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The Telegraph

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Founded 1832
Editorial Board ¢ Jim Konig, publisher
Roger Carroll, editor

Kathleen MacFarline, evening news editor

594-6467 | fax: 882-2681 | letters@nashuatelegraph.com | The Telegraph, 17 Executive Drive, Hudson, NH 03051

Trump and Clinton
are not in same boat

Ms. Hubley is correct in her
letter “Trump and Clinton are
hardly equals” (June 1). Trump
has succeeded in leveling the
playing field by being a politically
incorrect nonpolitician and that’s
driving liberal progressives and
democratic socialists out of their
minds.

Trump eliminated the race,
woman, sex, gender, etc., cards
that Democrats have used for
years to garner votes. To me,
that’s refreshing. Trump has
a following equal or arguably
more grassroots than Hillary
Clinton and, if I’m not mistaken,
Iran, ISIS and Russia have taken
notice, so the “dangerous” card
won't work, either.

Trump actually has a success-
ful record of accomplishment
relating to economic develop-
ment and has learned from his
failures using established laws.

mvewy ove =

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Clinton doesn’t want to distin-
guish between legal and illegal
immigration because her voting
bloc doesn’t want to obey legal
immigration laws and policies.
Building the wall says it all for
Trump followers. Clinton’s slogan
is tired.

Finally, anyone who signs
a nondisclosure affidavit but
doesn’t comply with it is cul-
pable. Anyone who fails to secure
possessed classified information
is culpable. Anyone who mixes
personal and government clas-
sified information without prior
approval is culpable. Anyone who
destroys government property is
culpable. Furthermore, any-
one who mishandles classified
information shouldn’t be granted
a security clearance, which is
required to perform most presi-
dential duties.

To me, all of the above clearly
make Trump more qualified than
Clinton.

Timotiy C. Tiches
Nashua

if Trump were still
in middle school

If Donald Trump were a mid-
dle school student, he would have
been expelled trom school long
ago for repeated bad behavior.

Imagine your 13-year-old
daughter came home from school
complaining a boy made fun of
her because she menstruates.

What if your son asked, in con-
fusion and shame, whether dad
was a.rapist because he was not a
legal immigrant?

How would you feel if you
learned your child was being
publicly mocked because his dis-
ability caused his hands to shake?

You would be livid, and rightly
so.
You would demand the school
discipline the perpetrator and
ensure the bullying stopped.

Unfortunately, we have no
principal to call and must endure
Mr. Trump's bad behavior until
November.

Hopefully he will then be ex
pelled from the political process
and return to reality television.

David S. Robbins
Nashua

Landlord change

would be harmful

Regarding the change to the
way the city handles landlords:
Giving landlords only 10 days to
make non-safety repairs (cracked
glass, chipped paint, dented
vinyl, old weather stripping, etc.)
before a $50 fine is levied is cruel
and unusual treatment. Ever had
a contractor start a job and then
disappear? Or even get one to
give a quote on 10 days’ notice?
The urgency to prevent daily
new fines from piling up after
10 days skyrockets the repair
costs, which forces landlords to
raise rents for the money, hurting
consumers.

All landlords are asking for is
30 days to correct repairs that

OPINION

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 2016 | PAGE ‘A-4

are not life-threatening, but the
aldermanic committee refused.
So if the aldermen vote for pas-
sage, the fine for repeated daily
minor infractions would be the
same for a leaky gas line or dan-
gerous wiring. Minor repairs and
ones that are critical should not
be on the same timetable.

Instead of the city taking a
landlord to court to determine
guilt prior to issuing a fine,
which is now the law, this new
law will allow the city to issue a
fine at the code officer’s discre-
tion, which allows selective
enforcement. Then the landlord
will have to take the city to court
to prove innocence. The city will
have shifted legal costs onto the
landlord to defend himself or
herself.

The ramifications of the bill,
because of two bad local land-
lords, will be massive for good,
hard-working landlords and ten-
ants who are struggling.

