CITY COUNCIL MEETING
MUNICIPAL COMPLEX PORTSMOUTH, NH
DATE: MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2002 TIME: 7:00PM
I. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Sirrell called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Present: Mayor Sirrell,
Assistant Mayor Hanson, Councilors Grasso, Lown, Hynes, Pantelakos, Whitehouse,
Marconi and St. Laurent
Absent: None
Father Rich of St. John’s Church conducted the invocation.
Members of the Portsmouth Fire and Police Departments Honor
Guard held a procession.
IV. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Sirrell and members of the City Council led in the
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
Wendell Purrington sang the Star Spangled Banner.
City Clerk Barnaby administered the Oath of Office to the following officials who were elected at the November 6, 2001 Municipal Election.
School Board members Charles L. Vaughn, Kent L. LaPage, Nansi B. Craig, Colleen MacLeod Montminy, and Henry Clay Hayward
1, Councilors Joanne M. Grasso, Bradley M. Lown, John W. Hynes, Laura C. Pantelakos, Harold Whitehouse, Evelyn E. Marconi and William L. St. Laurent
2.
Assistant Mayor Alex
Hanson
3.
Mayor Evelyn Sirrell
V. ADDRESS BY MAYOR EVELYN SIRRELL
Welcome
everyone tonight, family, friends, neighbors, Councilors, School Board, Police
and Fire Commissioners.
This
is such a great honor that the Citizens have bestowed on me to lead the City in
the next 2 years and I would like to thank the citizens of Portsmouth for
choosing me to be their Mayor.
As
I told you in the past year, the Mayor is only as effective as the City Council,
she is part of, and only as effective as the City Manager that stands beside
her. I have all of these components
with the new Council and one of the finest City Managers. Together, with teamwork and cooperation, we
can achieve the best. Over the last 4
years, I think it has been proven that Portsmouth is a very financially secure
city.
Also,
a special thank you to my senior citizens who operate the Mayor’s Office,
strictly out of the goodness of their hearts, I don’t know what I would do
without them. Also, a very special
thank you to my coworkers who work very closely with me.
As
I have done in the past, I will always keep the best interest of all of the
citizens of Portsmouth foremost in any decisions that I make.
As
Mayor of Portsmouth, I promise you that I will continue to preserve and
safeguard our great City for the people who live in it. I will be that ever-faithful watchdog.
I
would like to speak to my goals for 2002-2003.
1.
Work to overturn the
State Wide Property Tax with the Coalition Communities, which number to 30 at
present. To work closely with the City
Councilors and our State Representatives to find the solution to this unfair
State Wide Property Tax. I would be
remiss to hide my grave concerns from you tonight regarding our revaluation and
the large amount of money that has been sent to concord for the State Wide
Property Tax and the County Tax.
There should be a bill to repeal the State Wide Property Tax forced upon the people of this state by the court. The House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Governor, it is your sworn duty to help the people of this state.
This is not only effecting our affordable housing crisis, if
this keeps going on year after year, Portsmouth will be split with just the
affluent living here. We will lose our
balance of the low and moderate-income groups and people on fixed incomes will
be gone.
2.
City Infrastructure: I plan to continue with infrastructure
improvements throughout the City including roads, sidewalks, sewer, and water
systems. Also, to continue upgrades to
City parks and playgrounds. We have
already accomplished great strives. A
new City Yard facility with no expense to the taxpayers. 10 City Parks and Playgrounds, skateboard
park and securing the Great Bog. All of
this was done without expense to the taxpayers.
3.
Portsmouth Public Library: To see the new library built.
4.
Neighborhood Groups: To encourage and increase our neighborhood
groups in the next two years. We
currently have 30 groups and I would like to see at least five additional
groups. The group leadership has been
inspiring our neighborhoods and the Chairpersons of the neighborhoods have been
working diligently to follow the direction we started 6 years ago in order to
hold onto our quality of life. This
quality of life creates the warmth and love of each neighborhood.
5.
