Concord City Council Tweaks Priority Meeting Process, Eyes Long List

CONCORD, NH — The Concord City Council held its 2024-2025 term priority setting meeting on Monday, a little late this year, with the format differing from prior meetings.

After the sweeping 2023 municipal election, in which voters elected and ousted two incumbents, several residents began chattering about the “secretive nature” of the priority-setting meeting, calling for tweaks.

In reality, the meetings were never secretive at all; they were casual in nature. The meetings were advertised and posted in accordance with state law, and anyone who wanted to attend, like any other meeting, could (residents rarely attended the meetings because there was no set agenda or public hearings).

In the past, though, meetings were not aired on cable access, and that changed this year.

Mayor Byron Champlin kept the somewhat casual flow of the meeting in place. No one was dressed up for the meeting, as an example. Councilors still enjoyed a takeout meal. But at 6 p.m., the cameras were turned on.

So, was the public more involved due to the changes? It’s hard to say. In the audience, about a half dozen people were in attendance, so more than prior priority setting meetings but less than a typical meeting. On YouTube, at its peak, 15 people were watching the stream or slightly more than normal. It is unknown how many people watched the meeting live on cable access, but anecdotally, residents of Concord do watch the meetings.

Mayor’s 2024-2025 Priorities

Like past mayors, Champlin drafted a bullet point list of specific areas of focus by the city and then councilors chimed in about some of the ideas.

The priorities included balancing the budget, preserving the city’s bond rating, containing costs, were all featured. So were retaining employees, eyeing compensation, working on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, and implementing a solid waste contract. Housing and homelessness were listed, including a bullet point about zoning and selling city-owned surplus real estate and development parcels. Infrastructure projects include airport changes, the Loudon Road Bridge reconstruction, sewer improvements on the Concord Heights, reconfiguring McKee Square, the redevelopment of Storrs Street, and other projects.

A revamp of the economic development website, adopting interim zoning amendments, and new master plan, were also proposed.

“We’re a bit behind the curve on our master plan,” Champlin said, “and I really think it’s important for us to focus on that.”

Community artwork, a museum for Concord Coaches, charging stations, community power, and other opportunities were discussed.

Public safety was discussed, including a new police station, as well as new PFAS-free gear for the fire department.

Park renovation, redesign, and construction at various locations around the city were also discussed. The replacement of the Garrison Pool as well as a new clubhouse at the Beaver Meadow Golf Course would also be returning.

Comments About Champlin’s List

After hearing the mayor’s long laundry list of public policy proposals, councilors took a crack at it.

Amanda Grady Sexton, an at-large city councilor, requested edits in two sections of the list.

One, in the housing section, regarded quantifying the homelessness issue — knowing how many there are, where they are coming from, and whether they are receiving services. The city, she said, would be in a better position with more information.

“It’s very difficult to solve a problem,” she said, “unless you understand its breadth.”

Grady Sexton also called for better coordination between the city, the state, and the county regarding homeless issues. Camps on state land or private business and addressing those issues had been hampered.

On public safety, she also called for a buildout to include funding. An example, Grady Sexton noted, was if a homeless person in an encampment was found to have been released from New Hampshire Hospital or the state prisons, “it would be helpful” for the city to receive funding to assist with services of those people.

Ward 7 City Councilor Jim Schlosser said discussions on various homeless task forces and committees had also raised the issue of data, information, and resources. He called for clarifying and creating “a goal to prioritize progress” on this problem.

Champlin said the homelessness steering committee would be asked to update the council more regularly. But, he added, he did not want to get into the granular minutiae of specifics on the document.

Grady Sexton countered the need for quantifying the homelessness issue should be added to the document, if everyone else supported it, and both Champlin and Schlosser agreed with her point.

Brent Todd of Ward 1 supported Grady Sexton’s proposal while saying outreach to the community was needed about homelessness.

“I think there is a lot of confusion about this issue, overall,” he said. “It would be a great opportunity for us to be able to provide that information, once we got it together, so folks can become more informed.”

Ward 8 City Councilor Ali Sekou called the plan “detailed” with “a lot to work on” and agreed with the quantifying point. He raised the issue of market rate, workforce, affordable housing, and the inclusion of 79E, a tax break for developers, and whether they should be combined while also being discussed when “developers come before us.”

Champlin said there were “statutory” issues with classifications, but the council should embrace “all forms of housing … any form of housing … in order to increase the housing stock.”