Bradley Whitney
Nashua

Lovering, Susan

From: Bob <rhkkeating@yahoo.com>

Sent: Monday, June 13, 2016 10:26 PM

To: Lovering, Susan

Subject: in support of 0-16-003 Adm. Enf. Ordinance

To the Nashua Board of Aldermen,

My name is Bob Keating. | live in Nashua at 5 Coburn Woods. As! am not able to attend tomorrow night’s meeting, |
wanted to write to all of you to ask for your support of adopting 0-16-003, Administrative Enforcement of Ordinances.
The ordinance gives a much needed tool for increasing compliance in the cases where repeated attempts to get needed
repairs completed have not occurred. As you are aware, the state legislature has enabled this kind of ordinance to be
implemented and we should take this opportunity to enact this ordinance so as to assist the work of the code
enforcement officers in getting needed repairs done.

| believe there has been sufficient time to get input from all parties. My wife Hilary and | volunteer with Granite State
Organizing Project in its work on safe housing and this, along with our experience as owners of rental property for over
30 years, have helped shape our viewpoint. Thanks for your consideration of supporting adoption of this new
ordinance.

Sincerely,
Bob Keating

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

From: James B. and Mary E. Cutter
86 Palm St., P.O. Box 69-Nashua, NH 03061 Ph. 889-4246
Date: June 14, 2016
To: Alderman-At-Large Brian S. McCarthy, President
Ce: Jim Donchess, Mayor, Steve Bolton, Corporaion Counsel,
Thomas Lopez, Alderman, Ward 4.
Subject: 1949 Plat Plan error at 88 Palm Street.

Dear Alderman McCarthy,

You have heard me talk many times about the City error that gave a

large part of our driveway/clothesline area to
We would like it very much if the

But, as far as I know,

Section 45 of the City Charter,
ordinances of the city.'.

Enclosed is a copy of,
for Mayor Donchess.

Sincerely,

a

it appears
helped because an ordinance would

'1949 Plat

the
of Aldermen

Gilbertsons.
Board helped us.
to be easier if Mayor Donchess
not be needed. I have found in
the Mayor ‘shall enforce the

Plan Error at 88 Palm Street.’

A regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen was held Wednesday, December 26, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. in the
Aldermanic Chamber.

President Lori Wilshire presided; City Clerk Patricia D. Piecuch recorded.

Prayer was offered by City Clerk Patricia D. Piecuch; Alderman Tom Lopez led in the Pledge to the Flag.
President Wilshire

Before | ask the Clerk to take the roll, Alderwoman Kelly is participating by telephone, and under the terms
of the State law that allows her to do that, she needs to explain why she can’t attend, if she can hear us,

and who she is with, if anyone.

Alderwoman Kelly stated the reason she could not attend, confirmed that she could hear the proceedings,
and stated who was present with her.

President Wilshire

Acknowledged that those present could hear Alderwoman Kelly as well.

The roll call was taken with 11 members of the Board of Aldermen present; Alderman Gidge, Alderman
Harriott-Gathright and Alderman Klee were recorded absent. Alderwoman-at-Large Kelly was not in
attendance but participated via teleconference.

Mayor James W. Donchess and Corporation Counsel Steven A. Bolton were also in attendance.

REMARKS BY THE MAYOR

Mayor Donchess

Well first of all it is the Holiday Season, Happy New Year to everyone, | did wear my red tie in the hopes of
getting even close to Alderman O’Brien the tie he wore last time but he now held out, so | guess | am now in
the front of the parade.

But to get down to more serious matters; before you is my veto of R-18-066. | am going to bring some new
information to your attention, tell you that this is actually a serious matter which can have implications across
City Government and | am going to ask you to consider either sustaining the veto or at least tabling it so you
can consider and think about what | am about to bring to your attention.

