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Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 25
Alderman Dowd
So whatever that number, as soon as we decide on what that number is, that amount of money should be
transferred just like we always do with contract negotiations. I’m sure Alderman Clemons knows this from
the past and we put it in a contingency for negotiations so that it can be strictly for negotiations.
Alderwoman Lu
Thank you. Based on that point, | want to thank Alderman Jette because | think that his reasoning makes
perfect sense. If we are going to have to move it then why don’t we just make one vote on this and
otherwise we are going to have make another vote by the end of the evening. So | would like to suggest we
go along Alderman Jette’s recommendation. Thank you.
President Wilshire
Anyone else on the motion to amend. Would the Clerk please call the roll?
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:
Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly,

Alderman Clemons, Alderman Tencza, Alderman Schmidt,

Alderman Cleaver, Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, 8
Nay: Alderman Dowd, Alderman Lopez, Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette

Alderman Caron, Alderman Wilshire
MOTION CARRIED
President Wilshire

So the motion before us is for final passage of Resolution 20-023 as amended. Further discussion?
Alderman Dowd.

Alderman Dowd

Mr. Griffin, what’s the amount of money that we need to make a motion to transfer into contingency for
negotiations?

Mr. Griffin
That number is $1,144,325.00.
Alderman Dowd

Ok, so | would like to make a motion to transfer $1,144,325.00 out of the payroll line in the Fireman’s
Budget to Contingency Negotiations so it can be used for when the contract is settled.

MOTION BY ALDERMAN DOWD TO AMEND TO TRANSFER $1,144,325.00 OUT OF THE PAYROLL
LINE IN THE FIREMAN’S BUDGET TO CONTINGENCY SO IT CAN BE USED FOR CONTRACT
SETTLEMENT FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 26
ON THE QUESTION

President Wilshire

You've heard the motion, discussion on that motion? Alderman Clemons?

Alderman Clemons

Yes, | have a couple questions on that. So on this motion here, is this something that has to be done this
evening or can this be done after July 1° of next year?

Alderman Dowd

| was told by Mr. Griffin that we should do it this evening, we always do it at the end of the Budget Hearing.
If there is anything that came up that needs to go in Negotiation Contingency, we need to move it.

Alderman Clemons

So may | ask a further question?

President Wilshire

Alderman Clemons.

Alderman Clemons

What happens if we move this money out of the Department Budget and then the contract fails?
Alderman Dowd

It’s still there for negotiations as far as | Know, | don’t know if somebody wants to chime in on that?
Mr. Griffin

The money would be there and would not be transferred. The amount that would be transferred would be
the amount to pay for the contract in Fiscal ’21.

Alderman Clemons
Could Corporation Counsel comment on that.

Attorney Bolton

If you move the money from a payroll line in the Fire Department to Contingency Negotiations and the
contract before you tonight, the cost items, does not pass, the money is there and presumably at some
point a Collective Bargaining Agreement will be negotiated. The cost items will pass this Board and then
the money will be available for transfer into the Fire Department to meet those expenses.

Alderman Clemons

Thank you.

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 27
Alderwoman Lu

Thank you. Just curious and as August approaches, how is payroll met for that Department. Do transfers
need to be made from negotiations to payroll again?

President Wilshire
Mr. Griffin can you answer that or Attorney Bolton — one of you.

Attorney Bolton

| can’t. The amount left in payroll will be enough to pay the payroll at the current rate of pay. OK? The
amount in Contingency Negotiations is an amount that would be available to transfer in if wages increase
under a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Alderwoman Lu

Oh, | see, thank you.

President Wilshire

Anyone else on the motion to amend by taking $1,144,325.00 out of the Payroll Fire Department and put it
into Contingency Negotiations. That is the motion. Would the Clerk please call the roll?

Alderwoman Kelly

I’m sorry Alderman Wilshire.
President Wilshire
Alderwoman Kelly?

Alderwoman Kelly

Thank you. | just want to make sure that | fully understand what is before us here and perhaps through you
to Attorney Bolton my question is, if we put this amount in but the negotiations use less, do we have to then
make another motion to move it. What happens with that surplus?

