Board of Aldermen 6-23-2020 Page 5
Let me move to another subject, Madam President, and that is one of the Memos later on in the Agenda is a
policy change, one that would cause our policy regarding people who need to be out of work as a result of
childcare problems, childcare issues, it would conform our policy to the Federal Law that was passed, regarding
the same issue. So we are asking there that you approve that change which is expressed in a Memo so we will
be conformity with Federal Law and that requires that under certain conditions we pay people 2/3 of their pay
when they are out as a result of childcare issues for as long as the COVID-19 issue is with us.
Finally, Madam President, | did want to update you on the Safe Stations Program. The way it has been
operating will end on the 30" of June, which is what a week away. | want to thank the Fire Department for
undertaking that project for those years. We think effectively addressed and attacked and worked with the
opioid crisis and got a lot of people into treatment. But for various reasons it cannot continue and we could talk
about this all night, so | won’t. It won’t continue in its present form. But | wanted to let you know that Bobbi
Bagley, Director of Public Health and | and the hospital, which is the so-called Hub under the State’s Plan and
Department of Health & Human Services, even Commissioner Shibinette have been working to develop a plan
that would replace Safe Stations and provide a place 24 hours a day where people could go who need to have
help. The problem right now is that the hospital, the Hub — that’s Southern NH on Main Street, very visible but
they are only open during business hours on weekdays. So we’ve got all these other hours of the week.
So we are working with Revive an agency that you are very familiar with. Jessica Parnell and others to put a
substitute plan in place. In any event, that Madam President, is what | wanted to cover and unless there are
questions, | will conclude my remarks. Thank you very much.
RESPONSE TO REMARKS OF THE MAYOR
Alderman Lopez
| just wanted to thank the Mayor for the efforts that he is putting forward with the Safe Stations. | cannot
imagine how many things he probably has on his plate in combination with just the reopening’s from
COVID-19, addressing the concerns about additional flareups and the impact that it has had on all the
different cities. There just wasn’t a lot of time to address this and it has taken a very significant amount of
effort to even get people to the table to kind of figure out a workable solution. This is something that is like
very intimidating in my opinion as a process because the first time we put it together was sort of a miracle.
So the fact that we are so far along now ready to find partners and gaps is very impressive. And | really
want to thank Revive Recovery for being willing to step forward like that. | would encourage the community
to find out what they do and how they do it because this is going to be a very important part of that
partnership and they are going to need your help. They represent the community that is in recovery and
has committed to the lifestyle of recovery. They are exactly the people that we want taking the lead on this
issue. So | just wanted to thank the Mayor for helping put all of that together.
Alderwoman Lu
Thank you, Madam Chairman. Just a couple of things regarding the Mayor's comments. | have spoken
with a couple of people who have enjoyed dinners downtown and it has been wonderful increasing
business and it seems like a really joyous atmosphere. However, | still feel that, | don’t understand why we
are not doing a directed patrol — the Police Department is not trying to address the modified exhausts.
Sitting outside in the summer in downtown is not a pleasant experience. The mufflers are illegal and a
couple of weeks ago when we were asked to provide funding for an x-ray for a bomb situation, you know, to
have on hand for a bomb threat. | spoke with one of the members from the Police Department and | was
told that we don’t have the hardware that will measure decibels and decibels on exhaust and that just really
surprises me that we don’t have something that seems to me to be so simple. It is a State Law, it’s a law
that should be enforced and we are not enforcing it. And | think it would make a big difference to the
downtown dining experience.
The other thing that | wanted to just ask, for the Firefighter's Contract, | can see that they are asking for
something similar to a recent contract by the Police Department. For that reason | do feel conflicted
because | know we have huge budget issues that are coming around the horizon, over the horizon.
