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Board of Aldermen 09-10-2019

R-19-172

Endorsers: Mayor Jim Donchess
Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire
Alderman Richard A. Dowd
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
Alderman Ken Gidge
Alderman Patricia Klee
Alderman-at-Large Brandon Michael Laws
Alderman Tom Lopez
Alderman June M. Caron
Alderwoman-at-Large Shoshanna Kelly
Alderwoman Mary Ann Melizzi-Golja
Alderman-at-Large David C. Tencza
Alderman Jan Schmidt
Alderman-at-Large Ben Clemons

Page 19

AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO A POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT

(PPA) AND LEASE WITH REVISION ENERGY
Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERMAN SCHMIDT FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-19-172 BY ROLL CALL

A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:
Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Gidge, Alderman Harriott-Gathright
Alderman Dowd, Alderman Klee, Alderman Laws, Alderman Lopez
Alderman Caron, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja,
Alderman Tencza, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Clemons,
Alderman Wilshire 14
Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED
Resolution R-19-172 declared duly adopted.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS — ORDINANCES

O-19-049

Endorser: Mayor Jim Donchess
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
Alderman Ken Gidge
Alderman Richard A. Dowd
Alderman Patricia Klee
Alderman Tom Lopez
Alderwoman-at-Large Shoshanna Kelly
Alderwoman Mary Ann Melizzi-Golja
Alderman-at-Large David C. Tencza
Alderman Jan Schmidt
Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire

AUTHORIZING FREE HOLIDAY PARKING AT METERS IN ZONE III WHICH INCLUDES THE
ELM STREET AND HIGH STREET PARKING GARAGES FROM DECEMBER 9, 2019 THROUGH

JANUARY 3, 2020
Given its second reading;

Board of Aldermen 09-10-2019 Page 20
MOTION BY ALDERMAN O’BRIEN FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF O-19-049 BY ROLL CALL
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Gidge, Alderman Harriott-Gathright
Alderman Dowd, Alderman Klee, Alderman Laws, Alderman Lopez
Alderman Caron, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja,
Alderman Tencza, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Clemons,
Alderman Wilshire 14

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED
Ordinance O-19-049 declared duly adopted.

O-19-050
Endorsers: Alderman Tom Lopez
Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire
Alderman Patricia Klee
Alderwoman Mary Ann Melizzi-Golja
CHANGING THE LOCATION OF THE PARKING PERMITS FOR DALIANIS HOUSE RESIDENTS
Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERMAN LOPEZ FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF O-19-050 BY ROLL CALL
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Gidge, Alderman Harriott-Gathright
Alderman Dowd, Alderman Klee, Alderman Laws, Alderman Lopez
Alderman Caron, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja,
Alderman Tencza, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Clemons,
Alderman Wilshire 14

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED
Ordinance O-19-050 declared duly adopted.

O-19-051
Endorser: Alderwoman-at-Large Shoshanna Kelly
Alderman Tom Lopez
Alderman June M. Caron
Alderman Jan Schmidt
PROVIDING FREE LIBRARY PARKING FOR UP TO THREE HOURS FOR NASHUA STUDENTS
USING THE NASHUA PUBLIC LIBRARY
Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERWOMAN KELLY TO AMEND O-19-051 IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REPLACING IT WITH
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS MADE AT THE COMMITTEE ON INFRASTRUCTURE MEETING BY
ROLL CALL

Board of Aldermen 09-10-2019 Page 21

ON THE QUESTION

Alderwoman Kelly

If | could speak to it please. Thank you, so just for those who were not at the Infrastructure meeting, the
change that was made was making it into a pilot program so that it would expire at the end of the School
Year with a presentation by the students prior to it sun-setting in concert with the Planning & Economic
Development Department and the Library Staff to see how implementation went.