Attorney Bolton

Well you don’t have to. It would be available if you desired to. If it wasn’t spent it would be a surplus which
would be assigned to another project or could just remain in the General Fund, increasing the General
Fund Balance. Or, it could be applied to reduce the amount that would have to be raised in taxes for the
next Fiscal year.

Alderwoman Kelly
Ok so it’s not — OK thank you, | appreciate that.
President Wilshire

Anyone else? Would the Clerk please call the roll?

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 28
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,
Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Lopez, Alderman Tencza,
Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Cleaver,
Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 14

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED
President Wilshire

The Motion before us is for final passage of Resolution 20-023 as amended; further discussion on that?
Seeing none would the Clerk please call the roll?

A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,
Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Lopez, Alderman Tencza,
Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Cleaver,
Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 14

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED

Resolution R-20-023 is declared duly adopted as amended.

Alderman Dowd

Thank you everyone. We now have a passed Budget for FY2021.

R-20-026, Amended
Endorsers: Mayor Jim Donchess
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
Alderwoman Linda Harriott-Gathright
Alderman Patricia Klee
Alderwoman-at-Large Shoshanna Kelly
Alderman Jan Schmidt
Alderman Richard A. Dowd
Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire
ADOPTING THE 2020 CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO APPLY
FOR AND EXPEND THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (“CDBG”) AND HOME
INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021
Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERWOMAN KELLY TO AMEND R-20-026 BY REPLACING IT WITH THE GOLDEN
ROD COPY OF AMENDMENTS MADE AT THE HUMAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, BY ROLL CALL

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 29
ON THE QUESTION
President Wilshire
The Motion is to amend, discussion on that motion? Anyone? Would the Clerk call the roll?
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:
Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,
Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Lopez, Alderman Tencza,
Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette, Alderman Schmidt,
Alderman Cleaver, Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 14
Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED

MOTION BY ALDERWOMAN KELLY FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-20-026 AS AMENDED, BY ROLL
CALL

ON THE QUESTION
President Wilshire
Alderwoman Kelly?

Alderwoman Kelly

| would like to speak to that. Thank you, so this is just the final vote on the work that the Human Affairs
Committee has been doing to allocate the CDBG Funds for the year. Thank you to Carrie Schena for all of
her work in terms of what our consolidated plan would look like this year. | think the Committee did a
wonderful job of really prioritizing putting a good amount towards the Rental Improvement Program,
knowing that housing was one of our number one things on the Consolidated Plan. So | thank everyone for
their hard work and | appreciate all that went into this.

President Wilshire

Ok the motion before us is for final passage of Resolution 20-026 as amended. Any further discussion?
Would the Clerk call the roll?

A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,
Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Lopez, Alderman Tencza,
Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Cleaver,
Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 14

Nay: 0

MOTION CARRIED

Resolution R-20-026 declared duly adopted as amended.

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 30

R-20-039
Endorser: Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
Alderman-at-Large David C. Tencza
Alderman Richard A. Dowd
AUTHORIZING PENNICHUCK CORPORATION AND PENNICHUCK WATER WORKS, INC. TO
ISSUE TAXABLE BONDS OF UP TO $75,000,000
Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERMAN O’BRIEN FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-20-039, BY ROLL CALL
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,
Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Lopez, Alderman Tencza,
Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Cleaver,
Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 14

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED
Resolution R-20-039 declared duly adopted.

R-20-040
Endorsers: Mayor Jim Donchess
Alderman Linda Harriott-Gathright
Alderman-at-Large David C. Tencza
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
Alderman Richard A. Dowd
Alderman Jan Schmidt
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND CITY TREASURER TO BORROW FROM THE NEW
HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES STATE
REVOLVINGLOAN FUND AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED TWO MILLION
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ($2,500,000) FOR PUMP STATION UPGRADES
Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERMAN JETTE FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-20-040, BY ROLL CALL

ON THE QUESTION

President Wilshire

Alderman Jette?

