Board of Aldermen 09-14-2021 Page 16
year re-evaluation for 2021 and | think we're in for you know a significant issue here next year, and | think we should briefed
on this and have a discussion, and the Board should be informed.
I'd also like to talk to you about a situation that | feel needs to improve with our data handling and our records in City Hall. |
think that the legal office is created the situation where they're showing some pretty bad faith in how they’re handling Right-
to-Know requests. Since they did a training seminar in June, they’re no longer signing Right-to-Knows that are given back to
citizens when they are complying with requests for information. So unless it’s coming out of the legal office there’s a
signature but all of those Right-to-Knows that are coming out of administrative offices or departments are unsigned. That’s
creating some issues because in departments that have 6 agencies underneath them, you don’t know who is actually
responding. It’s really a show of bad faith.
| want to let you know that | worked with a citizen who wanted to get access to minutes that were not posted on line. Minutes
June Caron spoke about this at a meeting. Minutes are your most basic record to obtain. It should be very simple to get
minutes. It really shouldn't require five days. It took almost two months and eight back and forth e-mails to try and get the
city to provide the minutes to an agency that weren't properly posted. It wasn’t...
Donna Graham, Legislative Affairs Manager
One minute.
Laurie Ortolano
... clear that all the minutes were there. It’s ridiculous that citizens are fighting this hard for records that should be basic
public records. Clearly there’s a lot more training to do and we need to get rid of that bad faith that’s being exhibited by this
city. Thank you.
President Wilshire
Anyone else wishing to give public comment? Seeing no one.
REMARKS BY THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN
Alderman Jette
Thank you Madam President. So there’s a public hearing scheduled for Thursday evening about the Citizens Petition
Seeking an Amendment to the City Charter Relative to the Nomination and Confirmation of Appointments to the Nashua
Board of Police Commissioners. | was wondering if | could ask Corporation Counsel to explain what the purpose of this
public hearing is. This is the citizens’ petition. This is not the resolution that was pending before us as | understand it. So
could | ask you to have Corporation Counsel explain the purpose of the public hearing?
President Wilshire
Yes.
Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel
Well anybody’s guess is as good as anyone else’s. What | can tell you is it’s required by Statute. What the legislature
was thinking, if they were thinking, they don't explain. It may be that the thought was that having a public hearing would
provide community interest and the populous could become better informed as a result. That is an absolute guess on my
part. The legislature does not in passing laws always explain what its purpose is. | will tell you that when citizens petition
for an amendment to the City Charter have the required number of signatures, the governing body — in our case the Board
of Aldermen — is required to have a public hearing and then are required to put the question on the ballot without
alteration.
Alderman Jette
Could | have a follow up?
President Wilshire
Alderman Jette.