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

Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Gidge, Alderman Harriott-Gathright
Alderman Dowd, Alderman Klee, Alderman Laws, Alderman Lopez,
Alderman Caron, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja,
Alderman Tencza, Alderman Schmidt, Alderman Clemons,
Alderman Wilshire 14

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED

MOTION BY ALDERWOMAN KELLY FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF O-19-051 AS AMENDED BY ROLL
CALL

ON THE QUESTION
Alderman O’Brien

Yes God | really do hate to be the scrooge on this one you know but it was heard in the Infrastructure
Committee and | was the sole dissenting vote. But! take my duties as Chairman quite seriously. | cannot
let something that | really just feel on the popularity of it really affect, I’ve got to look at the global issue that
is athand. Just to remind you, we passed R-19-170 which is very global. That is going to look at parking
all in general. What | am concerned about is | have listened to the Downtown Community Board brought
up by Ms. Blaisdell and everything that this is going to highlight some problems with other people within
the demographics. As part of our tax structure we give breaks to Veterans and disabled Veterans. What
happens if they approach us and say they would like to have some parking at the Library? What about the
wonderful children’s program that we have there that we recognized tonight Mrs. Bolton on that? And you
know my mother herded 7 kids, you know what | mean and brought them out of the car and everything. So
| am sure my mother would have appreciated if we did have free parking or closer parking for that.

| really hate to do this, | think the presentation by the students was more than adequate and was good. |
looked at and they did eliminate part of it, there is cheaper parking in the same lot but farther away and
then on Cottage Street there is free two hour zone parking that they do have access. So if there was a little
bit more of a walk but the students could use that you know without feeding the meter. So to me, again,
vote your conscious, you will; | don’t want to be that much of a bad guy with it because if this gets shot
down and this is brought up as part of the study | will advocate for this strongly advocate for it. | believe in
it, it's not that I’m against it, again | am being in a way the bad guy because | have to look at the whole
global parking issue. To that vein, | really cannot support this.

Alderwoman Kelly

Thank you. So just quick background for anyone who has not been privy to what has been going on with
this. The students came to me and we actually formed a Committee and came up with the idea of this. |
think | talked about this when it was originally read. The students really felt strongly that this was what they
wanted to put their efforts behind for the summer. And | think that their argument that as students the
Library is an especially important resource for them, a lot of them talked about meeting at a place to study

Board of Aldermen 09-10-2019 Page 22

that they could to equally and also being able to use those resources. We also heard from someone in
public comment the Cottage Street area being a bit further away and parents or even students not feeling
as comfortable walking from there as they would in the lot.

So we did look at the financials, that was in the presentation to Infrastructure. The Downtown Improvement
Committee gets the overflow parking, | think it was about $100,000.00 this year so if all 20 passes were
used 365 days a year, we are talking about maybe $6 grand and | don’t see us doing 100% participation in
this. So | would ask the Board to consider that. | think for students it makes a lot of sense and getting our
students into our downtown and enjoying this service that we already provide through our taxes makes a
whole lot of sense.

Alderman Dowd

| certainly support the students going in the Library and anything we can do to help them. But! also think
that and as | review all of this that it hasn’t been well thought out as to the process. The students having to
get a pass, go up to the Library, get a pass, and if they are unlucky they get a ticket while they are getting
the pass and then bring the pass back in the car, as | understand it now. And then when they are done
they have to do the opposite, it just seems to me, there are other ways to do it. And | think as part of the
study you would have a more efficient and more organized way of doing it for the students. The only thing |
don’t know is the timing of the study; if it was going to be hugely in the future that would be one thing. If it’s
going to be short-term, | think we ought to wait for the results of the study because | think there are several
issues of parking downtown and I’d like to solve it all in one shot and not have to come back and
piecemeal.