Conservation Areas: To search for new wetland and sensitive
areas to secure our drinking water supply and hold these areas to prevent over
developing like we did with the Great Bog.
My Blue Ribbon Committee is still active and continues searching.
6.
Arts & Culture: To hold onto the Arts and Culture. They must prosper to bring happiness to us
all.
7.
Master Plan: To work very hard and complete our Master
Plan for our future generations. Part
of strong neighborhoods is having an equally strong school system. We will continue to have schools that teach
our children not only the needed skills to be successful upon graduation, but
also provide the foundation for good citizenship.
Under the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Youth, we will
begin to broaden the direction; we will work closely with the students to allow
them the learning experience of City Politics and how it functions like I have
been doing in the last 4 years. Also, I
would like to see them volunteer throughout the City. Remember the students are the future leaders of tomorrow.
One unique character of Portsmouth that I do want to mention
is our sincere commitment to the tradition of helping each other to solve
problems that range in scope from providing relief to the homeless, to caring
for our neighbors. This is all done in
the spirit of cooperation.
I would like to close by saying I am proud of the citizens
of our great City. We have accomplished
great things and will continue to do so.
As your Mayor, I will take our City in a direction that
reflects our character our direction will be one of togetherness and community.
All of this revolves around the timeless essence of Market
Square, which I believe is the gateway to the City of the Open Door and our
North Church Steeple, which is our Beacon.
I love you all.
Thank you.
VI. REPORTS AND COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITY
OFFICIALS
1.
Acceptance of Rules
and Orders of the City Council
Assistant
Mayor Hanson moved to accept and approve the Rules and Orders of the City
Council as submitted. Seconded by
Councilor Whitehouse and voted.
2.
Adoption of 2002 City
Council Schedule
Councilor
Grasso moved to approve the 2002 City Council Schedule as submitted. Seconded by Councilor Whitehouse and voted.
1.
Committee Assignments
for City Councilors
Mayor
Sirrell announced the Committee Assignments for the City Council as follows:
Assistant Mayor Hanson – Audit and Joint Budget Committee, Chamber of Commerce,
New Library Building Committee, Parking Committee, and Traffic and Safety
Committee
Councilor Grasso – Audit and Joint Budget Committee, Historic District
Commission, Joint Building Committee (Schools), New Library Building Committee,
and Recycling Project Oversight Committee
Councilor Lown – Joint Loss Management Committee, and Planning Board
Councilor Hynes – Economic Development Commission, New Library Building
Committee, Pease Development Authority Liaison, Rockingham Planning Commission,
and Veterans’ Affairs Organization Liaison
Councilor Pantelakos – Blue Ribbon Committee on Dogs, Joint Building Committee
(Schools), Legislative Delegation and Recreation Board
Councilor Whitehouse – Audit and Joint Budget Committee, Peirce Island Study
Committee, Taxi Commission, Vendors’ Committee and Veterans’ Affairs
Organization Liaison
Councilor Marconi – Peirce Island Study Committee
Councilor St. Laurent – Fee Schedule Study Committee and Joint Building Committee
(Schools)
2.
Appointment of
Library Building Committee
Assistant
Mayor Hanson moved to adopt the appointment of Library Building Committee
members as submitted by Mayor Sirrell.
Seconded by Councilor Grasso and voted.
Committee
Members: Chairman John O’Leary, Peter Bresciano,
Lenore Bronson, Suzanne Ford, John Grossman, Todd Hanson, Kate Leith, Paul
McEachern, Claudia Morner, George Robinson, Gary Rothenburger, Carvel Tefft,
Library Trustee Phyllis Eldridge, Ex-Officio City Manager John Bohenko and
Ex-Officio Library Director Sherman Pridham.
Mayor
Sirrell announced that a reception will follow the City Council meeting in the
Portsmouth Room and refreshments would be served.
At
7:50 p.m., Assistant Mayor Hanson moved to adjourn. Seconded by Councilor Grasso and voted.
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