Herschlag: Thoughts For The New Mayor and City Council

With the start of a new two year term for our city council, a newly elected mayor and six councilors perhaps now is the appropriate time to have actions follow the words of the mantra open and transparent city government.

The council’s most recent exhortations they are open and transparent brings to mind the new clubhouse for the golf course. Just a quick summary. The costs of the three story clubhouse that was designed with room for the NH Golf Association to lease only saw daylight after a Right to Know request. And the cost for the revised one story plan - without the NHGA - were withheld until the eleventh hour. A Right to Know request revealed the information was known at an earlier date.

For at least four years the NH Golf Association told the city they were anticipating hiring additional employees and would need more space than their current location could provide. But after the city had spent $136,356.25 for a design that included space for the NHGA, they stated they were no longer interested in pursuing a lease agreement with the city.

A revised plan was than revealed in November and we were told the council would vote to approve a $10.3 million bond to construct the revised clubhouse plan along with other improvements and repairs. But unlike the previous plan - that included space for the NHGA - the revised plan would not include community input for the design prior to the vote to approve the bond. Open and transparent?

Every two years we vote to elect city councilors and a mayor. Within a month or two after the new council is seated, they meet to establish city council priorities for the next two years. This will be the policy guide for our city’s administration. An argument can be made the council’s priorities are one of the two most important issues the council takes up over their two year term, the other being the budget.

But when the city council meets to establish their priorities it is neither televised nor recorded. Until recently the council didn’t even meet in city council chambers. Two years ago they met in chambers but sat in the back of the room with no microphones. And even had cameras been recording they would have shown the backs of half of the council members. Open and transparent?

What if the new council turns over a new leaf. Let’s start with the council’s priority session being televised and recorded.

And shouldn’t you be able to have a real opportunity to comment before the council votes to approve contracts with our city employees, our manager? Shouldn’t you have an opportunity to comment after reviewing the costs, not just moments after they are revealed?

Public safety is one of the most important services a community provides. The Public Safety Board did not meet once in 2023, even though they are required to file an annual report with the city council. Homelessness, substance abuse, crime are issues that impact our city everyday. A yearly report to the city council may be all that is required, but shouldn’t the community be assessed more often?

Members of the city council have an obligation to tell you when they have a conflict of interest and what that conflict is. They also have an obligation to inform of a conflict as soon as they become aware of it. Public hearings are noticed a month in advance and the monthly meeting agenda is provided to council members the Wednesday before they meet. Let’s not continue to have councilors declare conflicts moments before the item is discussed.

Here’s a process that follows council rules and informs us. As soon as a member of the council is aware of the conflict they should notify the city clerk’s office so the conflict can be noted in the upcoming agenda. For those who notify the clerk after the agenda is published a revised agenda should be published prior to the council meeting. At the start of the council meeting the mayor should note those with conflicts and list the reasons for the conflict. The mayor should than ask if any other councilors have a conflict that hasn’t been noted.

The council agenda includes a consent agenda. These are items that are rarely discussed and are often referred to as house keeping. But they can include policy issues and expenditures of significant amounts of money, reports that direct the administration and numerous other issues.

The consent agenda is voted on at the beginning of council meetings. There is only discussion on an item if a councilor asks to have the item pulled for discussion. Even if an item is pulled, the public does not have an opportunity to testify on these issues. The Planning Board reads the titles of all consent items prior to voting on them. Is it too much to ask that the city council do the same?

From time to time the administration will testify on Bills in the State House. Shouldn’t we know when this occurs and whether the city supports or opposes the Bill?

It’s a new year and a new council. The council should always act responsibly, but they are accountable to us. Here’s a resolution for our city council; more than just saying they are open and transparent, they should resolve to be open and transparent.