Alderman Klee

And | want to echo Alderman Dowd and Alderman O’Brien’s words. The students did a phenomenal job
and | commend anybody who comes and does some kind of presentation and so on. The problem that |
have with this is that | have received a number of phone calls from different groups; groups of elderly
people, groups of people that have functions at the Library, | don’t mean functions that way but do different
things and said, “Well why couldn’t we get free parking”. There are a lot of different groups and a lot of
different entities. While not all students are able body, the majority of them area which means that they can
walk and if they have to walk as Alderman Dowd said from the car, to get the pass, back to their car, then
when they leave, go to their car, bring back the pass and go back to the car. | mean that’s four trips to their
car. We are talking about $2.25 and yes | know what is like to not have money; | know what's it like to not
even have a dime and so on. But! don’t $2.25 or $1.50 if they can get the lesser parking is really going to
necessarily break the bank.

When some of the students, they spoke about getting coffee at Barnes which | think probably do cost more
than $2.25 or stopping on their way to get a cup of coffee. | think our Library is incredible; | think that is has
enough to offer and that is what people would like to come to and use those resources. | also would like to
see the study completed. | think maybe in the end it’s going to say we need to give all free parking. And |
know Alderman Kelly and a few other people have said, “I’d like to just see free parking there”. I’m not so
sure | necessarily would because | do think that cuts into revenue and as a tax payer every penny counts.
But in the long run, whatever the study says, | would abide by it and | think we all should do that. | just don’t
think that this is the time to do it, | think we need to wait. So thank you.

Alderman Laws

So I’ve been conflicted with this one. On the one hand, as the liaison to the Downtown Improvements
Committee, | think that they are truly some of the unsung heroes of Downtown Nashua. These people are
small business owners, they give up their Friday mornings to come in, they meticulously go over the details
of their very limited budget and what they are going to do with it. And | completely understand that and the
last thing that | want to do is contribute to them having less budget to work with.

Board of Aldermen 09-10-2019 Page 23

On the other hand, | see that there is an intrinsic and unquantifiable value to enhancing the educational
experience of students. Thankfully a compromise has been reached and that compromise is that there is a
sunset clause on this and 6, 8, 10, 11, 12 months from now we are going to know whether or not this
program has worked. We are going to know whether or not students have been using it; we are going to
know whether or not they haven't. It is going to be minimal money lost to the Downtown Improvement’s
Committee. It is money that we haven't raised yet; we are talking about it as though it is money that’s being
taken out of the budget, but it is money that hasn’t technically been raised yet.

I’m afraid to go there on Friday morning and catch the arrows for this but and | love everyone on that
Committee and respect them truly but | am going to support this because | think it’s better for the students.

Alderman Lopez

So | guess | have the benefit of being not conflicted. As the Downtown Alderman | see the need that the
students are bringing forward and | agree with it. | am very familiar with the parking space, the lot, the
distance and all those kinds of things. | also appreciate Alderman O’Brien’s commitment to being Chair; if
you feel passionate about something then | guess one approach as Chair make sure that that is known. |
always thought the Chair was more of an opportunity to be a neutral party and preside over meetings. So
we differ on that. | don’t feel any obligation personally to represent other than my Ward, my constituents
and the kids who go there.

| am conscious of the Downtown Improvement Committee’s budget, but | don’t want students to have to
pay for it when it is much more beneficial to have students at the Library contributing to that scholastic
environment that the Library is designed for then it would be to collect $2.25 and have people leaving early.
Or not having the change that they need and canceling their plans or whatever other barriers come up. It’s
not always about the amount of money you have total, it is sometimes about how you can deploy it. So
personally | don’t see the economic value of that particularly because I’ve been at the Library at least 4 out
of 7 days this week and that lot is not full, there are extra spaces. This is not going to make it so that other
people have to park farther away; it is not going to create a massive impact on any kind of revenue being
generated that undermines the Farmer’s Market. It is a small amount of money for a maximum amount of
benefit.