Alderman Jette

And | would like to speak to it. So this is authorizing the Mayor and the City Treasurer to borrow $2.5
million dollars for upgrading the pump stations. This is normal maintenance and normal replacement. The
City Wastewater System — not every part of the City is above sea level so we need pumps to move the
wastewater from low levels up to the point where it can reach the treatment plan and the river. So this is
just normal, it’s a lot of money but it’s normal money — it’s normal maintenance that has to be spend. And

the State provides an opportunity to borrow this money at a low interest rate. So it makes a lot of sense for
us to do this.

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 31
President Wilshire

Thank you, Alderman Jette. The motion is for final passage of Resolution 20-040. Further discussion on
that motion? Seeing none, would the Clerk please call the roll?

A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,
Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Lopez, Alderman Tencza,
Alderwoman Lu, Alderman Jette, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Cleaver,
Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 14

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED
Resolution R-20-040 declared duly adopted.

R-20-041
Endorsers: Alderman-at-Large David C. Tencza
Alderman-at-Large Ben Clemons
Alderman Skip Cleaver
Alderman Linda Harriott-Gathright
APPROVING THE COST ITEMS OF A COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE
MAYOR AND THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS OF THE CITY OF NASHUA, NEW
HAMPSHIRE AND LOCAL #789, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS FROM JULY
1, 2019 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2023 AND AUTHORIZING A RELATED TRANSFER AND
SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION
Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERMAN TENCZA FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-20-041, BY ROLL CALL
ON THE QUESTION

President Wilshire

Alderman Tencza?

Alderman Tencza

I'd like to speak to it, thank you. So |! appreciate Mr. McAllister and the Chief being here tonight. | hope
everyone had a chance to also, if they weren’t at the meeting where Mr. Davidson, Chair of the Fire
Commission, spoke about this contract. And also the Chief and John McAllister spoke a little bit more at
length. | know we have also received a lot of some communications from members of the Fire Department
about what this contract means to them and | think they have really put it into words much better than | ever
could about the level of their frustration and how they are compensated versus members of the Police
Department who have similar years of experience, who are earning a significant more amount of money
than they are.

Both Police and Fire in our City are very well trained, very well disciplined, great Departments. And | think
everyone agrees that we are very lucky to have them. In order to keep Departments and to keep people
motivated and wanting to work and achieve for the City what they have achieved, | think we have to do
what's right and do what’s fair even when it is tough. It is tough for people to ask, especially at this time.

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 32

A couple things | just wanted to point out is that really what we are debating here tonight is a difference of
1% per year in my opinion. As the Mayor mentioned earlier, the City believes that the increase should be
about 2.75% per year over four years. The Fire Department and the Union is looking for about 4% per year
so we are not talking about the whole 4%; what we are talking about is just the difference, really what we
are debating is just the difference between what the Fire Department is looking for and what the City has
been willing to negotiate for other Union, which is a much smaller number than some of the ones that we
have received throughout this process.

The other thing I’ll say is that | think every year we have tough Budget cycles since — you know — this is the
third time that I’ve been through the Budget on the Board of Aldermen and each year we hear there are
expenses that are coming from either Concord pushed down on to us or unexpected expenses like the
healthcare costs. Each year the City to the Mayor’s credit, to Mr. Griffin’s credit, to Alderman Dowd’s credit
and everyone else who is on the Budget Committee. Everyone works together to craft a Budget which is
reasonable, which maintains services and which provides for everything that taxpayers in the City need.

So | have faith that even if we pass or even when we pass this contract for the Fire Fighters, that we will be
able to continue to work on Budgets that are fair to both our employees and to the taxpayers in the City of
Nashua. So | hope that people will look at this, especially after the conversation that we just had regarding
the contingency funds. | hope that they will be able to support this, pass this contract tonight and let the
Fire Fighters know that we appreciate them and we are willing to do what is right and fair and in their favor.
Thank you.

