The Board of Aldermen are set to meet on Aug. 4, 2020. Here’s a few of the items of interest on their agenda.
Homeless Encampment Grant
The Manchester Police Department is seeking a grant from the New Hampshire Department of Justice of $360,027.36 for homeless encampment operations in the city, continuing the Justice Assistance Grant obtained by the MPD earlier this year that expired at the end of June.
The grant pays for additional overtime for police in matters related to homeless encampments and surrounding neighborhoods as well as work related to fire department and social work connected with homelessness in the city.
In a phone poll among the Aldermen unanimously approved the measure excluding Elizabeth Moreau (Ward 6) did not vote for the measure, as she could not respond with a vote by the deadline.
Permission needed for barbecues on city land
An ordinance has been proposed by Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig that would prohibit starting and/or maintaining any “fire, cooking fire, or deep-pit barbecue” on city property without written permission from the city, with a fine of up to $1,000.
The definition of “fire” would not include flames from candles, matches, lighters, cigars, cigarettes or pipes.
If the Aldermen favor the idea on Tuesday, it would ho to the Committee on Bills on Second Reading.
Letting business owners wash their sidewalks
The board will also hear a request to repeal an ordinance prohibiting people from wetting sidewalks from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. from April 1 to Nov. 1.
In a letter to the Aldermen, Craig says that with the increase in outdoor seating on sidewalks, business owners should be able to wash sidewalks as they see fit and that additional power washing devices have been approved for use by Intown Manchester.
School CIP Requests
Manchester School District Superintendent Dr. John Goldhardt is requesting $8.09 million in Community Improvement Program (CIP) funding for eight projects, most notably $1.3 million for construction related to adding fifth grade class space to the city’s middle schools that will instead be used for the purchase of new technology such as chromebooks.
Purple Heart Community
Ward 9 Alderman Barbara Shaw has submitted a proposal for committee review that Manchester become a “Purple Heart Community”
Shaw brought the request on behalf of two representatives of the Vietnam Veterans of America and that any costs related to signs indicating Manchester as a Purple Heart Community would be paid for by local veterans’ groups or a private individual after the confirmation of one Purple Heart recipient living in Manchester.
If eventually approved, Manchester would become the ninth Purple Heart Community in New Hampshire.
