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2026-08-04 - Board of Mayor and Aldermen

Summary

Built from the official minutes of this meeting (62 pages); no video or agenda is on file.

  • Regular meeting, 7:00 to 9:30 PM; all 14 aldermen present, Mayor Ruais presiding. A special public hearing on CDBG-CV funds (2026-08-04 - Board of Mayor and Aldermen Special Meeting) preceded it at 6:00 PM.
  • Proclamations: the Fire Department team that rescued a motorcyclist from the Merrimack shoreline below I-293 on June 24, and the Public Health and Safety Team (PHAST) of community health workers.
  • Public comment (14 speakers): the tax cap vote, parking waivers, a bus station, ICE and immigration, and about a dozen speakers on a December 2025 police shooting, the five day return to duty policy and a victim advocate.
  • Arms Park brownfield study presented: no anthrax found, only ordinary urban fill and manageable groundwater solvents.
  • Consent agenda approved except the Water Works permit fee waiver, which the Board reversed 10 to 4 (fees will be collected into a non-lapsing account for the Lincoln Street building).
  • Tax Collector: two Municipal Revenue Clerks approved; the 4:30 PM closing was tabled 8 to 6 for September.
  • Parking Division integration into the Police Department approved unanimously.
  • Twenty-two capital plan bond resolutions enrolled (about $68.6 million); the $20.8 million DPW-Highway bond was tabled.
  • The Board supported the police department's current federal cooperation 11 to 2 (one abstention) after a debate on a 287(g) agreement.
  • New business: youth health targets, community events, Visit MHT, and the Mayor's explanation of the 200 Elm Street lower level RFP.

Proclamations

  • Fire Department resolution: at about 1:25 AM on June 24, 2026 crews responded to a reported motorcycle crash on I-293 northbound at exit 5 near Granite Street, found an unoccupied motorcycle and located the rider about 65 feet below on the Merrimack River shoreline. Because the rider could be reached only by water, a boat crew stabilized the patient and returned to the launch, and the patient was taken to Elliot Hospital. Robert Plantier took command; the resolution named about 22 members of the department.
  • PHAST resolution: formed in 2022 with American Rescue Plan funding with the Health Department and Police Department; multilingual community health workers in all 12 wards. In 2025 they gave care coordination to 1,272 residents through 2,096 unique encounters and 1,082 referrals, and a worker's wellness check saved a vulnerable senior's life.

Public comment

  • Rules: three minutes each. Motion by Sapienza, second Barry: take comments under advisement and receive and file written material.
  • Micklon invited Ward 9 residents to a community meeting August 6 and supported demolition proceedings for a hazardous building in Ward 9 with code enforcement problems since 2021 (see Appointments and approvals).
  • Bouchard said the June 9 vote to override the tax cap broke a promise made by members who campaigned on it and called for accountability and reform.
  • Ouellette: stop waiving apartment parking requirements, since downtown spaces are full during events; asked the Board to write to state officials urging the State to buy the former bank property on Chestnut Street as a bus station.
  • Girard: of 3,525 arrests only four people were turned over to ICE according to the Chief; compared with Troy's 287(g) results and urged an agreement (Police Cooperation With Federal Immigration Enforcement).
  • Gravel: criticized the tax cap override and cited a $28 million figure for Southside portable classrooms (School Building Project).
  • Leonardo Rodrik thanked the Board for acting on issues raised earlier; cited the new 200 Elm Street shelter having no arrests or overdoses in its first two months and 47 veterans housed (Elm Street Infirm Shelter), overdose and crime statistics, registered offenders and the $448 million budget.
  • Kindeke, Glenn, Burnett, Aiden Tulodo, Rayden Farrington, Jon Blanchette, Rolf Vanbibber, Billie Da Molin and Heather Cunningham spoke about the December 2025 police shooting of Nickenley Turenne, the five day return to duty policy and a guaranteed victim and family advocate (Police Return To Duty Policy). Some also urged shifting police funding to services; one said the City should not contract with ICE. Glenn said the Police Chief had physically pushed her at an earlier public meeting.
  • Carswell: asked about school bus maintenance moving to Candia, housing voucher limits (about $1,100 against rents she put near $1,700) and monitoring of homeless registered offenders.