President Wilshire
The motion is for final passage of Resolution 20-041. Further discussion? Alderman Klee?
Alderman Klee

Thank you Madam President, | want to echo what Alderman Tencza said. | have been on the Board now,
this is my second term and | agree. Each year there is always something that is coming down. This year it
is the devastating COVID. And the shifting of the retirement system costs and so on: it is always going to
be something. | know that there was expressions used “if not now, when”. But | remember last year when
we were talking about the Budget itself and | sat right next to Chief Rhodes as he was talking about
accepting cuts if necessary and that he would work with whatever Budget he was given. And there were
some cuts and | remember him saying, “next year we can’t do it, next year we can’t do it”. Well then the
next year rolls around and we have COVID.

We did make them whole in the Budget and | appreciate Alderman Clemons stepping up and all of working
to try to get that to happen. | don’t think we can punish the Firefighters, | should say any employee just
because of what’s going on. At the same time, | don’t want to see the taxes go up, | don’t want to hurt our
taxpayers and our residents. But sometimes we have to do the right thing and | think passing this contract
is the right thing.

President Wilshire
Anyone else? Alderman Schmidt?
Alderman Schmidt

Thank you, Madam President. When you talk to citizens about what is important in the Budget they don’t
talk about the little things, they talk about the big things. And the big thing right now that we are dealing
with is the Fireman’s Contract. And it’s hard because it’s big but it is essential. And Alderman Tencza was
right, you know, every year there’s something else that comes down that is pressure on the City. | don’t
think there’s anything that could be pressure enough to make me vote against this budget of this particular
contract. It is fair, itis needed and it’s timely. It has my vote, thank you.

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 33

Alderman Jette

Yes, thank you. We have all received letters and e-mails from firemen, explaining how difficult their job is
and they are very compelling, well written letters and really drive home the point that they are trying to
make about the risks that they face in their jobs. But at the Budget Review Committee meeting | said that
certainly we should pay the firefighters fairly, we should pay all of our employees fairly. But the firefighters
are asking for a 3 72% increase per year for four years, which when you compound it, the actual cost to the
City is going to be 17% over those four years.

Now if that’s what it takes to pay the firefighters fairly then that’s what we ought to do. We ought to find
some way of coming up with that money. But at the Budget Review Committee meeting, you know, | said,
you know, | looked around at other comparable departments, the Manchester Fire Department, Portsmouth
Fire Department. And | saw that we are paying our firefighters more, much more than they pay theirs.
That’s true of Manchester Portsmouth, Concord. So the question is, certainly a cost of living increases
have only been — they have been under 2% for a number of years. So what the firefighters are asking for is
not just a cost of living increase, they are asking for raises. They are asking that in addition to the cost of
living, that their salaries go up.

Remember, we are not just talking about whatever the cost of living increase is. | mean every position has
a schedule of what people in that position are paid. And as they achieve longevity, the more years they
serve, they get an increase in pay in addition to the cost of living increase. As they get promoted, they also
get an increase in pay. When | look at what other Departments are paying and | see that we are paying our
people more than anyone else in the State, we are also paying our people more than what they pay in a lot
of the Massachusetts cities. We pay more than Worcester pays; we pay about the same as Lowell. We
don’t pay as much as Boston. But remember, those Massachusetts — the firefighters in Massachusetts
have to pay an income tax of 5%.

| came to the conclusion that our firefighters are being paid fairly. To say that they are not being paid fairly,
you’d have to say that the beginning point, the starting point, what they are getting paid now is much less
than fair, much less than what they should be paid. | just don’t see that the evidence is there to support
that. And of all the mail and e-mails that | got and | think you all got the same e-mails, these wonderful
letters about the job that the firefighters do, no one challenged me on whether or not we were the best paid
Fire Department in the State. In fact, some of the letters said just the opposite, that we were the best paid
and that’s why they came here. That we are the best paid, the best trained, the best equipped and so to
say that our firefighters are being unfairly compensated, that argument just hasn’t been made to me. No
one has presented any evidence to support that view.

Now if this agreement is not approved tonight, they will go back, there will be fact-finding and | think that’s
one of the roles of the factfinder is to look at what other Departments are paid. And if in fact we are not
paying our people appropriately, that can be brought out in the factfinding and | would, if | am wrong in what
| am saying, | will admit it and | will support the increase that they are looking for. But that case just has not
been made. So | cannot support this agreement as it is before us tonight.

