portsmouth, nh city council meetings

COAST Bus, based in Dover, received $34,000 in funding in the most recent New Hampshire budget. In fact, there is nothing in Rule 43 which forbids city residents from speaking about or criticizing city employees, which Mayor Deaglan McEachern acknowledged. Everything I said at the meeting I had run by city legal staff prior to saying it, Tabor said. 8) Do you support the idea of seasonal road closures and/or barriers to accommodate outdoor dining at restaurants even after the pandemic has (hopefully) subsided? We depend on your support. Calendar for upcoming city municipal meetings. ?3?#woduyD.KdeVd-tfG^1E+x^a_A_a_0 s&y#`>(+J+J+J+J+J+Jt*FflFflFflFflFflyilyity:4;N4;N4;N4;Nt:+_2rh; Unable to speak with business owners in person due to COVID safety guidelines, Helpful Links. We will never know how many infections wereprevented, but listening to science and medical professionals who know more about the spread of viruses than most of us was the wise thing to do, he said. MUNICIPAL COMPLEX, EILEEN DONDERO FOLEY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, PORTSMOUTH, NH DATE: MONDAY, JANUARY 9, 2023 TIME: 5:00PM . Created with Sketch. To register, click on the link below or By announcing the specific details of the Audit Committees process and the number and names of the bidders, which were under seal by vote of the committee, Councilor Tabor compromised the citys ability to negotiate a favorable contract with the two potential firms, the lawsuit states. Whether speech is defamatory is an adjudicatory status that is context specific and requires legal analysis that a public body is not prepared to evaluate in real time, he said. The comments by Becksted and Splaine come even as City Health Officer Kim McNamara said she is in favor of keeping the indoor mask mandate in place until June 30. The City Council is the governing body of the City of Portsmouth and as such is the policy-making entity of the City, except where otherwise expressed in the City Charter. endstream endobj startxref The role of the council should be to make sure our street planning falls within the policy guidelines we have defined as a priority for the city, specifically increasing access to safe streets for everyone. we must all follow the rules of the council when interacting at city meetings, and where those rules are not well-defined, we need to . City Councilor John Tabor noted "past councils have tried to limit public comment, or change it, and I think theyve reaped the consequences of that. Attached . !H} #YY?b. Approval of Various Donations to Portsmouth 400. th: The City received various donations to the Portsmouth 400th . Then, the council should consider broadband expansion in Portsmouth to correct an infrastructure deficiency that created additional burden on some residents during the pandemic. InDepthNH.org (https://indepthnh.org/2022/12/15/lawsuit-seeks-tabors-ouster-from-portsmouth-city-council/). Two Portsmouth residents say City Councilor John Tabor broke state laws when it came time to hire a new auditing firm, and they now want him booted from the council. Tabor denies doing anything wrong. Below, City Council candidate Kate Cook responds to PortsmouthNH.coms candidate questionnaire. Unfortunately, at this point we cannot avoid litigation completely. 229 0 obj <> endobj I think the council's special meeting approach suggested by the City Attorney (Robert Sullivan) for next Tuesday, June 1st, followed by a vote ending the ordinance on June 7th, is the proper and legal way to go, he said. Two councilors, John Tabor and Kate Cook . Created with Sketch. While I personally like the new plan that resulted from the Portsmouth Listens visioning process, we do not yet know if it meets the requirements of the NPS Monuments program, and we do not know whether it is buildable. %PDF-1.6 % To register, click on the link below or Tuesday - Thursday 8 AM - 4:30 PM. u For the 2022 City Council meetings material, please click on the below links .. Theater of popular music. The lawsuit claims that Tabors illegal disclosure resulted in the city staying with its current auditing firm, Melanson CPA based in Merrimack, even though members of the auditing committee wanted to switch to Boston firm Clifton Larson Allen, or CLA. This is one of the most critical issues facing Portsmouth. 0. 