construction.
[21:02] Is there any
[21:04] information that we should know about how it's going to operate this year?
[21:07] That's different than other years that we can pass along when constituents ask?
[21:12] Yeah, obviously the the Henry Law Avenue is under construction.
[21:17] So, there will be that area will be limited.
[21:21] So most of the events will be moved up along Upper Central
[21:24] Avenue along the side streets, parking.
[21:28] I don't have all the details for parking, but I believe they're running a shuttle
[21:32] from Liberty or O from the
[21:36] from the former Care Pharmacy.
[21:39] Now it's Sanel Auto Parts,
[21:43] next door to Cleary Cleaners.
[21:44] Not the one up on third Street, but the one down in Central Avenue.
[21:48] So people can park there and there'll be a shuttle bus that will run them downtown.
[21:52] If they can't find parking in the transportation
[21:55] lot or elsewhere around the city, and,
[21:59] the event will go on, rain or shine.
[22:02] Hopefully shine. Yes.
[22:03] We've had enough rain.
[22:06] Yes. So it's not this weekend? Yes.
[22:10] Good.
[22:10] Several questions.
[22:13] First, want to.
[22:15] Direct your attention to page 21 of the the report.
[22:19] You're showing wastewater comparative data between May, June and July.
[22:23] And in July, there was a significant drop.
[22:27] Was that related to the efforts
[22:30] we've been taking on to identify unknown sources of wastewater?
[22:34] No, that that particular data relates
[22:37] to the gallons of septic that it received at the wastewater treatment plant.
[22:41] Those are the
[22:43] pumping trucks that
[22:45] empty septic tanks will come and
[22:48] empty er disposed there.
[22:50] And this pattern of
[22:54] higher volumes in the spring and likely in the fall
[22:58] is it corresponds when people are using getting their septic tanks serviced.
[23:02] Okay. Great.
[23:04] Next question on page 22.
[23:07] The next page.
[23:08] And it's related to
[23:11] also to us moving to the toter system.
[23:13] I was asked yesterday by resident
[23:16] they don't know exactly what to do with sharps.
[23:18] And they don't understand if that's going to change with the toter system.
[23:21] Do you know any. It's not going to change.
[23:24] Folks that are legitimately using sharps,
[23:28] diabetics or for other medical needs,
[23:31] needles.
[23:33] Typically no.
[23:36] Or provided with disposal devices if they don't have them.
[23:40] What's recommended is to take a like a laundry detergent jug,
[23:47] an empty
[23:48] one, and deposit the needles in there and put the cap back on it,
[23:51] and then put it in your trash bag and throw it away.
[23:54] Okay.
[23:55] What is important is that the needles be contained
[23:58] in some sort of solid container.
[24:02] As I said, the recommendation is to use a laundry detergent jug or
[24:08] some other plastic non breakable device,
[24:12] and they can be disposed in your trash bag.
[24:14] Okay.
[24:15] Just to be clear, and this was opposed to me yesterday.
[24:18] Even though they're not they don't have an archaic but
[24:20] so there's no concern about residual drug and the needles going into the trash.
[24:24] No not a special not if they're properly contained.
[24:26] Okay.
[24:27] And a separate from that as we know there are
[24:31] there's a prevalence of needles that get improperly discarded.
[24:36] And usually because they're not being used for legitimate purposes.
[24:41] There is an organization that has placed
[24:44] sharps containers and our servicing them in the city.
[24:48] There's one located at the entrance to the community trail.
[24:51] There's one in Henry Law Park, and I believe that
[24:57] I believe that said, there's just two of them.
[24:59] There's one at the hospital. Two.
[25:00] But that's the one I was told is shut down right now.
[25:02] Just continue that. Okay.
[25:06] Third question.
[25:08] The next page you mentioned that tax year lean
[25:13] amount.
[25:15] Is that in line with what we budgeted or is it higher or lower?
[25:18] Yeah, we we don't budget for the tax liens that represent the,
[25:23] the amount of taxes that remain unpaid by the due date.
[25:27] What's what. Do we expect?
[25:29] What did we expect?
[25:29] It is.
[25:30] Typically around 1.7 1.8%.
[25:33] Several years ago we got as high as 2.5%.
[25:36] From my perspective, you know, we stay below 5% or so.
[25:41] There's really no concern for a variety of reasons.
[25:44] People are late in paying their taxes and,
[25:47] they make arrangements.
[25:49] All right.
[25:50] Last question.
[25:53] On page 61, you list out the council's
[25:56] goal for the goals for the year and progress being made on each page.
[26:01] 61 is the one related to housing, and it is a very blank page.
[26:06] Can you talk a little bit about
[26:09] do we have anything more going on than just the one item listed?
[26:11] Yeah, there's actually a lot going on.
[26:13] Part of the reason that that's blank and I apologize for that is the
[26:18] our housing planner is actually out on maternity leave.
[26:22] So I didn't have a report to include there.
[26:25] However, the Planning Department and Director Benton
[26:29] did include some updates within her department report on page
[26:34] 34 relating to some housing related initiatives.
[26:38] And one of the more significant ones is that the city
[26:42] was recognized,
[26:45] nationally, actually,
[26:48] and selected, I should say, to participate
[26:50] in a housing supply challenge, accelerated challenge.
[26:54] And that's a nationwide network that's organized by the National League of Cities
[26:59] and the American Planning Association, and it's designed to accelerate
[27:03] the implementation of
[27:05] proven housing strategies.
[27:08] And so they are interested in what we have been doing here in Dover
[27:13] and will obviously,
[27:16] want to encourage us to continue with that, but also help support
[27:20] for the efforts with that also included in the director's report
[27:25] for the planning department is there's a number of activities
[27:28] taking place before the Planning Board to help create some additional
[27:33] housing opportunities of different purposes and needs.
[27:38] Obviously, one of the more significant ones is has to deal with density
[27:42] and the ability to have
[27:45] higher density development, which is a function of cost,
[27:49] which ultimately is a function of the price
[27:52] somebody pays for that property through the TDR process.
