Board Of Aldermen - Minutes - 6/7/2021 - P16
Special Board of Aldermen 06-07-2021 Page 16
Board of Aldermen really is not an independent Board. And again | am not taking a shot at the current
administration. I’ve worked under two mayors, | just think that generally the Mayor and the Board of
Aldermen have a lot more political interest in what the Police Commission does than what the Governor
does.
And also the fact that it is a diverse Board as far as there can’t be 3 people from the same political party.
And perhaps someone should put a bug in the ear of the Governor and say if we want a woman on then
perhaps appoint a woman. It sounds like the woman that was the business owner that moved down here in
Nashua, she sounds like a go-getter; she sounds like she’s be terrific to be on that Board. But anyway, | do
think that if we want to give people a choice, we would go ahead and put that on the ballot. But that’s not
what the choice is.
| think that we need an independent Police Commission and that is what is on there now. It is interesting
because | spoke with, | am on the Board of Public Works, we are Commission of 5 and we are kind of a
different kind of Board because the Chair is the Mayor. And as I’ve said, I’ve served under two different
mayors and that kind of gives some political influence, but the fact is we answer to the people and not the
Mayor. But if someone is appointed, they are going to answer directly to the Mayor. And really the
Governor is not really going to have that much interest in what is happening at our local Police Department.
So | think that it should go ahead and stay the way it is. As far as expanding the Board ...
Alderman O’Brien
30 seconds.
Ms. Pappas As far as expanding the Board goes, | know someone who used to serve as my Board of
Public Works and he later served on the County Commission that had 3 and he just said how much easier
it was to get things gone. | think this is a dangerous power grab and | think that people should not vote for
this. Thank you. Bye bye.
Chairman Caron
Is there anyone else who has not spoken that wants to speak in Opposition of this Resolution? Ms.
Ortolano, | see your hand up again. Do you have anything to add that you didn’t speak prior to this?
Ms. Ortolano 41 Berkeley Street. Yes | would like to know if this Resolution should it or this Charter
Change go through. Is the Board going to set it such that the five seats would be made up of different
parties; that it would be Democrats, Republicans and Independents. | haven’t seen the language where that
has been drawn out but | think that would be very important. | am not in favor of doing that at all, | do think
that the Boards that | see appointed right now by the Mayor and Aldermen tend to be single party focused
and near and dear to the Board of Assessors. | go to the meetings all the time, it’s 3 assessors, 3
Democrats. One of them doesn’t even live in Nashua or own property in Nashua and two are related to
each other so that concerns me. So | don’t think that this will be an improvement to what we have going on
and | think there are improvements to make in the Police Department, but | don’t think going to a 5 member
Board that’s really appointed by the Mayor and the elected people is really putting the power in the people’s
hands. If you want to do that, let us vote. Thanks.
Chairman Caron
Thank you. | am just looking at the Resolution. It says here, “appointments based upon qualifications, the
merit and/or history of community involvement”. It does not say it has to be any particular party, that’s what
the Resolution states. So | think that would be up to whoever is making these appointments at that time.
There will be further discussion on that when the Personnel Committee meets in July. But it was a good
question.
