Jun 143 min read

2nd Ward Meeting Planned...and Other News

Ward 7 Resident Meeting Planned for Tuesday June 25

All Ward 7 residents and other interested persons are invited to our 2nd Ward Resident Meeting June 25, 2024 at the West St. Ward House, 41 West St. from 7:00-8:30 PM. If you have a particular issue you would like discussed let me know and I'll try to be prepared.

City Budget Passes

The City budget was passed by the City Council on June 10. The budget included a 3.5% property tax increase (reduced from the 3.89% increase proposed by the City Manager). Much of the increase is driven by required wage (e.g. cost of living adjustments) and benefit (e.g. health insurance) increases. The $40m overall increase is driven by increases in capital projects which will be financed with borrowed money and do not directly impact property taxes.

A number of Ward 7 capital projects are in the Capital budget for current or future years. Details for future years are for reference and may change. For description and funding details go to the Budget Capital Improvement Projects Detail HERE and search for CIP number (ctrl-F for #nnn). Notable Ward 7 projects include:

CIP Number	Page	Name	Comment
#31	284	Broadway/West St. Intersection Improvements (McKee Square)	Design planned for FY2026, build in 2027 (80% federal funds)
#54	297	Russell Martin Park	No funding until 2023
#56	301	Rollins Park	Approximately $1m over 7 years starting in 2026 (starts with automatic irrigation of playing fields)
#63	308	West St. Ward House	Part of City Wide Recreation Facility Improvements--not planned until 2030
#602	548	Iron Works Road Bridge Replacement	Red listed bridge over Turkey Creek, design in 2026, build in 2027
#505	456	South Main St. Corridor Improvements	Not planned until 2033-2034.
#639	573	Full Measure and List	Reassessment and physical inspection of every property in the city to update assessed values for property tax purposes. Planned for this fiscal year.

Other city-wide projects that may be of interest include Merrimack River Greenway Trail (CIP #543), Library (CIP#68), Police Headquarters (CIP#643) and Fire Stations (CIP#252).

I raised the issue of the condition of our Fire Stations. A 2020 facility assessment by the H.L. Turner Group reported that the Broadway Station was in fair to poor condition. The City Manager has proposed a re-evaluation this summer to assess overall needs and priorities for the Fire Stations. We currently have great Fire Department personnel and good equipment. It is important to maintain the buildings out of which our personnel work and live.

Homelessness Steering Committee

Homelessness in Concord is a complex wicked problem that impacts many residents, not just individuals who experience homelessness. The trauma and suffering of homelessness is also accompanied by resident impacts--safety concerns, garbage, petty thievery, etc. The Homelessness Steering Committee (Committee to Monitor Concord's Plan to End Homelessness) is putting together an updated action learning plan to begin prioritizing the many issues that need to be addressed. We are working to engage widespread agreement by the many agencies, departments and organizations that touch homelessness in one way or another.

Only by testing possible solutions and seeing what will work can we learn what will best serve our community. Initial prioritized actions include:

1. Ending Veteran homelessness within 6 months

2. Reducing unsheltered homelessness by 25% by next July (impacts homeless persons and community safety);

3. Increasing housing opportunities for homeless persons by 100 units within 18 months;

4. Creating a communication and engagement campaign to share information about the plan, impacts, and progress; and

5. Creating a common operating system to manage homelessness

Rockford, IL is one of the communities across the country which achieved the notable success of Functional Zero homelessness for Veterans and chronically homeless persons. The former mayor of Rockford, IL, Larry Morrissey will be a guest at the next Homelessness Steering Committee meeting, Tuesday June 18 from 2:00-3:30 PM in City Council Chambers. This meeting is open to the public and will be recorded by Concord TV for future viewing.

To get involved or see how you can help feel free to contact me.

South Main St. Crosswalk for the Railyard

Word is the Railyard Apartments on Langdon Ave. will be opening for the initial set of tenants in a month or so. I raised the issue of how Railyard residents will access the current sidewalk on South Main St. which is currently on the west side of Main St. Crossing Main St. at Langdon Ave. can be a challenge given the speed and visibility of cars coming from either the north or south. Evidently, the developer has promised to put in a cross walk (see diagram). We should monitor this to insure it gets construct for the safety of all.