[27:57] And that's been been being studied now for over a year now.
[28:01] And they're finalizing the recommendations for that.
[28:04] That'll be coming forward.
[28:06] Thank you.
[28:07] Thank you Council.
[28:08] Anyone else for the City Manager?
[28:11] Just one quick question.
[28:11] Typically you have an area in here for legal.
[28:13] I did not see that legal.
[28:16] I put in the my first report of the month.
[28:18] The second day of the month.
[28:21] All right. Thank you. So what else?
[28:24] All right. Thank you.
[28:26] Brings us to agenda item number ten, approval of minutes.
[28:29] We have two sets this evening.
[28:30] Ten a September 2nd, 2026 workshop meeting, a non public meeting
[28:34] and ten B September 9th, 2026 regular meeting.
[28:37] Motion to approve. Motion on the minutes.
[28:39] We have a second, seconded by Councilor Robison.
[28:42] Any updates errors, corrections, anything in these two sets of minutes?
[28:46] Seeing none. All in favor of approving these minutes
[28:50] is unanimous.
[28:51] Item number 11 is our Mayor's Report. Mr.
[28:53] Mayor?
[28:54] Well, it was
[28:57] at times
[28:58] quite the quite the busy last couple of weeks
[29:02] at times, particularly when I was in North Carolina.
[29:05] Quiet.
[29:07] Well, five days
[29:08] obviously nine over 11 dedication occurred.
[29:12] I can't say I cannot say enough about the work
[29:16] that Bob Carrier, Perry Plummer, police and fire put in.
[29:21] I've heard estimates of the attendance to be in the hundreds.
[29:24] We were wondering if we were going to fill all 60 chairs that we put out.
[29:29] So appreciate the public turning out for that and appreciate
[29:32] what's what's come back.
[29:35] So there's a we'll have a follow up
[29:38] meeting basically get, get get any of the loose ends cleaned up.
[29:43] But really can't say enough for the folks that were involved with
[29:46] that and those that attended.
[29:50] A couple of things.
[29:51] I'll mention my coast report.
[29:54] As you saw, the honorable mayor from Rochester was here
[29:57] while we were making light with our little side bet, a little side wager.
[30:01] Wager.
[30:01] It was actually part of the.
[30:05] My attendance there with him was part of Rochester's recognition
[30:09] of the 25th, 25th anniversary, 25th anniversary of of nine over 11.
[30:15] And they they had they had a brief ceremony to beginning
[30:18] of the game to, to recognize that,
[30:21] and a week after Saint Thomas
[30:24] was playing on the night of the 18th against Merrimack Valley.
[30:29] And they also had a very good,
[30:32] very good first responders,
[30:36] honorary.
[30:37] They also brought in a number of alumni who have served.
[30:43] And in particular, they recognized one one individual
[30:48] that that has served well.
[30:50] And actually he had provided a recording that they played for,
[30:55] for the audience to, to, to, to commemorate the event.
[30:59] So thanks to all those organizations, fortunately,
[31:02] we had both home teams that did not did not win the game.
[31:07] So we'll see how that goes going forward.
[31:10] But appreciate the folks that put those together.
[31:13] So, and that really is about my report for
[31:18] any questions.
[31:19] Thank you.
[31:21] Next up we have unfinished business.
[31:24] There are no ordinances in the second reading ordinance,
[31:27] third reading or resolutions, which moves us on to agenda
[31:30] item number 13, new business 13 A is our consent calendar.
[31:34] 13 A1 authorization to award B2
[31:37] 5044 RFP 2700
[31:41] two, Fourth Street sidewalk reconstruction to S.U.R. Construction, Inc.
[31:44] Sponsored by Mayor Shanahan by request. 13 A2, authorization to approve Fire
[31:49] Instructor Course with the Regional Alliance for Firefighting Training,
[31:52] sponsored by Mayor Shanahan by request. 13 A3, acceptance and approval
[31:57] of establishing a memorial at City Hall for American prisoners of war (POW)
[32:01] and those missing in action (MIA),
[32:02] sponsored by Mayor Shanahan by request.
[32:05] Motion to approve the consent calendar.
[32:07] We have a motion for the consent calendar, seconded by Councilor Granfield.
[32:09] Are there any items that folks would like to see fold
[32:13] seeing?
[32:13] None.
[32:13] Call the roll for each of the for these three items on the consent.
[32:17] Councilor Richer? Yes.
[32:19] Councilor Carmichael? Yes.
[32:20] Councilor Cullen? Yes.
[32:22] Councilor Robison? Yes.
[32:23] Councilor Granfield?
[32:24] Yes. Councilor Veitch?
[32:25] Yes. Deputy Mayor Williams? Yes.
[32:27] Mayor
[32:28] Shanahan? Yes.
[32:29] Yes. Motion passes.
[32:31] Excuse me. Next up is committee reports.
[32:33] We will start this evening with Mayor Shanahan with COAST.
[32:37] So coast ended.
[32:39] Arranged an event under the guise of the continuing
[32:42] capital campaign to to do some some fundraising.
[32:47] However, it was all a ruse.
[32:49] It was all a trick.
[32:50] What we were really doing was a surprise party for Rad Nichols
[32:54] to celebrate his 30th year at coast.
[32:57] It was a surprise.
[32:59] I think he almost keeled over.
[33:01] It was it was a great event. They brought in
[33:04] his sister, members of his family from Colorado.
[33:08] And it was a good way to honor Rad for the hard work that he's done for
[33:11] for 30 years and is continuing to do.
[33:15] Also this morning, we had the annual meeting for COAST,
[33:18] which included both a breakfast keynote speaker who did a
[33:23] just a fantastic job of recounting her experience
[33:27] as a new rider for COAST and taking rides
[33:32] on busses and engaging with some of the the passengers.
[33:36] I mean, I also had a business meeting where we put put to bed
[33:39] some of the business of the day, which included a budget, included
[33:43] reelection of officers and a few other items.
[33:48] And I will say, the discussion that we just had about.
