The Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen (BMA) are holding a meeting on Tuesday, March 12, with several committee meetings before the full board meeting. Here are a few of the things they’re expected to discuss.
Soofa Sign
A request has been made for the installation of a soofa sign on Elm Street, with the matter going before the BMA Committee on Lands and Buildings
Soofa signs, which can be found in several cities in Massachusetts are tall and thin electronic message boards used by municipalities to convey directions, community updates and other information to nearby pedestrians.
The signs are solar powered, bolted to the ground and can be installed within 30 minutes.
At the Elm Street sign, which will be just north of the Bookery, the south side of the sign will show landmarks that can be walked to within six to 12 minutes. The north side of the sign will provide updated city information.
At the BMA Administration and Information Systems Committee Meeting, also on Tuesday, there will be discussion on an LED message board nearby above Cat Alley.
New Ward 1 BOSC Member
Following the announcement that Ward 1 Board of School Committee Member James Porter will be resigning on March 15, the BMA is set to act upon naming his replacement.
At the last BMA meeting, the nomination of Julie Turner was postponed to allow other potential applicants for the position a chance to submit their credentials for consideration.
As of Friday, only Turner’s resume was within the BMA packet.
According to the resume, Turner has served as a substitute teacher in Manchester and Hooksett and was a middle school science teacher in Derry for seven years. She also has served as the parent representative on three hiring committees for Webster Elementary principals and assistant principals while also serving on the district’s reading curriculum committee.
Encumbrance Policy Update
There’s an amendment to be discussed on the time frame for placing storage containers encumbering public right-of-way spaces.
Following a discussion at the BMA Public Safety, Health and Traffic Committee on Dec. 1, the full BMA will discuss the new proposed policy, which allows dumpsters in public right-of-way spaces for 14 calendar days, storage container for seven calendar days and construction material encumbrances to align with excavation permits.
The Department of Public Works recommended that these permits issued between April 1 and Oct. 15.
