Ward 5 Newsletter - Winter review 2026
- Stacey Brown
- Feb 20
- 4 min read
January City Council meeting highlights
During discussion about the capital reserve accounts, both the City Manager and Finance Director confirmed that the Trustees of Trust Funds who are stewards of these accounts receive no training and do not receive the Trustees of Trust Funds Handbook available on the Department of Justice website.
The Finance Director claimed all transfers out of the capital reserve accounts had council approval. I called a point of order to disagree. The Council did not approve the additional $244,000 that was withdrawn from the Community Improvement Reserve. Only $205,000 was approved to be used to clean up Healy Park. Funds received per the Housing Champion Grant were transferred into the Community Improvement Reserve.
The definitions for the capital reserve accounts were expanded to be broader, i.e. any recreation related project. $2,050,000 was added to the capital reserves with another $100,000 for Economic Development and $250,000 for Recreation Reserve.
Council heard testimony highlighting the investigatory role of the county grand jury as a neutral mechanism to examine government operations and recommend corrections if improper conditions are found. I went to Superior Court two days later to learn more.
I pulled a consent agenda item recommending term limits and committee removal and noted that it should apply to councilors that consistently miss committee meetings or committee chairs who do not hold meetings. There were gaps of six, eight and 15 months between Public Safety Board meetings, and none at all in 2023. I also noted the Chair has a conflict of interest. Her organization trains law enforcement officers and law enforcement officers train members of her organization.
February City Council meeting highlights
The mayor swapped my seat with Councilor Schultz with no explanation.
Concord Skatepark provided a $10,000 donation to the city.
The Charitable Trusts Unit had informed me that all donations should be overseen by Trustees of the Trust Funds, but the Finance Director stated that donations are deposited into a grant account and do not go to the Trustees. There is currently no report that tracks grants or donations, but in the spring the Fiscal Policy Advisory Committee will be reviewing providing more consistent reporting on grants, donations, and reserves.
I pulled the quarterly report on Council Priorities quarterly report to point out that there was no mention of Beaver Meadow Golf Course or the clubhouse at all, even though considering clubhouse options was listed as a priority two years ago, $6 Million was approved for it during budget and construction has already started. I stated the Council was owed an explanation for the omission. No response from the City Manager.
The Class and Compensation Study was approved, which is the first step to enact its recommendations. I pointed out the study recommends increasing the pay rate for Parks & Recreation, which also includes the golf course employees. Golf operations and staff have been under Finance, not Parks & Rec, since April 2017 and golf staff enjoy more financial benefits than parks and recreation staff:
Golf Pros keep 80% of the revenue from lessons; in 2024, the Head Golf Pro made $121,000.
Golf Pros play in golf tournaments at other courses at taxpayer expense.
There was no coordination with Parks & Rec, or programming for the public at the golf course.
The Legislature is in Ward 5! New Hampshire House of Representatives
There are a number of bills to watch and the biggest impact you can have on them is testifying in person.
I testified on HB 1675: establishing a commission to investigate the NHCADSV
My testimony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F036iLTdGqk
If you are available on Monday, February 23rd at 1pm, Granite Place, room 158.
HB1706: repealing the refugee resettlement program in the department of health and human services. The decision to schedule this hearing for Monday appears to rest on the belief that no one would show up, since the legislature is usually in recess this week.
Anyone who would like to testify must fill out a pink index card (available in each committee room) and submit it to the chair of the committee. If you don't want to speak, but would like to register your opinion, sign the blue sign-up sheet to indicate their support or opposition to the legislation.
I'm also tracking HB1460: Prohibiting the sale of location and other sensitive data regarding children.
Curiosities I stumbled upon
Prison population inflation
In November 2021, the ward lines were redrawn in Concord based on 2020 census numbers to ensure each ward had roughly the same number of people. The state prison completed paperwork for census workers listing the population as 2,246, which was included in the ward 3 population count. The Department of Corrections (DOC) Commissioner abruptly resigned in 2024.
The DOC recently confirmed that the population for the state prison in ward 3 in January 2020 was 1,341 and the total NH population of incarcerated people at the time was 2,464 and continued to drop. This means prisoners in Berlin, Manchester, Shea Farm, and the Women's Prison are included in the ward 3 population count.
Board of Ethics
An ethics complaint was filed against At Large Councilor Amanda Grady Sexton in September 2020. No response was sent to the filer. Instead, the Board of Ethics was vacated by ordinance, effective April 2021.
The hearing for this recent ethics complaint will be held in the Shakespeare room on the second floor of the Concord Public Library at 8:30am on Friday, February 27th. Not only have I never heard of a City Committee being held in the Shakespeare room, but the library also doesn't open until 9am.
Reading and writing Science Fiction is recommended as a way to separate ourselves from the current reality and imagine what is necessary and possible. In celebration of Black History Month, please consider a few of my favorites!
Scene from Ward 5: Thayer Pond Road
Running or walking hills is good for your heart, boosts your mental resilience, and gives you a new perspective.
Thayer Pond Road and Dwinnell Drive are my go-to neighborhoods for winter hill workouts. Consider climbing ward 5 hills!
"The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any".
-Alice Walker
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