Arms Park Brownfield Assessment

  • See Arms Park Brownfield Assessment. Nazaka introduced Prolman (Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission, which administers an EPA Brownfields grant) and Newcomb (Credere Associates). The 4.32 acre site was part of the Amoskeag mill complex and later Arms Textile; nine people fell ill and four died in the 1957 anthrax outbreak; the plant was decontaminated in 1971 and demolished by 1976.
  • Findings: no evidence of anthrax in any sample (field kits plus duplicate testing at the University of Florida); historic fill considered background by NH DES; deep groundwater chlorinated solvents from upstream mills manageable with sub-slab depressurization; a soil management plan and remedial action plan are available as a marketing tool. Questions from Terrio (how long anthrax persists), Fajardo (ownership) and Kaw-uh (next steps: talks with mill yard users who rent permit spaces; nothing planned).
  • Approved (motion Dexter, second O'Neil): minutes of July 7 (Finance, special road hearing and Board); a $275 donation from NHPHC for the Bob Powers Food Pantry; 12 50/50 sidewalk petitions (10 residential, 2 commercial); City Solicitor communication on lawsuits against the City received and filed; referral to Finance of three resolutions ($33,000 Hazardous Materials Grant, $23,605.99 Oral Health Program, $1,100,000 Canal Street Multi-Modal Trail).
  • Community Improvement recommendations (unanimous, Terrio absent from committee): the three resolutions above; permission to apply for a $337,399 FY25 Assistance to Firefighters Grant; extension of the Independent City Auditor project to September 1, 2026; extension of Dilapidated Building Demolition to June 30, 2027; Munis ERP extension to June 30, 2034; the Safari Youth Club request for $5,000 received and filed.
  • Human Resources: an Assistant Water Works Director (grade 130).
  • Lands and Buildings (Bonilla and Kantor absent): revocable licenses for flags and landscaping near 1265 South Willow Street and a pylon sign near 1279 South Willow Street (South Willow Street Fueling Station Redevelopment); a request to buy a City-owned Broadhead Avenue lot received and filed.
  • Public Safety, Health and Traffic (Goonan and Bonilla absent): GLENDI festival closures of Kenney Street at Hanover Street and Amherst Street at Hilton Street (10 AM to 11 PM September 18 and 19, 11 AM to 5 PM September 20); a Pine Street on-street parking reduction petition received and filed; traffic changes near Beech Street Elementary School requested by SMMA (Green Street one way westbound from Beech to Union Street, a no-parking bus stop, a loading zone on Beech Street, and rescinding two older rules).
  • The Special Committee on Alcohol, Other Drugs and Youth Services accepted the Health Department's presentation on the youth service ecosystem.

Water Works Building Permit Fees

  • See Water Works Building Permit Fees. Mayor Ruais pulled item 17: about $290,000 in fees were not in the budget and could help with 17 expiring union contracts (eleven city, six school) or upfit of the Lincoln Street building. Trisciani, Barry and O'Neil wanted the money earmarked; Croasdale said the fees are in his budget and the building is near turnkey with asbestos in ceilings; Kantor asked for a Lake Shore Road sidewalk. Motion Trisciani, second Kaw-uh, carried 10 to 4 on a roll call (nay: Sapienza, Kantor, O'Neil, Terrio).

Appointments and approvals

  • Waldron's resignation from the Conservation Commission accepted with regret (motion Kaw-uh, second Dexter).
  • Confirmations (motion O'Neil, second Barry; Kantor recorded in opposition): Board of Health (Mary Naczas Seigle, Patricia Anglin, Ashwini Saxena), Conservation Commission (Lauren Zielinski, Thomas Palangas, Patrick Chabot), Heritage Commission (Heidi Hamer, Steve Hebsch, Lisa Walsh), Planning Board (Stephen Meno, Peter Winslow) and Safety Review Board (Zachary Silva as citizen member, Goonan as aldermanic representative).
  • Demolition proceedings for a hazardous building on Vinton Street requested by Belanger approved (motion Burkush, second Terrio).
  • Subordination of the City's lien on a Central Street property approved (motion Dexter, second Bonilla).

Community Improvement reports

  • Women's Locker Room Expansion bond of $27,000 (motion Goonan, second O'Neil): Kantor asked to confirm the room would be for biological women only, and the Mayor said Chief Marr confirmed; carried unanimously.
  • A $70,000 reduction in the opioid litigation settlement trust project (Opioid Abatement Spending); permission to apply to the Lead Hazard Reduction Grant Program; and the Heritage Commission's request to seek state funding to nominate Central High School for the National Register of Historic Places. Each was approved on motion.

Finance reports

  • After a recess for the Committee on Finance, the committee recommended enrolling the four amending resolutions ($33,000, $23,605.99, $1,100,000 and the $70,000 decrease) and laying over the $27,000 locker room bond. Reading waived (motion Burkush, second Fajardo) and the reports adopted (Burkush/Terrio; Burkush/Barry).