[33:53] Potential issues in budgeting as
[33:57] fuel costs rise,
[34:00] certainly impacting COAST. They've already seen
[34:04] what is a year over year increase of over 70% in fuel costs,
[34:09] even though they buy in bulk and do
[34:11] get a break compared to what you might pay at the pump for diesel.
[34:14] So there was certainly a high level of concern on how that may
[34:17] play out over the next several months and going through the winter,
[34:20] but otherwise the capital campaign is going very well.
[34:24] I think we've got a reasonable chance for a spring construction
[34:27] start date at the facility.
[34:30] Off road on on some of
[34:34] questions on coast.
[34:37] Thank you.
[34:38] Next up is Waterfront TIF Advisory Board, Councilor Cullen.
[34:42] We have not met. No.
[34:45] Excuse me. I had to miss their meeting.
[34:47] No, that was the other Tiff board.
[34:49] I apologize, we have not met.
[34:52] Mr. Mayor, anything on
[34:54] Street reported outburst the last time we. Met.
[34:57] For Strafford Regional Planning Commission,
[34:59] They did meet last week.
[35:00] I was out of town so I will get an update,
[35:02] but I believe it was continued to focus on transportation.
[35:06] Mr. Mayor again, Government Affairs.
[35:08] Government affairs.
[35:09] We deferred that due to
[35:12] do this, do.
[35:14] Some planning issues. We'll see.
[35:15] We'll be meeting in October.
[35:17] Councilor Cullen and the Joint Building Committee - Athletic Complex.
[35:20] Sure. Briefly.
[35:21] I was at the site this afternoon and my gosh, it's coming together so rapidly.
[35:26] It was really cool.
[35:28] Rubber is now on the track.
[35:30] Only the first course of it and binder is down, so it is black.
[35:34] It is rubberized and that is pretty cool.
[35:36] There was a group of six guys working on it there today.
[35:40] And on the baseball multi-sport field,
[35:43] there were about one quarter of it is now filled with crushed stone.
[35:47] The drainage is in the light,
[35:49] towers are up, and they are working on painting themselves into a corner
[35:53] to escape from the baseball field through
[35:56] the left field gap. So
[36:00] stills continues to be a very
[36:02] active construction site
[36:03] and will be for another 3 or 4 weeks while the track gets finished,
[36:07] which will then mean that we could theoretically have access
[36:11] to Dunaway Field, which the field itself is done.
[36:14] The uprights are not up, the scoreboard is not up.
[36:17] The electric does not go to the towers yet.
[36:20] But it's really coming along well.
[36:22] Continues to be on schedule and within budget.
[36:25] So I hope to have a better update for you
[36:28] than that in a couple of weeks, but it's really looking great.
[36:31] I hope you've had a chance to walk by and take a look.
[36:40] You said it's on schedule.
[36:42] What?
[36:42] What a what date are we using to to judge that.
[36:46] We promised you a field ready for play in the fall of 2006.
[36:50] I'll remind you that today is the second day of fall 2026. Yep.
[36:56] And beyond that, Councilor, I can't give you a specific.
[36:59] It's a very active construction site, right?
[37:02] I mean, there was heavy equipment, major trucks
[37:05] moving in and out, you know, big bulldozers.
[37:08] Today we had electricians.
[37:10] We had people pouring cement.
[37:12] We had, you know, almost every trade.
[37:14] So it's not like you can go out there at 330 and just have practice.
[37:19] I'm not indicating we should play football in that situation.
[37:22] I'm curious though.
[37:23] There's other work going on.
[37:24] I don't live far from there, so I see the fields.
[37:27] Are we waiting for all construction to be done to use the football
[37:31] facilities, or will there be kind of an interim?
[37:35] So for right now, it's sort of as a moot point because the curing time
[37:40] for the track process is about 3 to 4 weeks.
[37:44] Layers.
[37:44] Things like the fact that it's going to rain for three days
[37:47] means that they have to reach a breaking point to allow,
[37:50] you know, things to settle before doing something else.
[37:52] So it can't give you a firmer guidance than that.
[37:57] We should, in a couple of weeks,
[37:58] be able to give you some sense of that, but it's still premature, believe me.
[38:02] We all want to see kids on that field. But,
[38:07] I just
[38:08] the, I think and the athletes, the coaches, the parents have been
[38:12] extraordinarily patient to this point, and we need to ask for continued patience.
[38:16] As we work to get people on the field as soon as we possibly can.
[38:20] Thank you. Thank you.
[38:22] Anyone else?
[38:24] Thank you.
[38:24] Councilor Veitch for Cemetery Board. Yes.
[38:27] This one was quite lively.
[38:30] Pun intended.
[38:32] We actually had a line out the door for public comment.
[38:35] That's not saying as much because the
[38:38] the the room that we actually meet in is quite small.
[38:41] So it's not impressive as that might sound.
[38:44] So we did take people, in for public comment
[38:47] at like basically by group of what they want to comment on.
[38:52] As normal staff updated with purchases and any complaints with regards to graves,
[38:58] but I'll refer to just kind of the public comment.
[39:02] So the first one was actually from staff, coming in to see
[39:06] and recommend
[39:08] that we designate
[39:11] Pine Hill Cemetery as a historical site.
[39:14] The concept behind that was that there is potential
[39:19] grants we'd be eligible for with that designation
[39:22] for some of the repairs we're looking at doing.
[39:25] And that we would her understanding
[39:28] was that we would be eligible to get that designation.
[39:33] After asking whether that would put any restrictions
[39:36] on what we could do in the future, and with the understanding
[39:39] that we would not be restricted any further with this designation.
[39:43] The board voted unanimously to have staff
[39:48] continue looking to pursue that.
[39:51] Additionally, we had a member of the Conservation
[39:56] Commission come and pitch an idea to designate.
[40:01] Pine Hill Cemetery as an arboretum.
[40:04] There are four registered arboretum in the state of New Hampshire.
[40:08] His belief was that with the very minimal changes, we would be eligible to do that.