What this is part of is an effort that goes back almost 20 years across all the civilian parts of Nashua’s work
force to reduce very significant costs in terms of sick leave buy outs that occur at the time of retirement. This
effort has been applied with respect to City Hall employees, teachers, civilians in the Fire Department and in
the Police Force. It has never been applied to the uniformed officers, often they are treated differently, they
have a different pension system, they have a different set of risks in their jobs and different really employment
criteria. But what this Ordinance addresses, and | will get into the broader picture in a moment is that 17, going
on 18 years ago now, in order to reduce payout costs for sick time, the City instituted a new policy which said
that instead of being paid 100% on 720 hours, or 90 days of unused sick time upon departure from City
employment, that would be changed to 20% of your entire accrual.

If you accrued 1,000 hours, it would now become 200 hours not 720. That was done to reduce costs. The
same thing has happened in the teaching force. Although City Government moves slowly and some of this
takes years to accomplish, but around the time of 2010, 2011. 2012, there was great public outcry about the
pay outs which were occurring and being paid to members of our teaching force, our teachers, upon retirement
for unused sick time. At that time, what the teachers’ contract said was that you could be paid for 100 days.
Now a teacher is paid on 184 day teaching year so 100 days was approximately 55% of a teacher’s annual
salary. So for a teacher making $60,000.00 this 180 days, and we are just talking ballpark figures, would have
been about $33,000.00.

Board of Aldermen 12-26-2018 Page 2

There was such a significant outcry that number was changed in the first step to a maximum of 40% in the
2013 contract. For a teacher was making $60,000.00 the payout went from approximately $33,000.00 to
approximately $24,000.00. Now this was applied with complete retroactivity, no one was grandfathered,
teachers that were 30, 40 years were subject to the new rule and that’s the way it was.

Then in the next step in the contract of 2016, payouts were reduced further. In that contract there was some
level of grandfathering, but it went retroactive for 20 years. So any teacher who had worked for less than 20
years now was taken for 40% of payroll to 30%., and that went back not 6 years, but 20 years. Now fora
teacher that makes $60,000.00 that payout was reduced first from 33%, then to 24%, now to about 18%. For
teachers that had only been working for 10 years it was not reduced to 30%, it was reduced to 20% of payroll,
so going back 10 years, retroactively teachers that were again with 10 years or less seniority, they now were
down to 20%. So for that portion of the teaching force we have been going from 33%, to 24%, to 18% to
$12,000.00 maximum payout for unused sick time. That is 900 employees and it is done because the School
Department was straining under the effort for paying for all this and at least initially before the initial contract
the 2013 contract, there was a big public outcry about the expense of all this.

The move was consistent with what was done back in City Hall in the case we are looking at back in 2001. But
it wasn’t just the teachers and it wasn’t just City Hall it was also in the Police Department. For the civilian
workforce in the 2003 contract, the payout was reduced from the 720 hours to the same system that was
enacted in City Hall which was 20% of the entire accrual. Now there was grandfathering in that case; in the
teachers there was none. In this case, anybody that started working after 2003 was limited to 20% and that is
what they are limited to now.

All of this was done to reduce cost because if we are thinking about the entire work force, we are talking about
hundreds of thousands of dollars across 900 teachers, civilians, and all these different places, we are talking a
lot of money over time. The effort was it that it was just too much to being out all this unused sick time. Now
for the 11 employees that we are considering, even under the new system, they will be entitled to an estimated
$190,000.00. Now that is small change. Just for unused sick time. If you pass the Ordinance as amended
that number will go to $366,000.00.

| am suggesting to you that we are not just talking about $175,000.00 which | think and | have been saying for
months is an unwise expenditure. But what | am bringing to your attention now is that this is across the entire
workforce and you will be opening the door to the unwinding of an effort that existed for about 18 years to try to
reduce costs; because other requests are going to come to you. Other groups are going to come and say —
Hey look you did it for them, now what about for us? And you are probably sitting there thinking — well come
on he is blowing smoke, he is exaggerating it is not going to happen, except it is already on your doorstep, right
here. On your Agenda is a new contract for the civilian employees in the Police Department. Guess what is in
that contract; a roll back of the change that was made in 2003.

