Resident Meeting, Property Tax Exemptions, Golf Club House, Earth Day, and more...
- Jim4Concord
- Mar 10
- 5 min read
Ward Meeting March 18 7:00-8:30 PM West St. Ward House
Tell your friends, bring a neighbor. The meeting will be open to resident questions and concerns.
Note: There was a problem with my website, so some folks may be recieving this a 2nd time.
McKee Square--There is no update at this time on when a community meeting will be held to consider the design options for making the complex intersections at McKee Square (West St., Broadway, South St., Clinton Street) safer and more efficient. Stay tuned...
Property Tax Exemptions
The Property Tax Exemption Policy committee met last month is recommending increases in several exemption/credit categories. We know that inflation is squeezing the wallets of many residents, especially those on fixed incomes and with special needs. We recommended a 5% increase in the income limit for the Elderly Exemption. The Optional Veterans’/ All Veterans’ Credits limit was increased from 33% from $300 to $400. Other exemptions remain the same. These recommendations must be approved by the City Council (which I expect) before they take effect. More details (income/asset limits and how to apply info can be accessed on the city's Exemption/Credits web page.
Earth Day April 22
Earth Day is April 22. There are a host of activities being planned across the city. One activity, hosted by our own Ward 7 residents Andy Duncan and Laurel Horne will be a trash pick up that Andy and Laurel have been doing for years with their neighbors Chris Graham and Cheryl Bourassa (and their children when younger). They have been picking up litter around Bow Brook in the vicinity of Abbott-Downing and Rundlett schools around Earth Day. They would be glad to expand this effort to include Rollins Park and Bow/South Streets. Perhaps even make it a whole South End effort!
On April folks who want to volunteer could assemble mid-late afternoon and meet at the pollinator garden in Rollins Park. Andy is willing to coordinate. Email him if you are interested at andrewpd603@gmail.com.
Andy and Laurel have also been stewarding the Pollinator Garden. If you are in a position to help with weeding, etc. drop Andy a note (this work would commence later in the spring/summer).
Fellowship Housing Opportunities Community Garden
Fellowship Housing Opportunities (FHO) is planning a garden for the residents outside of Fellowship Apartments on Allison Street. It will consist of 2-4 raised garden beds with a variety of plants, vegetables, and fruits. The staff at FHO will be helping residents plant, water, and maintain the garden each week. In recent years, the connection between nature and mental health has become more widely recognized. Studies show that spending time outdoors and engaging with nature can significantly improve mental health, reduce stress, and foster a sense of belonging and purpose.
The plan is to start building the raised garden beds near the end of April or beginning of May, but they cannot do it without donations and support of the community. Not only are they looking for volunteers for the initial creation of the garden but supplies as well. For more info click HERE.
Homelessness Steering Committee
As I think I have outlined before, the Homelessness Steering Committee (Committee for Concord's Plan to End Homelessness) has identified five initial aims regarding our effort to significantly reduce the number of homeless persons in Concord. The five aims are:
End Veteran homelessness
Increase housing opportunities for homeless person by 100 units
Reduce overall homelessness by 25% (80 people)
Communicate and engage the community--listen, inform and engage community audiences about the City's strategy, progress against goals, and ways to contribute
Create a common operating system, i.e. a shared operating system for preventing and reducing homelessness
We are working to raise funds for a project manager and quarterly learning collaborative meetings to galvanize project work around the five aims. The city has arranged for Granite United Way (GUW) to be the committee's fiscal sponsor. GUW doesn't have funding for this work, but will partner with us to raise the funds. It is important that this be viewed as a public-private partnership. It will take the support and collaboration of all parties (city, residents, business community, social service agencies, etc.) to address this complex wicked problem.
During the recent bitterly cold spells this winter, The Friendly Kitchen, the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness and Belknap-Merrimack Community Action Program all expanded their hours to insure warming space was available for people without shelter. A grateful shoutout to them. If you feel like supporting their work they all welcome volunteers and donations. I hope to help craft a cold weather emergency plan for next year so we as a community can insure safety during extreme cold weather situations.
Beaver Meadow Golf Club House
The Beaver Meadow Golf Club House has been much in the news and a updated financial comparison is to be presented to City Council March 10. The details of that presentation can be found HERE. There has been public input both pro and con. The vote on this won't happen until we vote on the budget later in the year. If you are interested check out the presentation and voice your opinion. There are good arguments on both sides.
Consider joining a city board or committee
Participation in civic affairs is critical during these challenging times. Engaged residents are the heart of democracy. It's what makes our city vibrant and responsive to resident concerns. Participation can be modest (e.g. a monthly meeting) or more committed (e.g. project planning, fieldwork, etc.). You get to choose. It's also not a life sentence. Participate for a year or two and if it doesn't fit your interests or with your other commitments, step down and make room for others. But do consider volunteering for a city board or committee. Info on the current available vacancies can be found on the Committee and Boards Vacancy Page.
Strong Towns
I'm following the fascinating ideas from Strong Towns, a national non-profit that is working to promote a pattern of community development that is financially strong and resilient. They advocate for cities of all sizes to be safe, livable, and inviting. Some of their ideas about civic finances, thoughtful development, safe streets, and community engagement are very exciting. Check them out and subscribe to their newsletter if you have any interest.
Thanks for reading.
Jim Schlosser
Ward 7 City Councilor
Concord, NH
781-879-2089
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