[40:14] Because there is just a lot of tree species there.
[40:18] Staff had some concerns that
[40:21] such a designation might increase the visitor ship.
[40:25] And, potentially
[40:29] maybe some unwanted behavior.
[40:31] So they ended up deciding to table that decision, but with the understanding
[40:36] that, that conservation committee member volunteered as part of,
[40:43] the application process to collect a lot of data
[40:46] regarding the tree species and locations.
[40:49] Which was very much appreciated.
[40:51] And staff said even if we don't go further with that application,
[40:55] that it would be very useful for maintenance to have that sort of data.
[40:59] So he committed to doing that this fall.
[41:03] And then the third group was related to,
[41:07] biking. So,
[41:10] currently there are signs that say you can't
[41:12] bring bikes through Pine Hill Cemetery.
[41:16] There was a little bit of confusion because in the Dover code
[41:18] it doesn't mention bikes, but in a two and nine
[41:23] cemetery rules, it does ban bikes.
[41:26] So they were at first trying to see
[41:29] if there needed to be an update to the signs to reflect the code.
[41:32] And then ultimately we're interested in,
[41:37] potentially allowing bikes to be in the Pine Hill Cemetery.
[41:41] And as the cemetery board is reviewing their rules,
[41:47] there's going to be a debate on a bunch of those topics,
[41:49] from bikes to dogs to all those sort of things.
[41:52] And my recollection
[41:55] is that at least the staff members are there were apprehensive to,
[42:01] lifting those bands in the immediate future.
[42:04] So and that's all I got for a cemetery.
[42:07] And do you have any questions?
[42:10] Any questions.
[42:12] And I'll just echo we at the Conservation Commission had a conversation
[42:15] about the conversation at the cemetery board and echo your sort of
[42:20] thanks to the volunteer that has, I believe, has completed the inventory.
[42:24] And there are a lot of trees in Pine Hill Cemetery, including a conversation
[42:28] around exactly what you just mentioned and whether or not there's a designation.
[42:32] The significant environmental and ecosystem services benefits,
[42:35] whether it's shade
[42:36] or water filtration or all of those things that are being provided
[42:39] by all of the trees.
[42:41] And to your point, sort of,
[42:42] how can the cemetery and staff continue to maintain those in the future,
[42:45] regardless of designation?
[42:46] But we have a very healthy and broad suite of trees at the cemetery. So,
[42:54] Next up is Dover Utilities Commission.
[42:56] Councilor Carmichael.
[42:57] Yes, the utilities commission did meet.
[43:00] The city is blowing about.
[43:02] Excuse me.
[43:03] Blowing out about 25 sewer lines there.
[43:06] Just that are used less with less volume than other lines.
[43:10] So sediment builds up during the course of the year.
[43:12] So they do that tend to do that annually.
[43:14] I talked about the group, talked about the drought that we're experiencing,
[43:18] as well as briefly talk about the pond well being shut off.
[43:23] And also just the a bit about the presentation
[43:27] that we received in the previous workshop.
[43:30] Do you want to remind folks, the city and I personally appreciate it.
[43:34] Everybody who is able to conserve water.
[43:37] We are still currently under voluntary water restrictions.
[43:40] While we are expecting some rain this weekend.
[43:42] We're still very dry.
[43:44] As evidenced in the
[43:45] City Manager's Report with the New Hampshire Drought Monitor.
[43:49] That's actually worsened since the report was put together.
[43:52] Most of the state is in drought, with the exception of the southwest.
[43:56] Southern. Excuse me, the southwest corner.
[43:58] So if everybody can continue doing that, even though
[44:02] that the voluntary restrictions won't help as much
[44:05] during the fall and winter months when water usage does tend to come down.
[44:09] And lastly,
[44:10] I just want to, relatedly, encourage everybody to sign up for EyeOnWater.
[44:14] We haven't talked about that in a while, but if you just Google EyeOnWater,
[44:19] You can sign up there. You will need your water bill.
[44:22] But with that we'll do is
[44:24] because all the meters are connected to water sewer billing.
[44:27] It will let you know when you have a leak,
[44:31] which is great based on a threshold that you specify.
[44:34] So if you have a running toilet or something,
[44:36] even though that may seem like very little water,
[44:39] that can actually get super expensive, and I've seen some pretty
[44:42] egregious water leaks during my time on the utilities commission.
[44:45] So this service is 100% free.
[44:47] You'll get a push notification in an email, has a nice app on Android and iOS.
[44:52] Again, it's EyeOnWater, spelled E-Y-E,
[44:55] and I encourage everybody to sign up for that free service.
[45:00] Question.
[45:00] Question.
[45:02] Any other timely reports to cover this evening?
[45:06] That's correct.
[45:07] Yes. The school board also met this week.
[45:09] Really quickly cover what they talked about.
[45:11] The board approved a peer recovery research program with Live Free Recovery.
[45:16] They approved a coherence count math research
[45:19] study with the American Institutes for Research, which they're very excited about.
[45:22] That's going to provide some new tools for learning math
[45:27] to students that they'll get to try and
[45:31] that that that will be optional.
[45:32] But the school system is very excited about that.
[45:36] They ratified the three years contract,
[45:39] and they adopted in a generative
[45:43] AI use plan, which basically rates
[45:46] generative AI use from 0 to 5 with zero meaning
[45:50] assignment is not using AI at all, five is, the assignment is
[45:55] or the work product is delivered written by AI, essentially.
[46:01] This is
[46:02] optional for teachers to use in the sense of the framework.
[46:05] Is is not optional if they do use AI.
[46:08] However, teachers can opt not to use AI at all in the classroom as a tool.
[46:13] So they can allow it for researching.
[46:15] They can allow it to be used like as an editor or whatever.
[46:19] And that's
[46:20] and that that 0 to 5 scale is to help students understand
[46:24] when they receive an assignment, how that how they can use
[46:28] AI or if they're able to in that given assignment.
[46:31] I did ask my daughter about this.
[46:33] She has heard about it.