Cottage Street is not quite as adjacent as people might remember. | would encourage any Aldermen who
feel like to and from it is no big deal to surrender their Aldermanic Parking Pass and park on West Pearl
because that’s about the same distance. | don’t think that’s going to happen but | am saying if we have an
opportunity to let students park and encourage them to go to the Library | think we should do that. If we
have an opportunity to better use resources like empty spaces by encouraging students to come use it, |
think we should do that. | think the same logic applies that if you want the students to park on Cottage for 2
hours, but you afraid of having them walk back and forth from their car, it’s the same difference. The only
difference is that they feel like they are able to be closer, they may not have to carry things quite as far and
it could make a difference, especially if they are carpooling, because then not every student has to walk
back and forth. So | support this. | appreciate the presentation that the students did and | will support what
they’ve asked us to do.

Alderman Clemons

I’ve struggled with this one as well but unfortunately in the end | can’t support it for a number of reasons
some of them are more along the lines of what Alderman Dowd and Alderman O’Brien have said about the
parking study. But then the other part of it is there is a value that we have downtown. We, as a Board of
Aldermen back in 2011, made a commitment to the people of Nashua. What we said was if we raise the
parking fees on you the difference that we raise in that money, we are going to put directly back into
downtown. While you know it is a small amount of money, it’s not really the point. The point is that there is
a value to coming downtown, there are different things that are there. There are different resources beyond
the Library, there are different places to go and it costs money to park there for a reason.

Board of Aldermen 09-10-2019 Page 24

When you have a vehicle you have to follow the rules of the road. If you park in front of a meter, you have
to pay it. It is what itis. | mean if the Library isn’t worth going to because you have to pay, then don’t go.
That’s really my opinion on this. | think that would be a shame, but | think if you can afford to drive a car,
you should be able to drive through the toll that you through and you should be able to pay for the parking.

Alderman Schmidt

Thank you Madam President, | am not conflicted, not a tiny bit. | think is a marvelous idea, | think it is
marvelous for a lot of reasons. | think it will bring students downtown which they don’t normally do. They go
down to South Nashua; they don’t use the Library because it is not convenient and because nobody is
talking about it. These kids are talking about the Library, that means that they are going to incite other kids
to come down to the Library. And it’s not just about going to a coffee shop; the resources that are available
at the Library are wonderful. The papers that they write? They don’t just need quiet, they also need the
resources that are there. The Library parking lot is only full when there is something going on there big.
Otherwise, there are 10 spots that can be used, nobody would be losing any money on this and by the way,
the Downtown Improvement Committee is amazing. Thank you for the work that you do because it
matters. But this won’t hurt you; this will help you. This will help kids come downtown, get into the habit of it
and be part of the community. | can’t thank the kids enough for doing this, | thought it was a stunning,
stunning show that they put on for us. And really, they care about the City; this is one way the City can
care about them. Thank you.

Alderman Gidge

Thank you Representative Schmidt, you are absolutely correct. | will do anything including give up parking
meters money to get people to come down to the City of Nashua and use the Library. People who read
more are better people, more productive people and if it is .50 cents or a dollar but if we get a thousand
more people a month going to the Library this will be a far better City. Thank you very much for doing it
and | don’t think it is going to pass but | think Schmidt has brought up some very good points. And | agree;
thank you very much by the way kids, guys.

Alderman Harriott-Gathright

Thank you Madam President. | am not conflicted either but | truly believe that if our young people wanted to
attend the Library they have that $1.75 or $2.50 or whatever the cost it is to come to the Library. One of
the things | noted during the Summer, their bus passes were free, so you know, we give to our young
people to get them downtown or wherever they want to go across the City. And | too believe like Alderman
Clemons said that if you are at that age that you can drive a car, most of them probably have small jobs or
whatever, | think this is the beginning of them giving back to the City, that’s just the beginning of their life,
for the things giving back as well. So for me, | would not be voting in favor.

Alderman Lopez

Alderman Schmidt's comments made me remember something that | almost forgot to say. The Library just
isn’t about parking spaces, books or music or whatever. There are very, very good Library staff that are
there that can be very helpful to students that are doing projects; finding resources, looking for resources.
We even just recognized one of them today. The Library staff is very much in support of this. So | wanted
to point that out as well that the Library is more than just a facility, it is the people who are running it and |
think they do a very good job too.