In 2003 the contract said — going forward it is 20%; the new contract, as proposed, goes back to 720 hours. So
if you think that by approving for one group you are done, you are not. It is going to come, and if you think like
tonight if you approve this, it is all over, it is not. Because it is going to come back to you in another contract
and the argument will undoubtedly be made that we did it for one group, it is unfair not to do it for another
group. And once that happens how have you not opened the barn door, how about the 900 teachers who said
— we did it retroactively for 40 years, you are now giving it to other people? Why shouldn’t we get it back too?

So | think you are taking a step or you are threatening to or you might if you over-ride this veto that has much
broader and much larger financial implications that you have realized to this point. | think, in my opinion, it
would be financially irresponsible to roll back this almost 20 year effort to reduce City costs for the payout of
unused sick time. | am asking you now to either sustain the veto or at least table this because if you doubt
anything that I’ve said, if you doubt anything about what these contracts say, if you doubt what the teachers
have done, if you doubt what is in this contract that is on your Agenda right now, take the time to consider all
this.

Board of Aldermen 12-26-2018 Page 3

You have heard that because one employee in the Fire Department who is a uniformed officer, and this has not
really been applied to uniformed officers except in that limited case, this one in the command staff of the fire
department, this one employee got what the other uniformed sworn officers get, that we should open to this 11
and then you are get an argument that because we opened it to this 11 we should do it to the other civilians.
You are ultimately going to face the argument, because we did it all for all the civilians, we should do it for the
teachers. Ultimately this literally could cost millions of dollars.

| think you should take some time to think about all of this and at least table it. Now | know that is pretty heavy
for the Holidays so let me give you a couple of lighter issues here. There is the Mayor’s Winter Reading
Challenge, which | wanted to inform you about. What we have done is we have asked children in grades 1 to
5 to do reading over the Winter, there is a web site, it is conjunction with the Library, the Community Center,
MBK and others are encouraging young kids to go on and they record what they read and they get prizes for
reading a lot. They can write book reports and somebody will judge what the best book reports are so they can
get some prizes, over 125 kids have already signed up, the idea being that if we can encourage more kids to
read they will do better in school. | think that is a good thing that is going on. There is an event tomorrow
stories and snacks at 1:00 p.m. at the Community Center, | think it is being put on by the Library so that is a
good thing that is going on.

On a sadder note, |’d like to mention that John Stansfield passed away. John is the husband of Trish. Trish is
a retired teacher who has been very involved with tutoring over at the Community Center, doing an extremely
good job over there. He is also the father of Jill Stansfield who works here in City Hall. He was a really good
guy, he died an early death; his wake and funeral is tomorrow. | give my condolences to the entire Stansfield
family. With that | conclude and just wish you all a Happy 2019.

RESPONSE TO REMARKS OF THE MAYOR

Alderman Lopez

| just wanted to ask the Mayor for clarification; was he referring when he said the other civilian employees
to R-18-102 the collective bargaining agreement?

Mayor Donchess
Yes.

RECOGNITION PERIOD - None

READING MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS

There being no objection, President Wilshire declared the minutes of the Board of Aldermen
meeting of December 11, 2018, accepted, placed on file, and the reading suspended.

COMMUNICATIONS REQUIRING ONLY PROCEDURAL ACTIONS AND WRITTEN REPORTS
FROM LIAISONS

From: Mayor Jim Donchess
Re: Veto of R-18-066

There being no objection, President Wilshire accepted the communication and placed it on file.

AGENDA MEETING OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN JUNE 14, 2016

1.

2.

3.

10.

11.