[46:34] She did not.
[46:36] That the answer that she responded to me was not delivered with AI.
[46:40] To the best of my knowledge
[46:42] and. Level zero.
[46:44] Then it was a level zero.
[46:47] And that's that's a that's it for the school board.
[46:50] Questions on.
[46:51] That saying.
[46:55] I keep sliding in there before you move on.
[46:58] There's two I want to cover.
[46:59] The first is the Arts Commission.
[47:03] Just three quick highlights.
[47:05] Our Literary Laureate, Shane Morin, has stepped down due to a new career opportunity.
[47:10] So the commission is going to handle the interim transition and plan
[47:14] to search for a successor next year, which was the end of Shane's
[47:19] term as the laureate.
[47:21] Public arts projects.
[47:23] The first three sculptures for the Riverside Sculpture
[47:25] Walk have been selected and they're pending installation.
[47:29] Coordination with community services and two designs were also chosen
[47:33] for the coastal bus stops, so those should be appearing
[47:36] at coast Coast bus stops soon.
[47:40] And finally, the commission updated
[47:43] excuse me adopted an updated conduct guideline from
[47:47] the city legal department.
[47:48] And we are actively working and improving public communication to talk about all
[47:52] the great things that the Arts Commission is working on
[47:55] and all the great art
[47:58] features of our city.
[48:02] Moving now to the Planning Board.
[48:04] The planning board met last night.
[48:06] I'm not going to cover a lot, but I just wanted to key in on two things.
[48:12] The planning board
[48:14] held another public hearing for.
[48:17] If you remember, several weeks back, it was mentioned that there
[48:21] we are proposing or the city is proposing
[48:24] some changes to the zoning ordinances.
[48:27] Letters went out to residents and businesses advising them
[48:31] that these changes are being proposed, and public hearings were being scheduled.
[48:36] Another one was held last night.
[48:38] And again, if you don't remember what these changes include, they cover topics
[48:42] such as transfer of development rights, TDR, conditional use permit
[48:46] criteria, custom customary home occupations,
[48:50] accessory dwelling units and data centers, and other items.
[48:56] After discussion last night,
[48:58] the board decided we we need more time.
[49:02] So we're going to extend to an our next session
[49:05] to continue to talk about the changes.
[49:08] So we were looking forward to potentially
[49:12] reviewing the changes last night and moving them forward to this body.
[49:17] But the Planning Board needs just a little bit more time.
[49:26] Wraps up their committee reports this evening,
[49:28] taking us now to 13 B resolutions,
[49:32] 13 B one approving cost items
[49:34] in the Dover Paraeducators' Association master agreement
[49:38] collective bargaining agreement sponsored by Mayor Shanahan by request.
[49:41] Motion to approve.
[49:42] Motion to have a second.
[49:46] Councilor
[49:46] Carmichael.
[49:47] So that's been moved and seconded. However,
[49:51] it's been realized by several folks that looking at the data,
[49:54] there was some granularity in the cost that I think
[49:58] it's important for the council to have.
[50:01] And this would allow us to to better understand
[50:04] the difference between the cost of this contract and the cost of the status
[50:08] quo, of having the current contract simply continue.
[50:12] That's a typical element that's usually provided to us.
[50:16] So I am going to move to table this item
[50:20] so that that can be provided and would be readily available
[50:24] to take this up in our first regular meeting in October and maintain
[50:30] within the bounds of the 30 day limit of of us acting on it.
[50:35] So motion to table. Do I have a second?
[50:38] Seconded by Councilor Cullen.
[50:39] All in favor of tabling?
[50:43] That's unanimous.
[50:45] Thank you.
[50:46] Next up is 13 B2.
[50:47] This was our substitute as a whole.
[50:49] Authorization to waive ordinance 29 for disposal of surplus city property.
[50:53] And sell two Ford Explorers to Strafford County Sheriff's Office.
[50:56] Sponsored by Mayor Shanahan, by request.
[50:58] Motion to approve. The motion to have a second.
[51:00] Second. Carmichael.
[51:01] Mr. City Manager. Yeah.
[51:04] The city
[51:06] will sell surplus vehicles
[51:08] after they've been
[51:11] used to their useful life.
[51:12] In this case,
[51:13] we have several older police vehicles that are going to be put up for auction.
[51:17] Strafford County has asked if they can purchase two of those,
[51:21] and we're asking to waive the bidding process
[51:25] to sell two of the several vehicles directly
[51:29] to Strafford County, and the remainder will go to auction.
[51:34] Councilor Robison.
[51:36] I'm no expert, so take this for what it's worth.
[51:39] When I saw this these numbers, I was like, wow, they're getting a great deal.
[51:44] Because if you look at Kelley Blue Book for
[51:48] for a vehicle with this kind of mileage, it's much higher.
[51:51] I realize these are not typical passenger vehicles
[51:53] that have been used like a passenger vehicle.
[51:55] Is that is that what is suppressing the the resale value?
[51:59] Yeah.
[51:59] I mean, you look at the mileage, the mileage is not indicative of the wear
[52:02] and tear on the vehicle.
[52:03] And those used car sites rely heavily on the mileage.
[52:08] So most of these vehicles, all these vehicles are well over 100,000 miles.
[52:13] And but the equivalent wear and tear on that is upwards of a half million miles.
[52:17] Those vehicles will sit at action scenes and run an idle,
[52:21] you know, potentially for hours.
[52:24] And that wear and tear on the engine doesn't bode
[52:28] well for the life of the vehicle.
[52:29] One follow up question.
[52:31] So two of the five are going to the county sheriff.
[52:33] What happens to the other three?
[52:36] I think there's five in total.
[52:38] So the other three will go out to auction.
[52:41] Okay. Thank you.
[52:43] Any other questions? Councilor Veitch?
[52:45] So. Would you say that when the other three
[52:49] go out to auction, you'd expect them to be in that, you know, 2500, 3000 range?
[52:53] Yes. Okay. Thank you.
[52:56] Let's see.
[52:57] None. Call the roll, please.
