Board of Aldermen 04-12-2022 Page 2
can come up with that over the course of the next few months. Certainly | agree with that objective. Overall, | think the
Task Force did a great job in making the recommendations they have and | hope that you also endorse their
recommendations.
Madam President one thing | wanted to touch on briefly is COVID — just because of course we’re all concerned about that.
The State has begun to de-emphasize some of these metrics that they’ve focused on over the course of the first two years
like the positivity rate because there are many people who are testing outside of the data collection by the State of New
Hampshire. Home test, pharmacies, all that data is not collected so they question whether the positivity rate really is a full
or accurate report. So they want to focus on hospitalizations more than anything else. So on that score, we spoke with
the hospitals Friday. AS of that date, there were seven people hospitalized in Nashua. More than we want but far, far
less than some months ago. Those people all were being treated. Some had been in the hospital for other reasons and
turned up with COVID. Those have been released though and the people they were talking about were being treated for
COVID but still between the two hospitals, seven patients. Again, that is far better than it was some months ago.
Finally | wanted to congratulate and thank Alderman O’Brien for his work up at the legislature. As you know, the State did
away with its own legal obligation to pay us — all cities and towns — 40 percent of the pension costs for municipal
employees. That was the 40 then 35 percent. That it was what persuaded cities and towns to join the pension fund. That
was done away with by an action of the legislature a few years back. That has cost the city so far that broken promise
$74 million. So Alderman O’Brien proposed a Bill to at least return part of that money — 7 /% percent rather than 35. The
obstacles to that were very considerable. A lot of opposition in the legislature but there was a back and forth, back and
forth, and finally after two or so floor fights, Alderman O’Brien persuaded the House, the House, to pass his Bill. That
would mean $2 million to the City of Nashua. Now it still has to go through the Senate. Alderman O’Brien and others tell
me that’s a pretty tough road but at least for the first time ever we go the Bill through the House and that was due to
Alderman O’Brien and his efforts so | wanted to thank him for that. That is all | have Madam President.
RESPONSE TO REMARKS OF THE MAYOR
Alderman Klee
Thank you Madam President and | want to echo the words of the Mayor to Alderman O’Brien or State Rep. O’Brien. | had
a front row seat just about to watch him do his magic. He turned a kill the Bill into a pass the Bill. It wasn’t easy but he
did it in his fashion and | appreciate it. So thank you very much.
RECOGNITION PERIOD — None
READING MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS
There being no objection, President Wilshire declared the minutes of the Board of Aldermen meeting of March 8,
2022 be accepted, placed on file, and the reading suspended.
COMMUNICATIONS REQUIRING ONLY PROCEDURAL ACTIONS AND WRITTEN REPORTS
FROM LIAISONS
From: Lisa M. Fauteux, Director of Public Works
Re: Referrals from Board of Aldermen — R-22-13
From: Donna Graham, Legislative Affairs Manager
Re: Communications Received from the Public
From: Tim Cummings, Economic Development Director
Re: Updated Plan Based On Taskforce Recommendations
There being no objection, President Wilshire accepted the communications and placed them on file.
PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT RELATIVE TO ITEMS EXPECTED TO BE ACTED UPON THIS EVENING
Adam Marcoux
Adam Marcoux — | live at 4 Jolori Lane. I’m President of the Nashua Teachers’ Union. | have two children — one at South,
1 at Main Dunstable, and 1 two daycare payments away from Kindergarten.