PRESIDENT BRIAN S. McCARTHY CALLS ASSEMBLY TO ORDER
PRAYER OFFERED BY CITY CLERK PATRICIA PIECUCH

PLEDGE TO THE FLAG LED BY NASHUA VETERANS AND NATIONAL ANTHEM
SUNG BY ALAN ST. LOUIS

ROLL CALL

REMARKS BY THE MAYOR

RESPONSE TO REMARKS OF THE MAYOR
RECOGNITIONS

Recognition of Emergency Preparedness StormReady Rating

READING OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARING

Special Board of Aldermen Public HearingS....................:00ceeeeeeeeeeeeeee 05/23/16
Board of AIGermen........0... cece ec cee cee ee ee eneeeeee tees eaaaeeeeeeeeeeeesaaaeeeeees 05/24/16
Special Board of Aldermen/Board of Public Works Joint Meeting ...... 05/31/16

COMMUNICATIONS

From: John Griffin, Chief Financial Officer
Re: Uncompleted Projects Status Report

From: Mayor Jim Donchess
Re: Contract Award with Sanborn, Head & Associates for Gas Collection and Control Services

From: Roger L. Houston, Planning Director and CIC Secretary

Re: Amendment to FY2017 Capital Improvement Program to Include the Rail Trail Lighting
Program, Prioritized as a Short-Term “A-1” Project; and the Southwest Park Rectangular
Fields, Prioritized as a long-Term Priority “B-3”

PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT RELATIVE TO ITEMS EXPECTED TO BE ACTED
UPON THIS EVENING

PETITIONS

NOMINATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND ELECTIONS

12. REPORTS OF COMMITTEE

Budget Review Committee ...............0. ccc cccececeeeeeeeeeeeeeteeetetteseeeeeeeeeeeeees 05/19/16
Budget Review Committee ...............0c cc cceeecceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeteteeeeeeeeeees 05/23/16
Budget Review Committee ...............0. ccc cececeeeeeeeeeeeeeteteteteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 05/31/16
Budget Review Committee ...............0. ccc ceecceeeeeeeeeeeeeteteteteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 06/02/16
Finance Committee..........0.0 0c cccceceeeceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees 06/01/16
Personnel/Administrative Affairs Committee .............0..ccccccceeeeeeeeeeetees 06/06/16
Planning & Economic Development Committee...............0. cee 05/17/16
Planning & Economic Development Commiittee................. eee 06/07/16

Substandard Living Conditions Special Committee... ee 05/26/16

Board of Aldermen 12-26-2018 Page 4

PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT RELATIVE TO ITEMS EXPECTED TO BE ACTED UPON THIS
EVENING

Nick Dahl Good evening everyone, Nick Dahl, 6 Indian Rock Road. | came in with some comments
based on what | just heard from the Mayor | guess | am going to make some changes on the fly. | am here
to speak on R-18-066. | guess | will echo the Mayor and ask that you at least table this before deciding
whether this veto should be overridden. | think the narrative we just heard really points out in my mind the
problems with making benefit changes retroactively. Now we are in a situation where throughout the City
we have a bunch of employees being treated differently, different classes of employees.

| believe this has been fixed for more than just 1 fire fighter in the past in other union contracts over the
last few years. | know this very Board did make that change for an employee, | would ask that you at least
strongly consider tabling this and gathering more information if you are inclined to sustain this veto
because to me it is just showing this group of employees that they are being treated differently than
others. Thank you.

COMMUNICATIONS REQUIRING FINAL APPROVAL — None

PETITIONS - None

NOMINATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND ELECTIONS - None

REPORTS OF COMMITTEE

Human Affairs Committee... 00.00... cce cee cce cee ceeceeeeeveuencaetneness 12/10/2018

There being no objection, President Wilshire declared the report of the December 10, 2018, Human Affairs
Committee accepted and placed on file.

