Paul Shea, Nashua Board Of Public Works Candidate

Paul Shea

Age (as of Election Day)

37

Position Sought

Board of Public Works (2 Open Seats)

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Married to Julie Shea for 9 years, but madly in love for 12. We have two sons, Lincoln (4) and Paxton (2).

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

BS in Nursing from Rivier University

Occupation

I currently serve as Executive Director for Nashua's Main Street Program, Great American Downtown, a 501c3 non-profit. (2015 to present.) I am also a registered nurse with 10 years experience working in healthcare. Most recently I worked weekends for three months this past spring to assist with the COVID vaccination effort at Beth Isreal Lahey Health.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Appointed to the Nashua Cultural Connections Committee in 2021. Member of City of Nashua Master Planning Committee.

Campaign website

BPWShea.org & Facebook.com/BPWShea

Why are you seeking elective office?

What we want is simple. Streets and sidewalks that are kept in good repair, trash & recycling that is taken out on time, beautiful and well maintained city parks for our enjoyment, good schools and public facilities, care for and protection of our environment, innovative and efficient city departments, and an open, transparent, and level headed local government that works for all Nashuans.

That is why I am asking for your support, not only this November 2nd - but as we connect with voters and get the word out about our campaign in the short weeks ahead. To bring these priorities and values to our Board of Public Works.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue relative to the Board of Public works is the condition of our roads and sidewalks.

Our city has been plagued with dilapidated streets going back many years now. The primary reason is deferred maintenance. Fortunately, a proper plan has been put in place to start getting us up to speed, but we still have some years of catching up to go. This necessary aggressive paving schedule, along with the temperature and weather conditions required to set pavement, are why it seems like every fall, just as kids are going back to school - major lengths of roads are torn up.

Right now, it feels like every where you go - you run into milled roads, and jarring gaps between old pavement, and road work areas. That's because it's true! Beyond reducing traffic disruption, and incidence of pot holes - there are economies to be found in following a maintenance schedule, especially when you are resurfacing, as opposed to digging up entire roads down to the substrate because conditions have become so poor in some areas.

As your Board of Public Works Commissioner, I'll support seeing us through the backlog, and on to a consistent maintenance schedule, so that we aren't stuck in the same spot as we are today in another 10 years from now. I'll also support measures that improve our aging sidewalk infrastructure in some of our older neighborhoods, including ongoing efforts at the Department of Public Works to make bike and pedestrian infrastructure more accessible to strollers, wheelchairs, and motorized scooters. Our most vulnerable citizens should not have to veer into the roadway unprotected because of a lack of tip downs, ADA non-compliant clearance issues, or other substandard conditions.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I find that my style of leadership and communications is most different from candidate Ortolano. She has recently, on public record, referred to a city employee with the C word. Just last year she paid a private detective, and herself surveilled a city employee and accused them of theft from the city. The employee was later cleared by Nashua Police of these accusations - and was found to in fact done the opposite and understated his mileage, and should have received more compensation from the city, instead of less as was asserted. I believe all of this is fundamentally wrong.

We should elect candidates who respect and appreciate our city workers. They work hard every day to serve the community. Where the BPW oversees matters relative to personnel, the idea of someone serving who could insult, privately surveil, and potentially discriminate against employees based on disagreement is very worrisome - and could create some serious risk for the taxpayers who could be exposed to unnecessary lawsuits as a result of this kind of behavior.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Commissioner Pappas has served in her role for some time. One specific instance which I would mark as a failure to best serve all of Nashua was her approach to the issue of designating a location for Legacy Playground, an ADA accessible play structure that was donated to the city by the Leadership Greater Nashua Program. I fought against Mayor Donchess and Commissioner Pappas to get the fully accessible playground installed at Greeley Park, which happens to be in their neighborhood. This was the top location recommended by consultants who were brought in on the issue. I organized a petition and rallied supporters to speak publicly in favor of the project. Sadly, we lost that fight. I still hold to this day that it was placed at an inferior site, with too much sun exposure and proximity to traffic, and notably at a site not chosen or even listed by the professional playground consultants the city paid (wasted) thousands of dollars for advice because of their attempts to redirect the project away from Greeley Park.