Judith Kurtz, another at-large councilor, said the list was much to take in.

She supported all the comments on homelessness but also mentioned the need for better communication. She also was “curious” about interim zoning amendments. Kurtz also said the master plan and new zoning needed to be prioritized. She was “concerned about putting the master plan before the zoning,” because it was a lengthy process which might put significant changes out several years.

Champlin said he was supporting “a phased approach.”

City Manager Tom Aspell said, after consultation from Champlin, the city would be eyeing some zoning amendments now, with the master plan to come later, because it usually takes about two or three years, especially if thorough public review was done. Concord Next 2.0, site plan review and other public policy initiatives would need to be discussed simultaneously, or it would take longer.

The Monitor Way project was an example: It’s a large parcel and zoned industrial. Should it be all housing? Should it be mixed? How will that affect the Merrimack Valley School District? The moment could be missed if the rezoning took too long, waiting for master plan updates and other issues.

Aspell said there were proposals for temporary homeless shelters near the former St. Peter’s Church, which is now private homes, as well as the SAU 8 district office, and the communities came out to reject the proposals.

“Not here,” he said, was the reaction, “not us.”

Stacey Brown, the Ward 5 city councilor, offered three comments about the list.

First, Garrison Pool, she said, was one of the only recreational spaces for that section of the city. She suggested changing the word “replacement” to “consideration,” noting it was a mile walk from most of the clustered housing with families.

“How about we just say Garrison Pool?,” Champlin asked.

“Perfect,” Brown said.

Aspell jumped in and said, during the past 25 years, the priority-setting process was about goals for the next two years, not necessarily changes or policies or developments that would be immediately performed. Councilors could do something different, he also noted.

“These are just examples of when you are talking about that goal itself, you can have something specific to talk to. It does not mean you’re going to do those.” Aspell said. “It’s not the individual bullets. That’s something you’re going to have to decide as time goes on.”

Brown also requested removing the Broken Ground water booster pump station proposal saying it was connected to a new middle school being built on the East Side. She said no new developments were being proposed in the area requiring the station and no official meetings with the council or public hearings about the expense. Brown also called for collaborating with the school board on the location of the middle school instead of just Memorial Field flooding and planning, calling the new school a more significant city issue.

Brown also called for quantifying what neighborhoods need sidewalks as part of an updated Complete Streets master plan. She said the 3,000 planned housing units during the next three to eight years in development needed resources for new tenants. Brown added, the tenants at the Railyard Apartments on Langdon Avenue did not have a crosswalk at South Main Street, as an example.

“We need to actually look at those community members who don’t have access to any kind of transportation,” Brown said, calling it an equity and sustainability issue, too.

Concord, the 2020 Census stated, had more disabled people and non-native residents per capita than any other community in the state, she said.

Champlin asked Aspell about the booster pump issue and the city manager said it had been in the capital budget for many years. The school district, he said, was trying to “piggyback” on the proposal; a new middle school was not the motivator of the pump station. Residents have had water problems ever since Profile Avenue was built — but it was unnecessary to have one installed to make the school project work.

Brown was adamant about removing the pump until the school district came before the council to discuss the middle school project.

“I do not want that on our list of priorities,” she said.

Fred Keach, another at-large councilor who was previously a ward councilor for part of the neighborhood, said the station had been in the works for years and was needed. He called it “disingenuous to bring it up as a way to block the middle school expansion up there.” Keach said Brown needed to keep her personal opinions out of it and, instead, focus on city business.

“(The) water is needed,” he said, “in a part of the city, I would add, that will probably see the most residential expansion than any other part of the city, going forward. Let’s make this an engineering decision and not a political decision.”

Sekou asked for more information and added that he did not think connecting water pressure issues to the middle school project was a good idea.

“Everyone deserves (proper water pressure),” he said.

Deputy City Manager Matt Walsh said the station was an issue since Profile Avenue was constructed more than two decades ago and it had been in the CIP for at least 10 years. He said water pressure issues in one part of the city can affect other parts of the city. Walsh said SAU 8 could make the project work without the station installed.

Ward 10 Councilor Jeff Foote, an engineer, said every time he went to a public meeting, all he sees are “dollar signs.” He said everything on the list must be quantified with data, need, and other issues. Profile Avenue had been there decades and the water pump had been in planning stages, too, for a while. However, Foote added, he found it “coincidental” that the station was being “pushed ahead” not long after the middle school project location on the East Side was approved.

