Board of Aldermen — 2/19/2019 Page 3
For an effective and efficient City Government, | will be making a new cost-saving proposal to
the Board of Aldermen, as well as to our School and Police Departments. There are currently
three information technology departments in the City; at City Hall, at the School Department and
at the Police Department. Altogether, the three budgets total over $6 million dollars and there is
duplication. So at the next meeting of the Board of Aldermen, | will be proposing that we form a
study group to recommend ways to consolidate the three IT functions and save tax dollars. This
will require that our Departments be willing to cooperate, collaborate and relinquish a little
control in order to improve efficiency and save money.
We are making an investment in Brine Technology which will produce savings in our annual salt
budget and will keep our major streets freer of ice and snow in the winter months. We have
fitted our Public Works Plow Trucks with brining equipment. When the temperature is above 20
degrees, Public Works can now apply brine to arterial streets within 24 hours before a blizzard
starts, rather than spreading rock salt after the storm begins. Brining has already improved the
conditions of major streets during snowstorms and Public Works estimates that we will save
20% on our salt budget every year.
| am excited about a new initiative we are working on, the opportunity to save Nashua families
$20 to $25 million dollars or about $600.00 per family in lower electric bills over the next four
years through Community Choice Power. Community Choice Power was authorized by the
Nashua Legislature last year. This Legislation enables the City to purchase electricity in bulk for
all Eversource customers. Eversource will continue to distribute electricity using their poles and
lines and will continue to bill customers. But Nashua consumers will see savings in their electric
bills. The analysis done by the City’s Energy Manager, Doria Brown, suggests that we can buy
power for .16 cents per kilowatt hour, which is .2 cents less on average than Nashua customers
are paying now. The City will also benefit by earning a 1/10" of a cent per kilowatt hour; funds
which can be invested in green and energy efficient projects.
Four years ago, Nashua had not yet completed the job we began in 1988 when we opened half-
day public kindergarten for the first time. But today, all of Nashua’s five year olds are able to
attend full-day public kindergarten at all 12 elementary schools. In Nashua we have over
11,000 students. We will continue our commitment to providing an excellent education for every
student at every school, every day. Over the next four years, we will focus keenly on our Middle
Schools, but replacing the aging Elm Street Middle School with a new school and campus and
by renovating and reconfiguring the Pennichuck and the Fairgrounds Middle Schools.
Students in our schools speak over 60 languages. This year we added five English Language
Learners teachers to help those students become fluent in English. But we need to keep a
close watch on our ELL Program to ensure that we have enough teachers to meet the challenge
of students who come to our schools speaking Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Swahili, Telugu,
Hindi and many other languages.
A thriving downtown is critical to building a healthier economy. This truth applies in every City.
When | go to the US Conference of Mayor’s Meetings, it is clear that all successful Mayors are
intently focused on their downtowns. When | was elected Mayor | committed to adding 500 new
units of downtown housing and 1,000 new downtown residents within four years. We have
achieved results. We have reached an exceeded the 500 unit commitment with the Lofts 34
conversation on Franklin Street; with Riverfront Landing on Bridge Street and with the affordable
workforce housing complex on Marshall Street, as well as other smaller projects.