CONFIRMATION OF MAYOR'S APPOINTMENTS — None
UNFINISHED BUSINESS — RESOLUTIONS

R-18-073, Amended
Endorsers: Alderman-at-Large Brian S. McCarthy
Alderwoman-at-Large Shoshanna Kelly
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
Alderman Jan Schmidt
Alderman Tom Lopez
Alderman-at-Large Brandon Michael Laws
Alderwoman Mary Ann Melizzi-Golja
PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY CHARTER RELATIVE TO FILLING VACANCIES
ON ELECTED BOARDS BY MAJORITY VOTE OF THE REMAINING MEMBERS OF THAT
BOARD
e Amended and Tabled pending scheduling Public Hrg — 12/11/2018

Board of Aldermen 12-26-2018 Page 5

R-18-090
Endorsers: Mayor Jim Donchess
Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
Alderman Linda Harriott-Gathright
Alderman Richard A. Dowd
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
RELATIVE TO THE ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF $58,000 FROM THE STATE
OF NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INTO POLICE GRANT ACTIVITY “2019
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT (VAWA) GRANT PROGRAM” AND TO AUTHORIZE THE
TRANSFER OF MATCHING FUNDS
Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERMAN O’BRIEN FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-18-090
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Ald. O’Brien, , Ald. Dowd, Ald. Laws, Ald. Lopez,
Ald. Caron Ald. Kelly, Ald. Jette, Ald. Melizzi-Golja
Ald. Tenceza, Ald. Schmidt, Ald. Wilshire 11

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED
Resolution R-18-090 declared duly adopted.

R-18-091
Endorser: Mayor Jim Donchess
Alderman-at-Large Michael B. O’Brien, Sr.
Alderman Ken Gidge
Alderman Linda Harriott-Gathright
Alderman Patricia Klee
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
RELATIVE TO THE ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF $275,000 FROM THE STATE OF
NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION INTO TRANSIT GRANT ACTIVITY
“TRANSIT CAPITAL PROJECTS”
Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERWOMAN MELIZZI-GOLJA FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-18-091

Board of Aldermen 12-26-2018 Page 6
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Ald. O’Brien, Ald. Dowd, Ald. Laws, Ald. Lopez,
Ald. Caron Ald. Kelly, Ald. Jette, Ald. Melizzi-Golja
Ald. Tenceza, Ald. Schmidt, Ald. Wilshire 11

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED
Resolution R-18-091 declared duly adopted.

R-18-095
Endorsers: Mayor Jim Donchess
RELATIVE TO THE ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF $119,100 FROM THE KRESGE
FOUNDATION INTO PUBLIC HEALTH AND COMMUNITY SERVICES GRANT ACTIVITY
“CREATING A CULTURE OF PREVENTION”

Given its second reading;

MOTION BY ALDERMAN O’BRIEN FOR FINAL PASSAGE OF R-18-095
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:

Yea: Ald. O’Brien, Ald. Dowd, Ald. Laws, Ald. Lopez,
Ald. Caron, Ald. Kelly, Ald. Jette, Ald. Melizzi-Golja
Ald. Tenceza, Ald. Schmidt, Ald. Wilshire 11

Nay: 0
MOTION CARRIED
Resolution R-18-095 declared duly adopted.

R-18-066, Amended
Endorsers: Alderman-at-Large Lori Wilshire
Alderman June M. Caron
Alderman Patricia Klee
Alderman Linda Harriott-Gathright
Alderman-at-Large Brandon Michael Laws
Alderman Tom Lopez
Alderwoman-at-Large Shoshanna Kelly
RELATIVE TO ADDRESSING POSSIBLE INEQUITIES IN SICK LEAVE POLICY FOR
CERTAIN UNAFFILIATED EMPLOYEES
Given its fourth reading;

MOTION BY ALDERMAN CARON TO RECONSIDER R-18-066
ON THE QUESTION
Alderman Jette

A point of inquiry how many votes does it take to reconsider this and what is the procedure now
considering the veto?