The other big distinction is that Commissioner Pappas feels that Ortolano is fit to serve in city government, and they have both been "running mates" for the two open seats on the Board of Public Works. I don't know why someone with an established relationship with constituents and a record of service would squander that advantage by associating themselves with someone who has demonstrated a number of concerning behaviors.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

Relative to the Board of Public Works, I believe that one of the most important measures the BPW has been involved with is the Downtown outdoor dining expansion. Working closely with many of our Downtown businesses, I can tell you that a good many of our restaurants would not be here today if it weren't for quick and decisive action on the part of city hall and the DPW to roll out this program. I've conducted polling over the course of 2020 and 2021 on this, and have found that a wide margin of Nashuans do enjoy this, feel it enhances our Downtown, and they would like to see it continue in some form even after we are full out of the woods when it comes to COVID. There are silver linings that have come of the pandemic, and I believe that rethinking our Main Street with an eye toward economic development, bicycle and pedestrian uses, and a sprawling open air cafe atmosphere is one of them.

In talking with business owners, I can also tell you that there is work to be done if we are to continue an expanded outdoor dining program. We need to enable more short term parking spaces along Main Street, so that retail businesses like Wingate's Pharmacy can have convenient access, especially for elderly and disabled customers, who are just stopping in for a quick pick up. More short term parking for businesses who have office spaces in the upper floors, like Kelly Creative, and businesses like Glorious Possibilities who have large items being picked up and dropped off, all of whom have been inconvenienced a great deal when it comes to loading and unloading.

Finally, though this has had a positive impact on and truly saved many businesses - if it is to continue we will need a long term comprehensive solution. The jersey barriers have helped Nashua to accomplish the mission in the near term. The artwork has been a vibrant addition, and drawn attention, interest, and activity to our Downtown. Nashua has was one of the first to roll this out, and an inspiration for many communities throughout the country who have reached out to the city to learn more about the program. Should we decide as a community that this will continue, we need to update the streetscape in a permanent fashion with curb extension, bollards for safety, retimed traffic signals, better clearance for pedestrians along the sidewalk, possibly angled parking, and other considerations after seeking more public feedback to develop a more sustainable design.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

One of the things I love most about Nashua is the amount of wooded public land we have. We get to enjoy the Downtown and benefits of living in the city, and have access to hundreds of acres under a mile away from most city residents in places like Mine Falls, Yudicky, and Greeley Park. As your Public Works Comissioner, ensuring we have clean, safe, and accessible parks for all to enjoy will be a top priority. Thank you to Nashua Public Works workers and volunteers, who are dedicated year round to making that happen!

Safety and accessibility of public facilities are important to me. As Commissioner on our Board of Public works, I will continue to advocate for and support initiatives that support a more bikeable, walkable, and accessible Nashua - for everyone. Additionally on the topic of safety, we must address issues like speeding with traffic calming measures where needed. When there are frequent reports of reckless driving in places like Searles Road and Harbor Ave, we need to implement creative solutions like neckdowns, tabletop crosswalks, and stop signs where appropriate to ensure that pedestrians, kids at play, homeowners who live long side roads like these, bicyclists and drivers can travel and live under safe conditions.

Currently our reporting system for issues like potholes, graffiti, downed stop signs, foul sewer odors, broken play equipment, overgrown shrubbery that obstructs the right of way and other issues that would be addressed by the Department of Public works is inadequate. The city has subscribed to YourGov, and there is a banner across the top of the website that says that the company will no longer be providing support for the service at some point in the future, and as it is the user interface is very unfriendly.