Foote called it “refreshing,” so many councilors were concerned about having better data. He then pointed to the homelessness issue and said the city and state spent a lot of money trying to help those in need.

After reading and re-reading the bullet points, Grady Sexton returned to public safety and suggested some kind of comment telling the public the council would work to improve the crime issue. Police, she said, were overworked trying to deal with all the criminal behavior in the city. Grady Sexton had heard from many residents and businesses about thefts and other issues that directly harmed citizens and merchants, too. She added some employees feared being alone in shops and offices or using public garages at night.

“We have an issue that is like every other city in the state of New Hampshire, and it’s growing, and we need to be really clear that it’s a problem and we’re going to address it,” Grady Sexton said.

The word “ensure” was added to the public safety category.

Grady Sexton also raised the recidivism rate issues with criminals and problems with some trying to access services safely.

Karen McNamara, the Ward 4 city councilor, said residents were raising issues about fear in the community. She said sharing information with the public that the city was acting to resolve the issues was important.

Nathan Fennessy, another at-large councilor, requested specific public safety information about retention and recruitment.

Schlosser said the city should look at the state of the firehouses and whether firefighters should be managing their buildings.

Fennessy requested the city consider looking at another public park space in the area of the Steeplegate Mall, maybe on the east side, for recreation opportunities.

Grady Sexton also raised the issue of fully funding street repairs and whether it should be in the highway section of the proposal.

Aspell said since grants were often labeled highway funds, it was in the highway category.

This led to changing the word “highway” to “street.”

Ward 2 City Councilor Michele Horne requested a more detailed definition added in the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging section, adding it should be included in all sections of the priorities.

Champlin said he did not want to restrict the committee, but it would be meeting soon and a proposal was being created for funding the process.

Brown asked if Fennessy’s proposal for a new park and whether it would detract from property tax revenue. He said there is not much public greenspace in that area and when the mall gets redeveloped, the city should consider existing rights-of-way or other areas for potential park space.

“There’s really no greenspace at this point in time,” he said, while hundreds of new housing units were being proposed.

Grady Sexton followed up with Horne’s point about how the diversity portion of the priorities should explain what it is. Kurtz added there was a need for communication about the plan, too.

Kurtz also said Loudon Road needed “a vision,” from the bridge, to Route 106, especially considering all the roadway projects. She did not propose “tearing it up”; it is due to be repaved in 2030. It was more about the look and what people see when they drive on the road.

Champlin said the master plan would address some of those issues, including the vision of different city sections.

Sekou said the city should focus on becoming a destination. He said people would come to the lake when he lived in Laconia. Concord, Sekou said, should create opportunities for visitors.

Schlosser raised the issue of the community revolving loan fund only being $1.7 million and said, instead, it should be raised to $10 million, with the city lending money to those in need and nonprofits. The city had that money in all kinds of accounts and the investment would be made directly to the city. Schlosser said it would use the city’s heft to help others and the repayment rate was high.

Champlin said it would be something that could be looked at. The fund was focused on distressed residents to help them stay in their homes.

However, Aspell questioned the idea of whether the city should be competing with banks where nonprofits can access loans. But said it was a good policy discussion. Aspell said donations, not taxpayer money, primarily funded the account, whereas the proposal to increase the fund would require taxpayer dollars. He said the program was one of the best ones in the state.

Deputy City Manager Brian Lebrun, who handles finance, was unavailable for comment. But looking at past data, $500,000 being equal to a 1 percent property tax increase, an $8.3 million increase for the revolving fund would amount to a 16-plus percent tax increase to property taxpayers. If $8.3 million in loose change was available to put in the revolving fund, it could be returned to beleaguered property taxpayers who are paying some of the highest taxes in the city’s history.

Keach said some of the new councilors seemed to want to engage in many new social programs. But, as a body, they had to look at police, fire, roads, and then, how far, beyond that, is the mission, he asked. Councilors, he said, would have to wrestle with that.

Foote commended city employees and said the council needed to eye retention opportunities like bonuses. He also spoke about impact fees and how hard they hit residential customers but no other entities. Foote said it had been his experience, dealing with more than $1 billion in new development in Bedford, that there was no need to incentivize developments. There can be good economic development while also protecting the community.

Brown agreed with both of their points, adding that best practices from other communities should be eyed.

The complete list of priorities for 2024-2025 will be put before the entire council and approved at a later date.

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