Board of Aldermen 08-09-2022 Page 3
| have aclassic idea. If the city wants to shut down the Zoom for residents, instead of shutting it down shut it down for
everybody. Period. Tell the city employees to get back to work in the newly renovated City Hall. The Nashua taxpayers
should not forget that Lord Wilshire actually shut down the Zoom meeting in the middle of a meeting because she felt the
residents were too vocal in their beliefs. Lord Wilshire is clearly one that does not want to hear from taxpayers even
though we're paying her salary.
| find it funny that our Mayor calls the City of Nashua a welcoming city for everybody but their taxpayers. Mayor’s motto to
the taxpayer is just shut up and pay your property taxes. It is said there that our current Mayor and the Board of Aldermen
do not want the Nashua taxpayers to participate in their government. Instead, the city officials just want to be able to
shove their spending down our throats with no question asked by taxpayers. If this Board wants to shut down Zoom, shut
it down for everybody. Why should Nashua taxpayers pay for something that they cannot use? Thank you.
Karen Bill
Good evening. Karen Bill, 95 Parnell Place. | echo a lot of what Laura said because | think that Zoom is a vital part of
people calling in, especially people who can't get into City Hall for whatever reasons - if they have a disability or they just
can't sit here for four to six hours. | Know that it's even being used by members of the horseshoe here when they can't be
present at a meeting whether they're out of town, or State, or home with some illness, or challenges.
| think that we're forgetting that, you Know, the democratic process is one that involves and welcomes opposing views,
different views. You know if two people in the same company always have the same ideas, one of them isn't necessary.
You want to have thriving conversation so that ideas get presented. That's the way it happens - open minds, open
conversation, open discussion about things, and actually listening to each other instead of thinking oh, yeah, here's that
person, you know, in the audience who's coming up, or there's that person on Zoom because you know, the body
language from people is very evident when some people speak whether it is on Zoom or here. There are some really
regular people who call in on Zoom. | think, again, that the cost drop in the bucket compared to all these other projects. If
only Laura the PAC was $20 million. It's probably going to be 40 by the time it's done. But you really have to think about,
again, if the city employees can use it, the public should be able to use it. It shouldn't be an avenue. It's been a
successful avenue for people to call in...
Donna Graham, Legislative Affairs Manager
One minute.
Karen Bill
...for whatever reason. So | would encourage you to take a harder look at it and not just do away with it. If there's more
discussion or some ideas to be had, or cost saving, something, you know, involve some more people but it shouldn't be
shut down tonight. | don't think it's fair to the people that need it, and rely on it, and really participate because of it, and it's
the only way that they do. Thank you very much.
Matthew Gouthro
Thank you. Can you hear me?
President Wilshire
Yes.
Mathew Gouthro
Matthew Gouthro, 104 Fawn Lane in Nashua. On this week's agenda, the Board of Aldermen there's an ambiguous
language about discussing concerning public participation in city meetings via Zoom. Word around the city is that tonight
you will discuss eliminating future public participation in all meetings via Zoom.
| first want to thank Alderman Comeau, Gouveia, Klee, and Sullivan for personally addressing my concerns on this topic. |
wish | could have heard from many more of you, including the Mayor but as one Alderman told me they rarely respond to
residents who don't reside in their Ward yet you make decisions on the Board of Aldermen that impact every Ward in the
City of Nashua. So communicating with the Board of Aldermen via phone or email, including the representative in my own
Ward, may be an available tool but ineffective if only a few members wish to participate it with that actively.
