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2026-08-04 - Board of Mayor and Aldermen Special Meeting

Summary

Built from the official minutes of this meeting; no video or agenda is on file.

  • Special meeting and required public hearing, 6:00 to 6:09 PM; 13 aldermen present (Thomas absent), Mayor Ruais presiding; Terrio led the Pledge of Allegiance. Rules: one opportunity to speak, up to three minutes.
  • Purpose: update the public on, and take comment on, a $500,000 CDBG-CV grant from the NH Community Development Finance Authority for emergency shelter operations run by the City and Families in Transition. No new funds were requested.
  • Mayor Ruais: the City applied after the October 21, 2025 Board vote, the grant paid for the City's share of winter warming operations, a consultant was required by the grant, and this is the fourth required hearing; he had received questions that morning and wanted to make clear this is not a new request.
  • Lane (CDBG consultant) read the required program summary and explained the one-time $1 million COVID round of which Manchester received the $500,000 maximum, used to reimburse operating costs (staffing, food, supplies, maintenance) from December 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026. About $12,000 more is due to the City; Families in Transition reimbursements are still arriving.
  • One public speaker, Bouchard (Ward 2), accepted recovering federal funds but argued for prevention and early intervention over emergency spending and asked what the system costs and where the City's responsibility ends. No one else spoke.
  • Testimony taken under advisement; adjourned on motion of Barry, second Terrio.

Emergency Shelter CDBG-CV Grant

  • See Emergency Shelter CDBG-CV Grant. City-supported shelters (39 Beech Street Shelter and Engagement Center and the Aged and Infirm Shelter at 200 Elm Street) received half; Families in Transition (Adult Emergency Shelter at 199 Manchester Street and the family shelter at 177 Lake Avenue) received half. The City serves about 349 people a year and Families in Transition over 800. The regular meeting that evening is on 2026-08-04 - Board of Mayor and Aldermen.

Sources