Board Of Aldermen - Minutes - 6/9/2020 - P25
Board of Aldermen 6-09-2020 Page 25
But again, they can come back with a recommendation to not make it permanent just do it for this year
and readdress it later. So if we do it now, it is a saving step as far as time is concerned and the season is
moving really quickly. In New England we don’t have long summers.
The other thing is having been in Europe a lot in the summer, | can tell you every City, every town, all the
restaurants are outside and they have huge umbrellas because that’s their business. They don’t have a lot
of inside seating; they do most of their business in the summer under those umbrellas. And quite frankly |
think it adds to the character of those towns in Europe. So | don’t see it as a detriment.
President Wilshire
The motion before us is to remove the sunset clause. Alderman O’Brien.
Alderman O’Brien
Madam President, thank you. Just to my fellow colleagues, | did a lot of legwork on this. And it seems
that when this came out, a lot of misinformation — | had heard that it had to do with the State Liquor
Commission, that is untrue. | did some research, looked at Manchester and other communities, from what
| can see, we are the only municipality in the State that has this type of restriction, in looking at it. And
then | did a lot of talking with the principals, people who own restaurants and stuff like that downtown. |
also talked to their distributors who would provide a cover, well the principals with those umbrellas. And
like it was brought up, people who own a restaurant or something have taken a hit financially. And as
what Alderman Dowd has said the cost of some of the umbrellas, some of these distributors are willing to
pay — good quality umbrellas. They are good and the reason they are good quality is because they have a
logo on it and that particular distributor does not want that umbrella flying down Main Street or something
happening to it. So | feel comfortable, to me this is a very short summer and as somebody else has
brought up and | wouldn’t mind a second reading. But | am going to support the Clemons’ amendment to
this to try to get it through in its entirety because unfortunately it is something that should have never
entered into our community to begin with. We could have been as typical as any other town in New
Hampshire and not even be debating this particular issue. So | am going to support the Clemons’
amendment. Thank you.
Alderman Jette
| have two things, number one — again to Corporation Counsel is what Alderman Dowd true that if we
remove the sunset provision and it goes to the Planning Board and the Planning Board wants the sunset
back that we could amend it then without a public hearing, number one? Could you answer that please?
Attorney Bolton
| don’t know that that’s what Alderman Dowd said but if he said that | would disagree. | think if you change
it from temporary to permanently not prohibited or in the opposite direction, they are two different things
and you have to have a public hearing on the Ordinance that you pass.
Alderman Jette
So as | read this Ordinance, it says that the Ordinance currently shall not be interpreted as to prohibit any
umbrella, awning or canopy displaying advertising signage in connection with outdoor dining as long as
vehicular or pedestrian traffic is not obstructed thereby. This does not contain any limitation on the size of
the advertising, doesn’t contain any limitation on the product that might be advertised. So you could have,
| don’t know if there’s something else that would prohibit tobacco companies from advertising on these
umbrellas or vaping companies, you know, that type of thing. These are all things that would be vetted
and talked about in Committee. But if the Committee decides to add a further restriction to the advertising,
whether it be size or the products or whatever, would that require additional public hearing, if | could ask
Corporation Counsel that question.