Alderman Tencza

So | mean if there is anything we can do to do help young kids be excited about microfiche like Mr. Eid
mentioned before, | think we should be doing it. That was my least favorite part of doing research in high
school before the Internet so | am glad another generation has to suffer through that. | would probably be
more persuaded against this Resolution if we didn’t just pass an Ordinance allowing Holiday Parking

Board of Aldermen 09-10-2019 Page 25

downtown and granting free parking to a whole group of people at a time really when you know there would
be a good incentive to enforce our parking meters and timing because we want people to cycle through at
that time and get more people in the downtown area. So this is a pilot program, we are going to see how it
goes, see how many kids actually use it and I'll support it.

Alderman Clemons

To the previous speaker, | would only mention as far as the free parking during the holidays, that has been
a longstanding tradition which | have never really quite been in favor of, | do vote for it though. But that
doesn’t say you have to be a student in order to get that free parking. It just says you have to park
downtown between those dates and have a car and you can park for free. So it doesn’t discriminate against
anybody.

Alderman Klee

Yes thank you. One of the things | did forget when | was talking, the Ordinance is very, very clear that it is
for current high school or college identification cards that are also have a valid Nashua Library Card. And |
brought this up during the last meeting when this was being heard and that is that we eliminate other
students. And | know that Alderman Lopez made a comment about “Well they don’t drive”. You are right
they don’t drive because they are middle school kids, but their parents drive. And I’m not saying that a
parent is going to want to do that trip back and forth and back and forth just to save $2.25 but if we are
really looking for this towards students and so on, we are really limiting the student population that gets to
use it. When | was in Grammar School, Middle School and so on, | did use the Library. | used the Library
a lot not just for school things but for reading programs and different programs that are going on. And we
do have a Children’s Program there so we are eliminating that group of people in addition to those that |
had mentioned that are less able bodied but not disabled to the point where they’d have a handicap sticker.

Alderman O’Brien

Thank you Madam President, | wasn’t going to speak again but others have again. The thing is again the
Library | can guarantee you right now, there was a bad accident in my neighborhood, the wife just texted
me, you know, a roll over. She probably would have texted me if the Library was on fire or not. The thing
is what is the real true need as we look at this. Before we go into something that could be prejudicial to
another demographic of the City and | listened to all your, you know, as brought up your points and it
seems like some of your points the demographic or eliminating at all some of the people kind of lost their
kind of presence there. Because there are again other groups and the only way we are going to really look
at the cumbersomeness of this, this is a wonderful idea. | compliment the students for bringing it forward, |
support it, but again, this could lead and as we heard from another Alderman, Alderman Klee that other
groups do have equal standing now if this gets passed. And | would like to have some more control over
that as a City that’s part of our job and to look at the other demographics that come up such as the elderly
and everything. So as we vote | hope you just keep that in mind, if this gets passed again it is worthwhile,
I’m not going to stop a kid from going to the Library, | don’t want to do that at all. But again and contrary to
Alderman Lopez’s opinion, yes | advocated this, | brought it out as Chairman, | brought it out of my
Committee, but again up at the State House we advocate as Chairs, but we don’t have to vote for it on the
floor. | am only expressing my points of view as a citizen and as a duly elected Alderman. | have done my
duty by the Mason’s Book by bringing it out of Committee and bring it to the floor. So thank you.

Alderman Lopez

Yeah so | hear the conflict in many of the Alderman, | am sure the students appreciate the thoughts and
prayers. Again, | say there is a direct action we can take here, we don’t have to wring our hands quite as
much as we are doing. To Alderman Clemons’ point, the free holiday parking is not extended to people
who don’t drive. So | don’t get a free bus ride whenever | am going downtown. So there is always going to
be a group that is not entirely accommodated at the same level; that does equal discrimination. And if |
remember, both Alderman O’Brien and Alderman Clemons made comments to the effect of this would

Board of Aldermen
April 26, 2016

President McCarthy

Page 19

We should make the amendment first. Why don’t you move to amend it by including the fiscal note.