The DPW is responsive to email, but this lacks transparency - in that there is not ability to monitor a work ticket through completion, or to identify frequently reported issues that may go unaddressed. That's why I'll advocate for implementation of the SeeClickFix smartphone application. Nashuans will be able to see a problem, snap a photo, and upload it to the app with the location - and a publicly visible ticket that they and others can track the progress of within the app will be generated. Having systems in place that keep our city departments accountable to constituents is top priority.

Finally, whether it is the way we manage our landfills, treat our waste and storm water, preserve our open space, or implement solar and hydropower solutions here in the City - I will advocate for measures that are mindful our our environment. With two young children, and an Eagle Scout card in my wallet, I feel strongly about leaving this place cleaner than I found it - for all of us, and for future generations.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Recently a community member raised the issue about the state of accessible parking spaces at Roby Park needing some attention, with relining spots and ensuring proper signage was in place. I reported the concern, and followed up with the DPW to make sure the job got done. I also reported two area of overgrowth obstructing sidewalks at Canal Street and the Amherst Street overpass that were conveyed to me, and ensured that they were addressed. As your Commissioner of Public Works - you can expect that I will hold the DPW to high standards for timeliness of service, and follow through on addressing needed repairs and other issues - and I'm already committed to getting results.

In 2013 I decided that it was time to start getting vocal about how our aging streetscape and snow clearing were creating safety issues for your neighbors. This was after seeing my neighbor forced into the street with her stroller and newborn every day, while she was walking her oldest to Mount Pleasant for school, due to snowbanks. This got the attention of city leaders, and in 2016 I was part of a Plan NH planning exercise that developed a set of improvements to Lock & Whitney Streets that will make the neighborhood more walkable, not only for kids walking to school each day - but for everyone in the neighborhood, whether on foot, bike, wheelchair, or baby carriage. The concepts developed in this design process are now part of the state DOT 10 year plan - and I'm proud of how neighbors came together to share their ideas, and make this possible
Check out the planning document here: https://plannh.org/wp-content/...

As a leader in the non-profit sector, a registered nurse, and having served on a number of non-profit boards, project planning committees, and through many fundraising efforts – I live my values. I’m no stranger to rolling up my sleeves for our community. I’ve been actively engaged in supporting a vibrant and healthy future for all Nashuans.

Having served on a number of city committees and advisory groups, I am intimately familiar with our city, and will bring a wealth of institutional knowledge to my role as Commissioner. I’ve served on the Imagine Nashua Master Planning Committee, the Nashua Cultural Connections Committee, and the Holiday Lighting, Citywide Wayfinding Signage, and Nashua Public Library Courtyard Renovation advisory groups, among others.

I have been working to serve our community since before our children were born, and now with two young boys – and with Julie and I dedicated to raising our family here in Nashua’s French Hill neighborhood, I am as committed as ever to seeing Nashua it our best.

I’ve been recognized with the Union Leader’s 40 Under 40, the Meri Goyette Arts Hero Award, and as a nominee for the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce Eminence Awards on two occasions.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

My mother recently said when I told her that I was running, though drawing lines of distinction and correcting the record are important, I should focus most on sharing what makes me a good candidate - and what I stand for, and it will all work itself out. (My mother is always right)

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Of all the other candidates running for the two open BPW Seats - June Lemen will be getting my vote. She's level headed, will respect city workers, has a great depth of knowledge when it comes to our city parks, an appreciate for the role the built environment has on economic development, and I believe that together, along with Commissioners Moriarty and Schoneman - we will be able to address the issues I've raised above.

If elected, I will work for you and all of our neighbors – to ensure that our Division of Public Works provides quality service, is held to high standards of accountability and transparency, continually improves efficiency of operations through innovative solutions, and supports our quality of life and a healthy environment for future generations.

I am passionate about our future here in Nashua, and if you send me to serve on our Board of Public Works - I won't take your support for granted. I'll work to earn it every day.