Election Profile: Brent Todd

CONCORD, NH — Brent Todd is running for the Ward 1 Concord City Council seat. He filled out this candidate profile for voters to read:

Education: BA college degree.

Occupation: Risk analyst for Electric Insurance, subsidiary of General Electric Co., 12 years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: Concord Ward 1 City Councilor since 2014.

Campaign Website: www.brenttoddconcord.com

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it: When I first ran for city council, folks in Penacook overwhelmingly told me they wanted assistance with rising taxes and more commercial development, including a supermarket. I promised to work on these requests, and projects are underway.

Jobs, housing, and business development are interdependent. You can’t have one without the others. I've been working on a comprehensive approach: adding commercial development (Whitney Road area), increasing housing opportunities (former Tannery site and the Village Street CATCH property), and encouraging adding jobs to the community (Newspapers of New England/Concord Monitor at the former RIVCO, new businesses in the Beede Building).

As to housing, we need more of it at all levels. But many of our neighbors in Penacook – those working two jobs, single-parent families, veterans, seniors, recent grads – need affordable housing options. Some say that Penacook has too much affordable housing. Actually, Penacook has just 2% of the city’s total affordable housing, with 12% of the total city population. The Heights and downtown Concord each have over 40% of the city’s affordable housing. If we add 79 affordable apartments to Penacook at the Tannery site and the CATCH property, Penacook will have just 9% of the city’s affordable housing. For more information, please check out this video of the community forum on affordable housing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJLUimMFhNY

Job opportunities, coupled with housing options, allow residents to live and work in Penacook. We want people who are taking new local jobs to also live in Penacook, but local residential rental rates have increased 17% over the last five years. How many of us can say our salaries have increased 17% in the past five years?

Penacook residents, especially those on a tight budget, need convenient, close access to healthy food choices. So I’ve supported the development of the supermarket at Whitney Road, which at $35 million anticipated assessment on a 43-acre site will also go a long way to helping our tax rate. I also advocate for sensitive development of the Concord Monitor property, at 100 additional acres, that could result in further expansion of the tax base and add more businesses and homes.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?: I have 20 years of volunteer work and proven effective leadership in the community, including:

Concord City Councilor for Ward 1, 2014 to present: Twice re-elected.

Current Council representative to the Conservation Commission and the Transportation Policy Advisory Committee, and member of the Parking Committee. Penacook Community Center (PCC) Board member, 2016 – 2018: Working with the PCC to help provide quality multi-generational programs to the public.

Penacook Village Association (PVA), founding member and Board member, 2008-present: I’ve worked with the PVA to bring community forum discussions to Penacook, bring a farmer’s market to Penacook, revive festivals, present concerts, and liaison with the City during revitalization and reconstruction efforts.

Transportation Policy Advisory Committee (TPAC), Council appointed Penacook representative, 2008 – present // TPAC Public Transportation Subcommittee, member 2008-present, and former Interim Chair: I’ve represented Penacook on TPAC to find the best improvements for Village travel, and focused on improving bus routes and service to Penacook.

Penacook Tax Increment Financing District Advisory Board, City Manager appointed member: Review of the scope and cost of infrastructure improvements within the district, as well as any policies concerning operation and management of the district itself (this includes the former Tannery and RIVCO sites).

Penacook Historical Society (PHS), member: I volunteer for and support the efforts of the PHS to foster appreciation for the history of the village and vicinity of Penacook.

Concord 250, founder and Board President: I founded Concord 250, a non-profit organization, to support and promote the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the City of Concord in 2015 for the benefit of all residents, guests and friends of the City.

Concord 2020, Former Board President: I led Concord 2020, a citizen involvement group supporting a smart growth vision in Concord, NH: a vibrant, livable downtown; neighborhoods served by walkable villages; preservation and access to the natural environment; economic vitality; and transportation that serves the community.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform: I have consistently supported our essential services, such as police, fire, and transportation, and I continue to support our branch library and CAT bus service. I’m very concerned about the ongoing opioid drug crisis, and making sure our police force has the staff and tools needed to combat it. Concord police officers are required to have extensive training, and it’s a tight recruiting market, but I’m confident we’ll continue to add to the force in coming years. I support creation of the Merrimack River Greenway Trail to further add to our existing network of trails. I support a museum effort by the Abbott-Downing Society for our historic Concord Coaches. I support the Conservation Commission and Heritage Commission goals for preservation of our natural and historic resources. I support movement toward a comprehensive plan tailored for Concord to help reduce our carbon footprint and to embrace greener energy solutions.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?: I’ve put in countless hours of hard work toward the goals the community has set, and we’re seeing amazing progress toward renewed vitality in Penacook. The Village has suffered from decades of stagnation and decline. We are now at a point where so much is happening, I was invited recently by the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce to speak about it: https://youtu.be/LLy8P3gawAc.

By partnering with my fellow Councilors, City Staff, the community, property owners and others we’ve been able to achieve the following:

Supermarket in Penacook: We’re getting closer! Whitney Road landowners have indicated that they have a full-service supermarket and ancillary retail operators ready to move forward on their property pending improvements to the intersection at Rte 4 and Whitney Rd. Required confidentiality does not allow the landowners to reveal the identity of the supermarket, but it is a major chain establishment.

$15,000,000 worth of special projects in Penacook: Since I've been in office, the City has performed $15,000,000 worth of special projects including: Village Street repaving, sidewalks, lighting, burying power lines, replacement and maintenance of water and sewer lines, a new Rolfe Park pool and repaving of many streets.

More jobs in Penacook: All Concord Monitor printing press operations are now in Penacook. The former Beede Electrical Instruments building now houses five new businesses.

More growth and tax base expansion: 100 acres plus the Concord Monitor building is currently for sale. Careful continued planning of future development of this corridor will go even further toward helping our taxes, providing needed services, and complementing our existing Village St. and 30 Pines areas.

More housing options to spur on additional economic development: Redevelopment of the blighted Tannery site and new housing on Village Street will lead to more customers for our existing local businesses, and more foot traffic will lead to filling of our vacant storefronts.

The best advice ever shared with me was ... Honesty and hard work always lead to the best results.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?: The duty of a City of Concord Ward Councilor is to represent their ward, but also to represent the entire city. For example, each year, Councilors study hundreds of pages of budget considerations, but the budget is not decided or divided by ward. It is a group effort by all Councilors and City Staff. I’m very proud that Concord has maintained a balanced budget for every year I’ve been in office and beyond.

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