1 Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801. To see other candidates responses,click here. City Council; Elected Officials; Boards and Commissions; Live/Rebroadcast of Municipal Meetings (Ch22+YouTube) Legislative Subcommittee; Municipal Meetings Calendar; City Ordinances; Bids & Proposals; Forms & Permits; Reserving City Rooms for Meetings; Residents . Conveniently located an hour north of Boston and just minutes from historic Portsmouth NH, Somersworth is full of rich history. I have always believed in public service, as a former City Councilor from 2016-2020, as President of the 501 (c) (3) PopUp NH during the height of the pandemic's uncertainty in 2020, and now as . City resident Mark Brighton, who for years has spoken during public comment on a variety of topics, called the comments made by some councilors a way to quiet dissent., He also pointed to the 92 city employees who were paid more than $100,000 in calendar year 2021 and said they are fair game., The city manager (Karen Conard), Peter Rice (the head of the Department Public Works) or any of these department heads, Brighton said. DATE: MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2022 TIME: 7:00PM . Portsmouth has started to receive American Rescue Plan Act funds from the federal government that will ultimately total $12.88M. We should take a multi-faceted approach to addressing this problem. Our official websiteis designed to be user-friendly andprovidethe publicwith greater access to our municipalgovernment. More: No prom, but Portsmouth High seniors will celebrate. Currently we have a childcare crisis that is specifically impacting women and preventing many of them from returning to work. COVID Response Task Force Blue Ribbon Committee meeting. Baptist Collierville Cafeteria Hours, mugshots According to. Chris Sununu legally denied access to information regarding his veto of House Bill 706 which would have established an independent redistricting commission. Conveniently located an hour north of Boston and just minutes from historic Portsmouth NH, Somersworth is full of rich history. Portsmouth, NH 03801. According to the lawsuit, Tabor told the full City Council in March that the Audit Committees bidding process for a new auditing firm was flawed because, in part, a member of the Audit Committee exchanged text messages with one of the bidders. InDepthNH fulfills the press watchdog role as envisioned by the founders of our democracy. / = B LH4XQs B`J l 2 @ZU"!XX80I23n`:t>[7W+0qNmf7dt`y+@~ mHs00fAqe`_Q` Resources. City Council. PORTSMOUTH An affordable housing development being discussed for what is now the 5-acre former Sherburne School property could include anywhere from 80 to 160 housing units. Additionally, we must all follow the rules of the council when interacting at city meetings, and where those rules are not well-defined, we need to further define them to clearly articulate the exact expectations of our council members. what states require consummation of marriage; new milford ct police scanner; reply to opposition to motion to compel california; environmental opportunities and threats in business; The added benefit of this type of expansion would be to slow traffic in our downtown, creating a more pedestrian friendly zone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that people who have been fully vaccinated can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic., The CDC goes on to say that fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.. We must all first remember that we love Portsmouth, even though we do not always share the same views on what is best for the city. PORTSMOUTH The City Council has scheduled a special meeting on Tuesday, June 1 to begin the process to repeal its mask wearing ordinance. . That will allow us to do what I believe everyone wants to have done, which is the repeal of the ordinance, Becksted said. McEachern addressed public comment near the beginning of the last City Council meeting. As the Supreme Court has said, where the criticism is of public officials and their conduct of public business, the interest in private reputation is overborne by the larger public interest, secured by the Constitution, in the dissemination of truth, Bissonnette explained. Here's the plan. CALL TO ORDER We should move more quickly to provide safe passage for all our residents on local streets, thereby encouraging alternative modes of transportation, and reducing our dependency on automobiles. To see an archive of past meetings, please visit the Meetings Archive. Assessor; City Clerk; . If you are looking for a live meeting broadcast please visit the City'sYouTube Channel athttps://www.youtube.com/CityofPortsmouthor watch it on Comcast'sChannel 22. Resources. zKQ__.Ys.Kh-=Vj6jPo__f Y,a K%f {]wa W+K. City Council Meeting. Diplomat at U.S. Department of State, Board Chair for the Southern District YMCA, Membership Director for Friends of the South End (FOSE), Board Vice-Chair Exeter Historical Society, Board Treasurer of the Exeter Center for Creative Arts, Director of Homeless Children and Families Emergency Fund, Volunteer for Center for Creative Nonviolence Homeless Shelter in Washington, DC. The school band could give concerts there in spring, the symphony could perform in the fall, we could host an outdoor performance as part of First Night, and the Prescott Park Arts Festival would have a home base for summer performances. 