Items of Note for Monday’s February 10th City Council Meeting:
Accepting $321,043.31 in grant and donation funds from individuals, state, and federal entities for the library, maintaining the snow groomer, trees, Eastman clock restoration, youth recreation and cemetery programs, demolition costs, law enforcement tech upgrades, training, and equipment, and a modular vehicular barrier system.
2024 Parks and Recreation Year in Review showcasing the extensive programs and services provided to the community, including outdoor ice staking areas and cross-country skiing at Beaver Meadow Golf Course. Report
Fiscal Policy Advisory Committee approved building a new golf clubhouse, per the recommendation of the Golf Advisory Committee and Ad-Hoc Beaver Meadow Building Committee, even though the projected tax impact was determined factoring in a $500,000 LWCF grant (that has not been applied for, let alone granted) and $250,000 in donations that the Mayor noted was "unrealistic". Minutes. As it has for the last five years, the Golf Fund runs a deficit in the winter months; expenses in December were $105,030.66, while revenue was only $27,428.59 (pg 40). Report
I'll be at these events - connect with me!
Taxpayers Guild, February 11, 5-7pm, Heights Community Center, 14 Canterbury Road
Golf Advisory Committee, February 13, 8-9am, Beaver Meadow Clubhouse, 1 Beaver Meadow Dr
Joint City Council/School Board Meeting, February 14, 7:30-9am, 2nd flr conference room, City Hall, 41 Green Street
Projects I am following closely:
Middle School Project - More than half of the taxes collected are provided to the Concord School District, which has been paying a MA-based architect for over seven years while deferring maintenance on the existing middle school building in anticipation of relocating. School Board members were misled about the availability of field use (the School District has priority use of City-owned fields) and state building aid (there is no guarantee any state funds will be available).
Beaver Meadow Golf Course Clubhouse - the Fiscal Policy Advisory Committee recommended building a new $8+ Million clubhouse with no information on current usage or predicted revenue. The golf clubhouse is currently open year-round, 12 hours a day, and staffed by multiple, full-time golf pros, even though it consistently loses money in the winter months. Of the 118 golf courses in NH, only two are municipally-owned: Derryfield in Manchester, run by their Parks and Rec Department, and Beaver Meadow, run by Concord's Finance Department.
What I'm working on:
Energy and Environment Advisory Committee - planning Earth Day (April 22nd) festivities. Stay tuned!
Transportation Policy Advisory Committee - reviewing and ranking projects for the FY2026 Capital Improvement Plan. Which ones should top the list?
Tree Subcommittee - connecting with homeowners impacted by the upcoming paving program to select a tree to be planted in their yard.
Expanding community garden opportunities to residents by connecting gardeners with property owners. Interested? Let me know!
Think there should be public access to the new Legislative Garage? Ron Raynor has been following this project, gathering information, and coming up with ideas for public access. Want to know more or be involved? Email Ron at eiwm@comcast.net
Artist from Ward 5: Saad Hindal.
Art is good for us individually and as a community. We are so lucky to have so many talented people in our midst. If you aren't familiar with Saad Hindal, you can visit the mural below in person inside the Bank of NH Stage. Many of his pieces, like the Concord tree below, are available for purchase at Brothers Cortado Coffeeshop in Bicentennial Square.
Books I am listening/reading for the Ultimate Book Nerd 2025 Challenge & CPL Winter Reading Challenge:
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe. Audiobook and physical book available at the Concord Public Library.
The Architects of Golf by Geoffrey S. Cornish. Available at the Concord Public Library via Interlibrary Loan from the Free Library of Philadelphia. (Beaver Meadow is not NH's oldest golf course.)
Go Home by Terry Farish. Ebook and physical book available at the Concord Public Library.
Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters by Brian P. Klaas. Available at the Concord Public Library.
Everything you do matters!
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