MOTION BY ALDERMAN WILSHIRE TO AMEND R-16-028 BY INCLUDING THE FISCAL NOTE

PROVIDED BY TREASURER FREDETTE

A Viva Voce Roll Call was taken, which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman Wilshire, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Cookson,
Alderman Dowd, Alderman Caron, Alderman Siegel,
Alderman Schoneman, Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja,

Alderman McGuinness, Alderman LeBrun, Alderman Moriarty,
Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Lopez, Alderman McCarthy

Nay:

MOTION BY ALDERMAN WILSHIRE FOR FINAL PASSAGE AS AMENDED

A Viva Voce Roll Call was taken, which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman Wilshire, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Cookson,
Alderman Dowd, Alderman Caron, Alderman Siegel,
Alderman Schoneman, Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja,
Alderman McGuinness, Alderman LeBrun, Alderman Moriarty,
Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Lopez, Alderman McCarthy

Nay:

MOTION CARRIED

President McCarthy

R-16-028 is amended. Motion on the floor is for final passage by roll call as amended.

on that motion? If not, would the clerk please call the roll.

A Viva Voce Roll Call was taken, which resulted as follows:

Yea: Alderman Wilshire, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Cookson,
Alderman Dowd, Alderman Caron, Alderman Siegel,
Alderman Schoneman, Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja,

Alderman McGuinness, Alderman LeBrun, Alderman Moriarty,
Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Lopez, Alderman McCarthy

Nay:

MOTION CARRIED

Resolution R-16-028 declared duly adopted.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS — ORDINANCES — None

14

14

Is there any discussion

14

Board of Aldermen 09-10-2019 Page 26
constitute discrimination and that they would be reaching out to Legal and we haven’t yet heard what
Legal’s opinion was. So | guess I'll ask Attorney Bolton; is this discriminatory, are we opening the City up
for a lawsuit if we allow these placards.

Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel

It is not illegal discrimination.

Alderman Lopez

So it is discrimination in so far as up is up and down is down and those are different things.

Attorney Bolton

It doesn’t burden a fundamental right nor is it based on a suspect classification.
Alderman Laws

| would also to point out that if any group of citizens is feeling discriminated against and they would like to
organize and put together a presentation and come in and present it to Committees and the Board of
Aldermen and try to get free parking at the Library we will absolutely encourage them to do so. The
adverse of that is | do not want to discourage the future politicians and world leaders of America, | mean
they did a hell of a job getting this together and trying to convince us. And | think if you look at the cost
benefit analysis of what we lose versus what we would potentially gain it is kind of a no-brainer, especially
when you consider that there is sunset clause in it. So | don’t really understand, sorry.

Alderman Dowd

Yes I’ve become even more conflicted because | was highly enlightened by Alderman Schmidt’s comments
and having spent 18 years supporting education and building schools and helping students learn, | feel
conflicted, not voting for this. There are a couple concerns | have, one how this functions in practice ought
to be part of the study and | think | would have preferred that we have a time definite to come back and
evaluate how it has been going. But! certainly don’t want to deprive the students from going to Library. |
also think there would be better ways than the current process that is outlined for them being to be able to
get a parking pass. | think having spent 35 years in logistics, that is not the most logistically satisfying way
to do it. | think that it probably should be looked at before implemented to see if there is a better way of
doing it. So having said that, I’m more inclined to support this in the short-term as a study if those things
are met, then it becomes part of the overall study. The other thing that | am concerned about, if it has any
type of severe impact, which it may or may not, depending on who is speaking on the funding for the
Downtown Improvement Committee, | would like to see this Board address that and in the future and try to
make that right to the Downtown Improvement Committee.

