Board of Aldermen — 3/21/17 Page 27
Alderman Siegel
On a lighter note, I’d like to congratulate the City Room Café for being elected one of the top ten places to eat
breakfast in New Hampshire. My secondary office. Hurray for City Room!
Alderman Dowd
As we get into the budget season, | am starting to schedule meetings for budget. We're anticipating the
budget from the Mayor in late April. | would like everyone to start thinking about the budget. On that note,
tomorrow night is the Board of Education’s public hearing on their budget. | would encourage if anyone’s
thinking there’s any place in the school budget that can be adjusted, | know we only have final say on the dollar
amount, you could attend that public hearing tomorrow and ask the Board of Education directly about their
budget.
Alderman Cookson
| Know on this Board and in the Committee meetings we’re faced with several unique situations. There was a
public hearing that took place recently which | found kind of odd as | reviewed the minutes. During public
comment, the members of the public were actually asked questions. | don’t recall that being part of the
process or the procedure that we typically go through. We typically ask for testimony in favor and testimony in
opposition. We let them speak and then we carry on and then we close that portion of the public hearing and
then we go on and have the discussion during the regular committee meeting. | just found it odd. | didn’t know
if we’re sort of relaxing some of the protocol and the procedures that we typically abide by. It was just an
observation, and | just wanted to express that. | Know that typically on any public hearings that | would conduct
| don’t recall conducting them in that fashion. | was just looking for some guidance on that.
| will also follow up by indicating that tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m.. at the Parish of the Resurrection we will
be having lentil soup if anybody would like to come by for soup. Then St. Chris is having a fish fry on Friday
afternoon beginning at 4:30 p.m. You’re more than welcome to join us at either one of those during this Holy
season. Thank you.
Alderman Deane
| wanted to make some comments about public comment that was made earlier a few hours ago about the
wastewater treatment facility and about the budget process. In the very recent past, the wastewater treatment
facility was inspected. Near perfect. Near perfect. The facility is running now better than it ever has. | find it
very disturbing to hear public comments like that that aren’t true as far as | am concerned. I’ve spent countless
hours down there with the Director, myself, Andy Patrician, maintenance staff, and finance committee
members can attest to the amount of purchasing and projects that are going on down at wastewater. To alarm
the public that the wastewater treatment plant isn’t operating efficiently or operating right or whatever the case
may be couldn’t be further from the truth. We're up-to-date on our work schedule, our wastewater equipment
reserve fund schedule of replacements. The finance committee again can attest to that.
You know when you look at the shared employees of wastewater, that’s been going on for years. That’s
nothing new. It has to go through the Board of Public Works through their budget process. The Mayor chairs
that Board. | haven’t heard a peep about that. Ever. Ever. | find it rather disturbing that there would be
accusations made that they would be sliding people into that area because of this pending legislation. There’s
five commissioners: The Mayor and four commissioners that look at the budget. They see what is being
presented. | guess we can be critical of things, but when you look at the boards and commissions that we
have in this community, | was always under the impression that they would be working with their respective
divisions. The fire commission supports the fire department, the police commission supports the police
department, the cemetery board of trustees, and the board of public works should be supporting the division of
public works and their process and the work that all the men and women in the division of public works do
citywide.