[52:59] Councilor Richer? Yes.
[53:00] Councilor Carmichael?
[53:01] Yes. Councilor Cullen? Yes.
[53:04] Councilor Robison? Yes. Councilor
[53:06] Granfield? Yes. Councilor Veitch? Yes.
[53:08] Deputy Mayor Williams? Yes.
[53:10] Mayor Shanahan? Yes. Motion passes.
[53:14] Brings us a 13 b three
[53:16] authorization to approve additional design services for B one zero.
[53:20] Sorry, B 18013.
[53:22] Design services for community trail expansion.
[53:25] Phase four.
[53:26] Fuss & O'Neill.
[53:27] Sponsored by Mayor Shanahan by request.
[53:29] Motion to approve. A motion to have a second.
[53:31] Seconded by Councilor Richer.
[53:34] Mr. City Manager.
[53:36] This is a resolution to authorize funding.
[53:40] Authorize the approval of the design services for phase four, the community
[53:44] trail.
[53:45] I would like to ask you to make an amendment to the resolution.
[53:49] Our eagle-eyed City Clerk has noticed that there's a number
[53:53] that needs to be adjusted at the very bottom of the page.
[53:56] And that is the fourth line of the financing table.
[54:00] The number
[54:02] $93,596.50 needs to be increased
[54:07] by $2 to be $93,598.50.
[54:13] And of course, the total at the bottom would also be adjusted by $2.
[54:17] So the total would be 482,702,
[54:22] $704.50.
[54:27] A motion to amend
[54:28] the resolution to put that $2 where it belongs.
[54:32] Deputy Mayor Williams and the original mover, and Councilor
[54:37] Richer,
[54:38] As the seconder.
[54:41] So motion to we have a motion and a second to amend.
[54:44] The resolution.
[54:45] Discussion on that.
[54:47] All in favor of that amendment.
[54:49] That's unanimous.
[54:51] Motion to approve as amended.
[54:52] And the motion as amended, seconded by Councilor Richer.
[54:56] Any discussion on the amended resolution? Yes.
[54:59] So the appropriation and the balance numbers for those two rows
[55:03] are all supposed to match.
[55:05] Is that correct? 131.
[55:10] It just looks odd.
[55:14] They are.
[55:14] Match.
[55:18] Yes. Yes.
[55:19] Okay. Yeah.
[55:21] Thank you.
[55:23] Great job.
[55:27] Any other questions?
[55:29] None. Call the roll, please. Councilor Richer?
[55:31] Yes. Councilor Carmichael? Yes.
[55:34] Councilor Cullen?
[55:35] Yes. Councilor Robison? Yes. Councilor Granfield?
[55:38] Yes. Councilor
[55:38] Veitch? Yes.
[55:39] Deputy Mayor
[55:40] Williams? Yes.
[55:41] Mayor Shanahan? Yes. Motion passes.
[55:44] Next up is 13.
[55:45] See ordinances in the first reading. We have two this evening.
[55:47] 13 C one chapter 141, sections 14 and 48 to be referred to a public hearing
[55:53] and a vote on October 14th, 2026 sponsored by Mayor Shanahan by request.
[55:57] Motion to refer to a public hearing.
[55:58] A motion.
[55:59] We have a second on the motion to refer, Councilor Granfield.
[56:02] and for the public's information.
[56:04] This is some changes to our parking ordinances
[56:08] that that have come through with, I believe some winter restrictions also
[56:12] built in. But
[56:14] if you look at the ordinance.
[56:15] Committee.
[56:15] And have a public hearing on, as described,
[56:18] any questions on the motion to refer to a public hearing?
[56:20] Seeing none.
[56:21] All in favor referring to a public hearing.
[56:24] That's unanimous.
[56:25] Next up is 13 C two, chapter 145,
[56:28] sections one through six and nine through 16, to be referred to a public hearing
[56:32] and a vote on October 14th, 2026, sponsored by Mayor Shanahan by request.
[56:37] Motion to refer to a public hearing.
[56:39] We have a motion, seconded by Councilor
[56:41] Richer and discussion on the motion.
[56:45] Process question.
[56:46] So these are the ordinance as we were presented prior, right.
[56:53] The presentation we gave were given
[56:56] reinforces what we're seeing here.
[56:58] But there's been a lot of questions.
[57:01] This city staff has been helpful in clarifying those.
[57:06] When is the appropriate time to discuss that in public?
[57:10] When I'd say when we deliberate on the.
[57:12] When we deliberate. Okay. Thank you. Yeah, yeah.
[57:15] And obviously at ordinance.
[57:17] Will.
[57:19] Discussions and again for the public.
[57:22] Chapter 145 is solid waste waste management.
[57:26] This incorporates changes to support the toter system,
[57:30] which would obviously go into 1st July 2027.
[57:35] So we are events of that.
[57:37] So any other questions on the motion to refer to a public hearing.
[57:41] So not all in favor of. The.
[57:43] Public hearing.
[57:44] That's unanimous. Thank you.
[57:47] 14 is council correspondence I don't believe we have any.
[57:51] 15 is council matters of interest.
[57:53] Councilors with matters of interest to discuss. Councilor Granfield first.
[57:58] Yeah.
[57:58] Mr. Mayor, I know you mentioned this in your report, but
[58:01] I just want to say thank you again to all the people involved
[58:04] in the nine over 11 Memorial.
[58:06] That was incredibly, tastefully done.
[58:08] I always find it, hard to to,
[58:13] you know, balance the, the
[58:15] somber occasion, with, with that kind of event.
[58:19] And it was just really well done.
[58:21] And you missed a person to thank.
[58:23] And that was you.
[58:26] You did a great job.
[58:27] So thank you very much.
[58:30] Councilor Veitch.
[58:32] Have kind of two all of the first ones. More.
[58:34] Just an update.
[58:37] Councilor Carmichael and I this past weekend attended
[58:40] an Indonesian festival in Somersworth,
[58:45] which had a lot of good food, a lot of cultural dance.
