Board of Aldermen — 10/24/17 Page 2
here tonight and who will be sworn in, for your dedication to our community and for your willingness to
volunteer to serve the board or commission that you have been nominated and confirmed for. So, thank you,
very much.
Finally, Mr. President, | have on your desks an ordinance, O-17-46, which | am going to ask that you simply
accept under a suspension of the rules for a first reading and assigned to the appropriate committee. What it
does is requires that any person who receives a contribution for the purpose of bringing and prosecuting a
lawsuit challenging any action of the Board of Aldermen or the validity of any Nashua ordinance or the Charter,
to file a statement of the names and amounts of the contributors that have been solicited for pursuing their
case. Please note on the last sentence under Paragraph A says that “Intervenors supporting or opposing the
city’s position shall be subject to the same requirements.” The point here is if someone brings a case that
raises a matter of public concern, a public issue such as defined in the ordinance, that the public have a right
to know the source of the funds that are being raised to support that cause. Also, if an intervenor, which can
happen, enters on behalf of the city and they raise money, they also would have to disclose. This is a measure
that requires accountability. It supports the public’s right to Know, and it is an open government proposal.
In terms of history, we have acted before to expand the disclosure requirements under the laws. For example,
two years ago one of the candidates running filed an exploratory committee. That was something that had not
been contemplated. It was not considered in the disclosure law. We speedingly passed an ordinance, an
amendment requiring for the first time that an exploratory committee make disclosure. | believe that if you look
back further in history, you will find initially the ordinance only covered campaign contributions for those
seeking office. After there had been some ballot questions where people raised money, the ordinance was
expanded to include ballot questions. Given some of the developments that have occurred recently, | think it is
in the public’s interest that we now create a similar disclosure requirement with respect to lawsuits that pursue
actions that the public is highly interested in. So | would ask nothing tonight other than you simply accept the
ordinance under suspension for referral to a committee and handle it in the normal fashion.
That’s all | have, Mr. President.
RESPONSE TO REMARKS OF THE MAYOR
Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja
| would just like to join the Mayor in thanking all of the individuals who are here and those who are unable to
attend who are volunteering to serve on our boards and commissions. As | looked over this list, they were
familiar names and new names. It’s nice to see other people participating. So thank you to everyone who is
here. They often leave before we get to offer them thanks.
| have one question for your, Mayor Donchess. It’s in reference to R-123, the Nashua Rail Committee that was
established. | may have missed something but have the members been named to that committee?
Mayor Donchess
No, they have not. | have not named mine, although | believe as the ordinance was drafted they don’t require
confirmation by the Board of Aldermen. Maybe the city attorney can clarify.
Alderwoman Melizzi-Golja
| don’t believe they do either. | was just asked. | haven’t heard anything or seen anything. | know all of the
committee members are not coming from the Board. | believe the Chamber has a representative, and there
are other community groups that are represented. | was just checking to see if that group had been formed, if
the members had been named. In looking at the legislation, they have 120 days to do their work. Are we
anticipating extending that? Where are we with that? These questions have all come up because of our
recent move forward with rail.