0:15. S.S.S. Cabinet Member for Traffic & Transportation, 8 March 2023. I think that would probably be consideredconstitutional protection of free speech if a case were made of it., He suggested trying to discourage anyone from criticizing public employees during public comment or public hearings, but conceded it's a reach too far to try to prohibit it.. %PDF-1.6 % February 28, 2023 - City Council Meeting . CITY COUNCIL MEETING MUNICIPAL COMPLEX PORTSMOUTH, NH . The Supreme Court has defined a public official as someone with a position in government thathas such apparent importancethat the public has an independent interest in the qualifications and performance of the person who holds it, beyond the general interest in the qualifications and performance of all governmental employees, he added. %%EOF The Dover City Council recently voted 8-1 to join the Statewide Transportation Coalition. who is running for city council district 6 Tatko na pesmaricu. It is through that process that we can address resident concerns and make sure we are incentivizing the type of development we would like to see in the city. But now, with many businesses and most states ending their requirements, we should as well, he added. 9) What do you think the council can do to cultivate an environment of respect and collaboration and minimize hostility in local government? She asked councilors to be cautious before making any changes to public comment policy. 236 0 obj <>stream We reveal wrongdoing, corruption and influence-peddling while giving voice to the disenfranchised. 10) Aside from the issues already raised in this questionnaire, please outline ONE other priority you would address as a city councilor over the next two years. Portsmouth, NH 03801. By Beverly Stoddart, A NH Writer's Life Asked to respond to comments made by the Portsmouth councilors, he said, While the Portsmouth City Council may not have a policy prohibiting public comment that is libelous, even if it did, that policy would be concerning., It is not the best practice for public comment policies to ban libelous or defamatory speech. City Council Meeting. Employment Opportunities. endstream endobj startxref Former longtime Assistant Mayor Jim Splaine sponsored the creation of the public comment portion of City Council meetings in 1990. 0 Councilmember Mark Whitaker made the motion to fire Jones and was joined in the vote by Vice Mayor De'Andre Barnes, along with . 2023 - City of Portsmouth. Resources. Full Council, 28 February 2023. hbbd```b``"A$d"0 sl, &d7X B@.j b /h{Lg`X )c Phone (603) 431-2000. Modified: 2/25/2023 10:21:18 PM. Agenda. Next, we must respect our city staff, and their expertise, and clearly articulate the roles of the council and the staff. 1 Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801. Civic experience: Portsmouth City Council: 2 Terms. City Council; Elected Officials; Boards and Commissions; Live/Rebroadcast of Municipal Meetings (Ch22+YouTube) . Portsmouth City Hall Contact Us 801 Crawford Street Portsmouth, VA 23704 Phone: 757-393-8000 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. 7) What additional measures do you think the city should take to slow climate change and prepare for its impacts? The lawsuit alleges that during his discussion about the text messages, Tabor revealed the names and number of bidders. 1 Junkins Avenue, Portsmouth, NH 03801. Get out and show us youre the boss when it comes to City Council, he said. hm8?6~6PUmk/e(:%\QcB,$!DrBsDUMr,D~QRUqqL")bT*]ADCURX*Y6Ws5&&hxtjX5zq?W~gt(==tnY[ XahT-xLSx-?l^FiHD '{Mdn,b['xi;2`]j hu&>Soz;_>&B;of*9!>>"qy E?hk^ vbi4UgB9I&4hzTf[d~5W!eilx9h5Fj)Ic%*5T: Ikp07Zn8 nW"+Md$kY"5=3uof+l-2x)D 4) What, if anything, do you think should be done to increase access to affordable housing? 6@~|X;{|sekU/fzZ??~`PXbSCg*),8kf~f[-m]zZ%&\sZv^,5(&P `,A)$Q|-BYaI Bxmz?a5d9FH0baM{h5GjE*W"l/ _K ILl. He stressed then, and in an interview later in the week, that he finds the public comment portion of council meetings to be incredibly important as a way to communicate with your government and your elected officials.. nh state police logs 2021. Watch for notice. Heres how to plan now. Huge crowds expected at Pease airport for Thunderbirds. Agendas & Minutes. Splaine believes Portsmouths mask ordinance did its job of slowing the spread of COVID-19 and helped our businesses and their employees be safer.. Many community volunteers worked long hours to make sure we had a plan that responded to varying community interests. City of PORTSMOUTH NH; City Council; A A A. The Portsmouth City Council unexpectedly voted 4-3 to fire City Manager Angel Jones Tuesday night during a meeting marred by members cursing and yelling. Portsmouth, NH 03801. 2) Do you think the Prescott Park Master Plan should be updated in any way? When spread is substantial or high, instituting a mask mandate for all city buildings would help protect our most vulnerable residents from infection, including children not yet eligible for vaccination. Portsmouth City Council candidate Joanna Kelley answers questions on local issues in advance of the November 2019 election. BoardDocs Meeting Agendas & Information; . We are already investing taxpayer dollars into defending the city against a lawsuit filed by the developer because the city is in breach of contract. How many people in your town got the shot? February 21, 2023 7:00 PM Eileen Dondero Foley City Council Chambers/Public Participation may be in person or via Zoom . The Swedish Presidency of the EU Council circulated new compromise text of the Cyber Resilience Act, detailing its interplay with the AI Act and more. InDepthNH protects independent journalism that holds government accountable to the people. 