Tax Collector Office Hours

  • See Tax Collector Office Hours. Masewic Adams: 65,000 visits in 2025 and 35,000 so far in 2026; the last staff left at 5:45 that day; an appointment system would cost $24,000; simple renewals take about five minutes but state wait times add 30 to 45 minutes. Vincent, Dexter, Terrio and Bonilla worried about working residents; Kaw-uh and Trisciani warned of burnout if the decision waited. The report was split (motion Sapienza, second Terrio); two Municipal Revenue Clerks (grade 108) approved (motion Terrio, second Trisciani); the hours change tabled to September on a roll call, 8 to 6 (motion Sapienza, second Dexter). Other Human Resources items approved: a part-time Customer Service Representative III in Assessors made full time (grade 108) and a Legal Assistant II (grade 107) in the Solicitor's office.

Police Parking Division Transfer

  • See Police Parking Division Transfer. Integration of the Parking Division into the Police Department (request of Assistant Chief Loui) approved unanimously. Kaw-uh asked whether the parking manager was consulted; the Mayor said she resigned in July and he would not discuss personnel matters; Kaw-uh asked to be told of leadership changes at enterprises.

Resolutions, bonds and ordinance

  • The four amending resolutions were enrolled (motion Sapienza/Terrio to read by title; Barry/Sapienza to enroll).
  • Of 23 bond resolutions, the $20,800,000 DPW-Highway ("Raise - City Funds") bond was tabled (motion Dexter, second Goonan) and the other 22, about $68.6 million, were enrolled (motion Fajardo, second Trisciani). Largest: $30,000,000 wastewater treatment pump station upgrade, $6,500,000 sewer improvements, $5,300,000 stormwater (MS4), $5,000,000 roadway program, $4,525,000 Munis ERP, $3,550,000 deferred maintenance program, $3,500,000 motorized equipment, $2,000,000 Queen City Avenue sewer separation design, $1,500,000 school information technology and Chromebooks, $1,400,000 public safety communications, $1,000,000 school parking lots; also school and parks playground and maintenance items, bus purchases ($700,000 and $500,000), a $760,000 technology bond and a $322,310 JFK Coliseum chiller plant.
  • Ordinance amending Sections 33.024 to 33.026 (Assistant Water Works Director) ordained (motion Dexter, second Fajardo).

Police Cooperation With Federal Immigration Enforcement

  • See Police Cooperation With Federal Immigration Enforcement. Kantor and Sapienza urged deputizing officers under a 287(g) agreement; Chief Marr cited about 30 vacancies plus seven in the academy (37 until February) and the need for four to six dedicated booking officers. Motion Trisciani, second Fajardo, roll call 11 yea, 2 nay (Sapienza, Kantor), 1 abstention (Terrio).

New business

  • Sapienza asked about fireworks complaints; Chief Marr said officers rarely find violators in the act and issue city ordinance citations when they do.
  • O'Neil proposed adopting four health targets (mortality, readiness, absenteeism, graduation rate) and sending them to Thomas's committee (Office Of Youth Services Reorganization); the Mayor said 67 groups attended his second community meeting and he would bring a plan in a month or two. O'Neil also thanked departments for the certificate of occupancy for the Stebbins Center.
  • Dexter: Manchester Jazz Festival, four free movies in the park (first August 7), the Levitt AMP series (August 13), Final Fridays through October and the Visit MHT launch September 30, 4:30 to 6:30 PM at the Rex Theatre. Bonilla: the Into the Light anti-stigma exhibit at City Hall for Overdose Awareness Month. Barry: a charity free throw event August 9 at Sullivan-Lally Park.
  • Mayor Ruais: the City Clerk's office is open Tuesdays until 8 PM through September 1 for voter registration. On the 200 Elm Street lower level RFP (Elm Street Infirm Shelter): up to $125,000 was approved February 17, the RFP covered a larger build out of about $400,000 the City will not do, whole-building rent is $132,000 a year, and tenants would pay about $6,000 a month in total. Replying to Kantor on the CDBG-CV language, he said the shelters are run by a contractor, shelter space was cut from 40 to 20 beds, and a homeless coordinator is now on site; Thomas noted partners can connect residents to insurance-paid services (Emergency Shelter CDBG-CV Grant).

Tabled items

  • The North Church Street discontinuance and the Caron Street turn-around (tabled July 7) stayed on the table. Adjourned on motion of Barry, second Vincent.

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