Alderman Cleaver

Yes thank you very much Madam President. We are very, very fortunate to have this tremendous
firefighting professional group representing Nashua. Yes, we have the best in Northern New England and
the best comes with difficult price tags sometimes, that is to say, you have to pay for what you get. And
these guys do a great job, these men and women. |’ve seen them operate, they are well trained, they are
very professional and also morale is very, very important. And to maintain that morale, to maintain that
professionalism, to maintain the level of the best in Northern New England, we need to compensate them
reasonably and fairly. The negotiations are over. Negotiations were taking place for months and months
and months, negotiations are done. We are ready to get the contract done.

Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 34

| think we need to get this contract approved to maintain morale and also to keep these guys coming back
to maintain the high level of professionalism you need to attract the right people year after year, as
replacements and new people. So | am strongly in favor of the contract, strongly in favor of the Union and
the negotiations were reasonable, fair and let’s just get it done.

Alderman Lopez

So | think | am struggling with this a little bit more than some of the other Aldermen who have spoken
because while | understand what the Fire Department’s value is to community, it is potentially you have two
close to superheroes in the world and it is usually freighters and police. And making sure that the
firefighters are treated fairly and making sure that they are one of the municipal services that we offer at a
high level of quality, | think it’s essential. | mean we’ve been seeing like a 3,000% increase in fireworks that
are being purchased and launched from urban areas. That is concerning to me because those can come
down and start fires obviously. We have had a record heat wave, we had a fire in Jaffrey, we provide fire
services to our City very effectively and are called upon as a regional leader as well.

So | understand the role that the firefighters have what | haven’t heard a lot about is, at least during this
motion, the impact that it is going to have on the taxpayers. | was not on the Board during an economic
downturn, but | was working at a homeless shelter at the time and | saw what happened when people lose
their homes. | saw what happened when they weren’t able to make ends meet. | am very concerned about
the impact that COVID-19 has had on multiple industries and across multiple sectors. | am not of the
opinion that we are done with it yet. | think we are still very much likely to see another outbreak in New
Hampshire. | say “another” with the understanding that we didn’t have one last time; we closed down and
prevented one from even happening.

There’s so much that is not understood about this that | don’t think this is fair to compare this to any other
year. | think | heard several people say, every year is going to be a tough year. Well this year was already
going to be tough year, because we had the health insurance issue. That was a big problem. And last
year we narrowly managed to dodge the bullet in some ways by getting more support from the State. But |
don’t know that if we get ourselves into financial trouble here, we can really count on the date because |
would imagine it is going to be in the same situation itself. So | am really concerned about what we are
doing with the tax rate and | am really concerned about how this is going to impact taxpayers. | don’t have
an easy answer and | can’t really come up with a specific recommendation for any other Aldermen right
now, because | am still listening. Because despite my understanding of how important it is for taxpayers to
be able to balance their budgets and to be able to stay in the City, that the fire department protects so
carefully. You don’t really have a place to stay if the fire department is slow to a call or not able to respond
to something.

This is obviously a very difficult situation. | don’t think it’s quite as simple for me as — are firefighters good or
are taxpayers good? | think we have to navigate very carefully here.

Alderman Clemons

Thank you, Madam President. So this evening, we earlier we passed a motion to put the money back into
the Fire Department Budget and then we moved the appropriate amount of money out of there into
contingency, in other words for this Budget if it passes the money is there. So we’ve done Step 1. And it
wasn’t going to be very easy. | remember throughout this conversation it’s always been a matter of where
are we going to find the money? Where are we going to find the money? And there was a couple of
alternatives that | had suggested earlier where we could have bonded something in place of, or done some
money shifting around and things like that. It ended up being a lot simpler and part of the reason it was a lot
simpler was because we were able to save some money in the healthcare line.

A good portion of the reason why we were able to save on the healthcare line is because of the Fire
Department and its employees. There was a sheet that we accepted | think at the last meeting, where it
showed that the Fire Department’s employees do the Lion’s Share of the high deductible plan that the City