Alderwoman Kelly

Thank you so Alderman Dowd, | wanted to answer some of your questions and | have actually been waiting
patiently hearing the conversation. But in terms of how the students came up with how this would be
implemented, this was well-researched, we worked on it for about 3 months. We met with Jan McCormack,
we met with Tim Cummings, we did have discussions with downtown business owners. Some of the things
that came up and the reason it is a little clunky but the reason we went that way was because we talked
about using a code through your app and we thought that was much easier to abuse. Then we also talked
about just issuing students, but that doesn’t allow you to check how many spots are being used at a time.
So we really did think about and talk through these things. We agree, going in, getting it and coming back
is where we landed after talking through a lot of different things. | think that’s why it being a pilot is going to
be really helpful so we can have that discussion.

Board of Aldermen 09-10-2019 Page 27

As part of the amendment there is an end-date in the amendment and | believe | put 90 days prior we will
give that report as to how it is going. There is specific, legal we already covered, so for the question
around what happens with revenue, | actually was really happy to hear that the Downtown Improvement
Committee is doing this parking study. Obviously when we started this process we didn’t know that, so |
think this can just be another piece of information as they are going through that process. | mean | think, if |
recall, the initiative to get that study was because we were originally were talking about let’s double the rent
rates in the garages and | believe at that meeting we said, “Can we get a study”. We want to know where
our parking garages are in terms of infrastructure needs and all of these things. So | think that their study
along with this will give us a really good idea of how to reallocate perhaps how we do parking and parking
fees in downtown.

The last thing | want to say and Alderman Laws beat me to it but | think when a group of passionate people
come to us as representatives and say, “This is the thing that we are interested in’, it is our job to listen and
weigh in and really act in accordance with how we feel and what we feel from our constituents. This time it
is the students, if the seniors come together and have this conversation, great. But this is absolutely our
job. So | commend the students for coming forward, it has been really great for them to be part of this
process and see it. | appreciate all of the really interesting discussion from the Board and | hope that we
put this through for them.

Alderman Klee

| just want to add to what Alderman Kelly had said. This does have a 60 day prior to expiration report by
the Youth Advisory Committee. They did not set what the criteria was or what they had to answer but they
did do the sunset of June 16", 2020 with a 60 days prior to expiration report by The Youth Advisory
Committee along with the Nashua Library and the Economic Development Committee will be made to the
Board of Aldermen to review the outcome of this pilot program and consider continuation. So in all fairness
| do want that to be made clear. Thank you.

Alderman Clemons

Thank you | just want to clarify something in case it wasn’t made clear. | do appreciate the fact that the
presentation was brought forward and | do appreciate the work that was done by the students and by the
folks who were involved. It’s just that | have a fundamental disagreement; | believe that what is right for
one should be right for all. And you know, basically to, other than for handicapped parking, really we
should be creating a level of playing field of fairness when it comes to the Library. And | believe that this is
only achieved through doing a comprehensive study of how to go about doing that. | don’t think that it is fair
to other folks that we single out one group of the population and decide that we are going to give away
parking to them but not to others. And | would feel the same way regardless of what group came before us
and presented whatever plan it was that left somebody else out. | would definitely vote “no” because |
happen to believe that we should be doing things as fairly and as equitably as we can. It’s what | was
elected to do and that is what | am going to uphold by voting “no:.

Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja

Yes thank you. When | was aware of this Ordinance in its original form | was not supporting it. Now that it
has the pilot portion in it with the report back to the Board of Aldermen, | am going to support this. | think
the information gained from this pilot can be rolled into the parking study. Although this says that there will
be a report back to us 60 days prior to the expiration, | think that as the parking study kicks in and moves
along, which | am sure is going to happen before June, we should be reaching out to the Library and
looking at what is happening there. | can’t believe that all of these passes will be used at one time and
certainly there are empty spots in that Library lot except as previous speakers have indicated; when there
are major events going on there. So | think we try it as a pilot, use the information going forward to look at
what it means for parking downtown and consider what the feedback is and move forward. So | will be
supporting it.