[58:48] And for those who don't know, Strafford County, by percentage,
[58:53] has the second highest percentage of Indonesian
[58:57] folk of any county in the U.S.
[59:01] and then,
[59:03] my second,
[59:06] Council of interest,
[59:07] a matter of interest, would be actually not
[59:10] with regard to Dover specifically, but I received one complaint.
[59:13] And, and then also some colleagues in the area with regards to,
[59:21] some changes in parking
[59:23] policy going down to our southern neighbor down in Portsmouth.
[59:27] They have a parking problem.
[59:28] And for those who don't know, this summer they have,
[59:32] start a new residential
[59:34] access, parking program.
[59:37] And they have it's a believe it's a pilot.
[59:40] They are changing it routinely.
[59:41] I think they're going to be changing it again.
[59:44] But in short, they are looking at,
[59:49] making it so in many of the lots that they currently have,
[59:52] it would only be access to residents of Portsmouth.
[59:56] And in the paid lots there would be significantly
[1:00:00] increased fees for nonresidents.
[1:00:02] They have a progressive by our rate.
[1:00:05] But I believe when I calculated, a three hour a day,
[1:00:10] it would be about a 140% increase for Dover residents
[1:00:14] that would be traveling there for work or pleasure.
[1:00:18] So obviously they're still kind of testing it out,
[1:00:21] but I have some concerns over this kind of new
[1:00:25] discriminatory pricing model that they're looking at doing.
[1:00:29] So I would bring this up for two reasons.
[1:00:32] If you share my concern, I would, offer maybe
[1:00:36] communicating some of that with them.
[1:00:40] And the other part is, you know,
[1:00:42] this is not kind of a short term thing that just happened to them overnight.
[1:00:47] They've are have low supply and parking over there.
[1:00:51] Partially because, in their attempts to solve their housing crisis,
[1:00:57] they lowered restrict requirements and parking,
[1:01:00] which put more burden on the city to provide parking.
[1:01:04] And then they waived, a lot of their,
[1:01:08] fees, impact fees, which meant that they didn't
[1:01:11] have a fund to make new parking arrangements.
[1:01:14] So now they're stuck with a lot of demand and not a lot of supply.
[1:01:17] So I just caution us to remember that when we're making some of our decisions.
[1:01:23] Thank
[1:01:24] thank you.
[1:01:26] Councilor Robison.
[1:01:27] I have two things.
[1:01:29] First is on the POW/MIA memorial.
[1:01:33] I love that we're doing this.
[1:01:36] I even had one person today ask me what this pin on the side of my is.
[1:01:41] If you're not familiar with it, it's a gold star.
[1:01:44] My oldest brother died while in Navy in 1977.
[1:01:48] And you know, we do get two official holidays every year
[1:01:52] that recognize military service, both Veteran's Day day and Memorial Day,
[1:01:58] to much to my chagrin, they've kind of turned into retail celebrations.
[1:02:03] And in similar, though, there is still a lot of recognition going on.
[1:02:08] But for the families that have participated in the military
[1:02:12] or lost those or missing those, that is not a one day event in their life.
[1:02:16] That's the rest of their life.
[1:02:18] They are missing that person, and it's great that we have something
[1:02:22] that lasts for more than one day in in this city.
[1:02:25] So I love that we're putting that so prominently
[1:02:30] out there for us to remember.
[1:02:33] Second thing is the number one latest
[1:02:36] news item on our website, which is the toter collection workshop
[1:02:41] presentation and some good information about when it becomes effective.
[1:02:46] The City Council has received a couple of
[1:02:50] contacts with questions about the the policy and concerns.
[1:02:54] I've received seven individually.
[1:02:57] I might be leading that race amongst all of us,
[1:03:00] but I do want to show my appreciation.
[1:03:04] Sending feedback to us is not a burden.
[1:03:06] It's it's an expectation of us to receive it and to respond.
[1:03:12] So I responded to everyone.
[1:03:14] I've tried to answer questions the best of my ability.
[1:03:16] When I don't have those answers, I ask for answers.
[1:03:19] And I have a lot of questions too.
[1:03:20] So I'm asking answers for those as well.
[1:03:22] But I like to.
[1:03:24] I like to encourage people to continue to participate.
[1:03:26] Ask questions.
[1:03:28] If you have a concern, raise it.
[1:03:30] There is still time to take concerns into consideration and and craft the policy.
[1:03:37] You know, further.
[1:03:38] So please continue to reach out to us.
[1:03:41] Very good.
[1:03:41] Thank you. Councilor Richer.
[1:03:45] Just want to remind everybody again.
[1:03:47] Apple Harvest Day is coming up.
[1:03:49] So please make sure you have your plans for getting there and enjoying
[1:03:53] some of the Apple products as well as the vendors.
[1:03:57] I also wanted to mention that I mentioned this before,
[1:04:01] but I'm also part of the Home for All Coalition on the Seacoast.
[1:04:04] And next week on September 30th, they're having a pop up care village,
[1:04:09] which for anybody who doesn't know what that is, they provide services,
[1:04:14] basic services to anyone who needs them.
[1:04:18] The gather busses there, they have hairdressers and barbers.
[1:04:22] They have charging stations.
[1:04:24] They have sometimes they have people show up to help
[1:04:28] repair bicycles, clothing swaps,
[1:04:32] charging stations for their phone.
[1:04:34] But it's a it's a great event.
[1:04:36] And for those who,
[1:04:39] those of us who might want to also volunteer, they're looking for volunteers
[1:04:43] to come to the event to help navigate the program.
[1:04:48] So, I just want to mention that we're also coming to
[1:04:51] the close of Library Card Sign-Up Month in the City of Dover.
[1:04:57] So anybody who has a library card, there's a list on the library
[1:05:01] website of locations that are giving out, different prizes.
[1:05:07] I guess you could say, for showing your library card.
[1:05:11] And I know
[1:05:13] Stella's is one of those places they're giving curlers out.
[1:05:16] So, please enjoy the benefits of being a library card holder here in Dover.