27 . H|UYoF~G0We#H6b 1) Do you think the city should impose any new measures or mandates related to the COVID-19 pandemic at this time? Portsmouth City Hall Contact Us 801 Crawford Street Portsmouth, VA 23704 Phone: 757-393-8000 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Portsmouth Council of PTAs; School Board. By reducing the insurance requirement we put more money in the local economy, I estimate between $250,000-$300,000 in saved insurance costs . - The New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism, Valerie Sununu Focuses On Being a Mom, Not Politics, She Tells Instagram Followers, Supreme Court Splits 2-2 on Right-to-Know Request of Sununu, Mike Morin, John Robinson, and Rebecca Kaiser Gibson: Author Updates, Everybody Has a Perspective on the McIntyre Building in Portsmouth. Book/Printed Material Congress received the following intelligence from the Council of Safety, as coming from "an officer of distinction in the army . Attachments. CITY COUNCIL MEETING MUNICIPAL COMPLEX, EILEEN DONDERO FOLEY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, PORTSMOUTH, NH DATE: MONDAY, APRIL 4, 2022 TIME: 7:00PM Members of the public also have the option to join the meeting over Zoom, a unique meeting ID and password will be provided once you register. It is our right and you should not infringe on that, Morgan said. endstream endobj 618 0 obj <>/Metadata 67 0 R/Outlines 90 0 R/Pages 612 0 R/StructTreeRoot 103 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 619 0 obj <>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 620 0 obj <>stream When approaching any city challenge, the council should first discuss the points on which we agree. During their three minutes, they can more or less talk about anything they want, he said. One Government Way Somersworth, NH 03878 (603) 692-4262. Menu. 657 0 obj <>stream nnually, the City of Portsmouth reviews the asset levels for the disabled exemption fromA property taxes. I would reinstall the bike lanes on Middle Street and listen to the traffic engineers on bike lane planning. Nus`4)53 mo kf&jZg&D?:- WRZR/NS_ 7dq>HmAhyE: [.~1m1aoBZOW Posted 5:49:28 AM. Age: 50. n&ngvJ.[FTI7iUA0*#H2h]HJ7;;gfb5 )?Au(W e+l[oo+a@#D]H$jDp.bFx`,rl^uA!H` A7 endstream endobj 621 0 obj <>stream Town repeals mask mandate but recommends wearing them indoors, Town repeals mask ordinance; businesses may still require masks. Third, we need to alter our incentives for developers to build affordable housing, because our current incentives are not working. The City Council consists of nine (9) councilors elected at large for terms of two (2) years. Hours Monday 8 AM - 6 PM. Portsmouth's rules and orders of the City Council, American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. That said, a long period of time has passed between the initial visioning process and the groundbreaking on phase one of the project. PORTSMOUTH, NH Two Portsmouth residents say City Councilor John Tabor broke state laws when it came time to hire a new auditing firm and they now want him booted from the council. 0:05. e'jgg I think that the time is now to end the face covering ordinance, and I am hopeful that we will do so quickly, Splaine said. endstream endobj 623 0 obj <>stream %PDF-1.6 % Permissions Department, 80 Eighth Avenue, New York City, New York, 10011 USA ; The wrack of the Queen . . The plan should be integrated into all aspects of city management, from planning and zoning to education, public works, and business regulation. %%EOF He added in the public meetings he wanted to remind folks that the city employees do not work for them, they work through the council for the city., Former city councilor Zelita Morgan told the council during a recent meeting she is a strong advocate of public comment., Youve got to protect this space, this is a space the residents have to come and speak with you, and speak their minds, she said as she touched the lectern where she was standing. There is a statistic that every $1 spent in Portsmouth changes hands 12 more times before it leaves the city. I believe in making data-driven decisions with regards to public health. Calls have grown louder for Portsmouth and other municipalities to end mask mandates after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this month announced it was safe for vaccinated people to stop wearing masks outside and in many indoor settings. Periodically, I wanted to update what has been happening to a few of the authors Ive gotten to know and let folks know whats been happening for them. Of the 50 U.S. states, New Hampshire is the fifth smallest by area and the tenth least populous, with slightly more than 1.3 million residents. ,EX&8PhQcsaK7d(29!]Y+M/BMNH*^Zj,c&X"@` 4qV h(S+i ;.AAe3 |*)8tWEng4#0[r-\x0@T1. Box 6697, Portsmouth, NH, 03802-6697 ; In 1939 the New York world's fair. The Prescott Park Master Plan process was a thorough and inclusive process that provided a plan for sea level rise mitigation for the park, while also planning for the long-term use of this vital community resource. Brighton and Clough filed an ethics complaint with the city in April seeking to have Tabor removed from office, according to the lawsuit. Helpful Links. The concept was to allow people to address, speak directly to, city officials at a formal public meeting, Splaine said. Menu. 429 0 obj <> endobj Bagley suggested changing Policy 43 to formally allow for remote public comment, and to express what our desires as a council are for when they address the council and speak to the council.. In Portsmouth: 50 townhouses, condos proposed for new development: Here's what they look like. . hbbd```b`` DrH2 `Yk 84](b 'o20Mg`!Q@ 2 CITY COUNCIL MEETING . I would ask as much as possible, to be respectful in the comments that you make and to speak with the . Our ordinance runs out the end of June and I think thats a little bit too late to just let it run it course.". At a minimum, we need public outreach to discuss the current plan, but we should also consider revisiting the next phases of this project to make sure we have buy-in from the whole community. Finally, we should investigate additional tax abatement options for our residents who cannot afford a rising tax burden. Pay My . He added that no one should ever, I think, criticize our city employees if they dont know their facts, because that is libel and we cannot permit that, Tabor added. 0 These people are not protected., McEachern said his comments were meant to encourage people during public comment to take their complaints to the council as policy makers.. Members of the public also have the option to join the meeting over Zoom, a unique meeting . All Rights Reserved. %%EOF We are changing rapidly as a city. It is an institution, so I think we should continue it I dont think we should try to encumber it with too many rules because we cant, Tabor said of the public comment sessions. Years living in Portsmouth: 5 years in Portsmouth, 13 years on the Seacoast. Gilles Bissonnette is the legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire. InDepthNH.org is published by the New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism. But the city should not have a mask mandate now., Asked about the feedback hes received from residents, Splaine said, I sum it up in two words: its time., Adoption of the ordinance was very important, it served its purpose of helping to keep the spread down and probably saved some lives and infections, he said. At its regularly scheduled June 7meeting, the council will then be able to suspend the council rules and vote to pass second and third reading to repeal the ordinance, Becksted said Tuesday. The Mayor's Office . Tabor, who is a member of the Audit Committee, allegedly violated state law again in October when he relieved the name and number of current bidders during an open meeting, according to the lawsuit. Anyone with any further information about the Portsmouth incident is asked to call Portsmouth Police Detective Sergeant McCarthy at 603-616-7656, or remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers at 431-1199 or 1-207-439-1199, or their website, www.seacoastcrimestoppers.org hb```^^A1U2bw"#Wj )a8qFIRyr=Q(I}lkg9v>8Ymz~u @AH%k d0[\n:B# b ?BLILWX3111q1c|~1 3xe H (20;Zu4'o Call to Order 2. The council should work urgently to adopt a Climate Action Plan based on the work of the Sustainability Committee, along with work by our community partners like SEAREI, building on the Eco-Municipalitys Renewable Energy Policy, Complete Streets Program, and CREAT Climate Resiliency Report. R |dkt@.vjs> |>ku PK`PX/L1] ~ee\GC9W_i^z"_WUdltt&M":EO_I Staff Directory The road closures and barriers used to accommodate outdoor dining provided a ray of hope for our struggling restaurant industry. hbbd```b`` D2Hb2,AlkY +D?Z  M.20 m4 Monday, February 27. MUNICIPAL COMPLEX, EILEEN DONDERO FOLEY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, PORTSMOUTH, NH DATE: TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2022 TIME: 6:00PM . Portsmouth is also on board, according to Shanahan, and other communities are considering it, too. 0 I think for a reasonable person to come up here and to say they dont agree with the mayor and say they dont agree with me as a councilor, obviously I dont like to hear that, but I appreciate it, Bagley said. PORTSMOUTH Several city councilors warned residents about criticizing city employees during the public comment portion of their meetings. The pair claim the city should be rotating in a new outside auditor every five years as a matter of good financial practices. Arkadalk; stihdam; Liderlik Gelitirme; Yaam; Haberler; nh state police logs 2021 Hakkmzda. PORTSMOUTH The City Council has scheduled a special meeting on Tuesday, June 1 to begin the process to repeal its mask wearing ordinance. 0 2023 - City of Portsmouth. Also present was Deputy City Manager/Deputy City Attorney Suzanne Woodland and Library Director
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