[1:05:22] And, I also wanted to mention
[1:05:26] many of you already know that my mom's been here for four months,
[1:05:29] and she's sitting in the crowd today, and she'll be leaving.
[1:05:31] So, it's been nice having her.
[1:05:33] And I just wanted to recognize that she.
[1:05:36] She'll probably wait and see you guys next summer. So.
[1:05:39] Thanks for being here, mom.
[1:05:43] Okay.
[1:05:43] It's good to see you. Thank you.
[1:05:45] Thank you for listening to all that we talked about.
[1:05:47] What had to come see for myself.
[1:05:50] This is what she does on Wednesday nights.
[1:05:54] Appreciate that too.
[1:05:55] Anyone else?
[1:05:57] Councilor Carmichael. I have two.
[1:05:59] Councilor Richer's question about the warming center earlier
[1:06:02] reminded me of an article I saw on WMUR
[1:06:06] explaining that heating oil prices
[1:06:08] are anticipated to go up about 31% this year, which is a lot.
[1:06:13] It's going to be a lot more expensive to heat your homes.
[1:06:16] I will mention this again as the weather becomes cooler.
[1:06:19] But if the state of New Hampshire has a fuel assistance program,
[1:06:24] if you just Google NH fuel assistance, it will take you to their web page
[1:06:28] and a way to apply.
[1:06:30] I know folks, maybe I'm thinking about that right now, but
[1:06:33] I do want to let, given the anticipated climb
[1:06:38] in oil prices and home heating costs, I do want folks to be aware of that.
[1:06:44] Second is related to Apple Harvest Day.
[1:06:47] We need trash
[1:06:49] to help remove trash.
[1:06:52] It is.
[1:06:53] It would be a lot of fun.
[1:06:54] You can hang out with me, maybe even throw some trash at me
[1:06:58] if that doesn't inspire some people to do it.
[1:07:00] But if you go to the chamber's website, dovernh.org,
[1:07:06] it will take you to the page where there is a volunteer link at the bottom left.
[1:07:10] It would be great if you could pick that out so
[1:07:14] other folks will have a place to put their trash.
[1:07:18] We should probably also mention that SWAC will also have a tent.
[1:07:23] The Solid Waste Advisory Committee.
[1:07:24] So for people who have questions about the
[1:07:28] the process the Solid Waste Advisory Committee went through to get to the point of the toters,
[1:07:33] there will be a toter there so people can test-drive them if they would like.
[1:07:38] So please visit
[1:07:39] that booth with any and all questions and inquiries and also to,
[1:07:44] you know, get your first first shot at driving
[1:07:47] your new toter. So.
[1:07:51] Follow up question on something Bret raised.
[1:07:55] Does Dover also have a
[1:07:58] fuel assistance policy within the Public Welfare
[1:08:03] Department?
[1:08:04] Not for not specifically for fuel, but if a person is
[1:08:08] in need, emergency need of assistance,
[1:08:12] they will provide assistance for fuel if they are eligible.
[1:08:16] And there has to go through a process of determining income and assets
[1:08:19] and things like that.
[1:08:22] Ultimately, though,
[1:08:23] the first stop is the state of New Hampshire's Fuel Assistance program.
[1:08:27] Thank you.
[1:08:29] I to sort of piggyback on that as well.
[1:08:32] The, the the event that I mentioned in Somersworth,
[1:08:36] they will provide people who can answer a lot of questions around
[1:08:40] what's happening with our economy and the price of food
[1:08:44] and the price of fuel and how to get resources gather.
[1:08:49] I said, this is going to be there.
[1:08:50] The bus will be there, but gather provides a no barrier,
[1:08:55] food pantry.
[1:08:56] So anyone who might be suffering from the cost of their fuel
[1:09:01] could possibly offset their grocery bills with going to the pantry.
[1:09:07] I gather they have a beautiful facility if people haven't been to it.
[1:09:11] It is gorgeous.
[1:09:13] They have,
[1:09:16] a food recycling program that they do where they capture
[1:09:20] unused food from different places within the sea coast,
[1:09:23] and they make meals out of it and package it and place it in their pantry.
[1:09:27] And it's there for for people who need it.
[1:09:30] And there's no questions asked.
[1:09:32] So I hope people are using those resources because as we know,
[1:09:36] the fuel prices are going up, but also the changes within Snap
[1:09:40] because of the one big beautiful bill is greatly impacting our community.
[1:09:45] And also the cost of,
[1:09:49] the cost
[1:09:50] difference between the taxes will greatly impact people
[1:09:54] as far as the lowest end of a of the tax bracket will be losing money.
[1:09:59] And and that will be a great impact to people as well. So
[1:10:04] thank you.
[1:10:05] And in the the topic of fuel assistance
[1:10:08] Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, CAPSC,
[1:10:12] not only do they have a fuel and electric assistance program,
[1:10:15] but for those of us who may have the ability to help that out,
[1:10:20] they do take donations.
[1:10:22] And I'm looking at for the last winter season, $2.8
[1:10:25] million was dedicated to households to meet their fuel needs.
[1:10:28] I imagine the need is going to be even greater.
[1:10:31] So if you have the ability, certainly can help
[1:10:35] if you have the need and you can apply so there is help out there.
[1:10:38] I hope if any residents in the city are having any concerns, that they know
[1:10:43] they can reach out and we can help them find resources as well.
[1:10:46] So it might be an easier ask to, you know, call a councilor
[1:10:52] or send an email to one of us, and we can help facilitate that as well.
[1:10:57] So I hope I hope people understand that.
[1:11:01] Anyone else
[1:11:03] seeing none.
[1:11:05] Item 16.
[1:11:06] In the spirit of saving electricity and energy costs and turning these lights off.
[1:11:11] Motion to adjourn.
[1:11:12] We have a motion.
[1:11:13] Do we have a second on that motion?
[1:11:15] Seconded by Councilor Veitch.
[1:11:17] Without objection, we can consider ourselves adjourned
[1:11:20] while we await the next meeting in this chamber.