OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Metropolis City Council Infrastructure Meeting - Oct 22, 2025

Board of Aldermen Meetings — Wednesday, October 22, 2025
BodyNashua, New Hampshire
SessionBoard of Aldermen Meetings
DateWednesday, October 22, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 24:53

Transcript — Verbatim
1:21

Yeah, you're already here.

1:24

And we have uh administrative service director, Mr.

1:28

Cummings, and uh do we have anybody else, Mr.

1:33

Cummings?

1:34

Let me let me open this up wider.

1:35

You can see it.

1:37

Yes, you have deputy corporation.

1:40

Thank you for uh coming.

1:44

We have somebody from corporate council, so we're represented there.

1:48

And I think that's it.

1:51

So uh first on the agenda is we're gonna open up a public hearing on the uh petition for street acceptance on Sanders Street.

2:02

Unfortunately, we have nobody who is there, but we're gonna go through the motions because we are required.

2:09

So therefore, I'll call for testimony in favor.

2:14

Nobody present, so I'll close testimony in favor to open it to testimony in opposition.

2:22

Again, no attendance.

2:24

So I'll move to testimony again in favor.

2:29

Nobody present, and we'll go to testimony in opposition.

2:34

Nobody present.

2:36

Therefore, the public hearing, the petition of street acceptance, Sanders Street, I will declare closed at 702.

2:46

At this time at 702, I will open up the regular meeting of the Committee of Infrastructure, call for public comment.

2:56

Nobody from the public is in attendance.

2:59

So we'll skip to communications.

3:01

Uh Clerk Clee.

3:03

Uh yes.

3:04

Um thank you, Mr.

3:05

Chairman.

3:06

From Sam Durfee, AICP planning manager, referral from the Board of Alderman on petition for street acceptance for a portion of Sanders Street.

3:15

Thank you.

3:16

From Wayne Husband PE, Senior Traffic Engineer, Division of Public Work Support of Pending Legislation O twenty-five-069.

3:26

From Wayne Husband, PE Senior Traffic Engineering Division of Public Work Support of Pending Legislation O twenty-five seventy.

3:35

There being no objection, I'll accept the communications to place them on file.

4:00

And when you get that if you can make the motion.

5:02

Sanders Street um attorney Leonard Yes.

5:07

Okay, thank you.

5:08

Thank you.

5:12

Now you know why we have you, counselor.

5:19

You and and uh attorney Bolton are invaluable.

5:22

Yes.

5:23

Okay, I'll open it up for discussions.

5:26

Alderman Sullivan.

5:27

I just had a city one oh city government one on one question.

5:31

When we accept uh petition for street acceptance, are we basically saying this is now a public street?

5:39

Is that essentially what this does?

5:43

Uh counselor, uh what do you have to say on that?

5:48

Uh the the short answer is yes.

5:50

It comes public right of way.

5:53

Okay, but is it counselor?

5:55

Isn't it all uh already part of it?

5:58

A public street because it was an address at one time for the former John Mansfield.

6:05

Well, it it I'm afraid I don't know.

6:08

Did you all get the uh attorney Craven had sent uh communication, but it was just today, so I don't know if it made it okay.

6:16

All right, so the short story is Sanders Street has been around for a while.

6:20

It was narrower than what the new design and layouts and traffic patterns required, and part of the site plan was um approval required of right-hand turn lane onto Bridge Street, and after it was all constructed when we were doing our um basically sort of the final due diligence on the project, uh looking for things like this, dotting I's crossing T's, it became apparent that in fact the um right-hand turn lane that was required and necessary and built was not on um or was not in the Sanders right-of-way, so the land it was on, it was to decide would be the or the street would be dedicated.

7:04

Now, in a dedication, um that's I corrected myself because the land does not go to the city, it's a dedication of an easement for public use uh for as a street, which most streets are in the city okay.

7:21

Satisfy your audit of Solomon, outstanding.

7:24

Further discussion, Alderman Clay.

7:28

Thank you.

7:28

Um just um, so that for for the public and actually even for my um make sure that I understand it correctly, when it becomes a public street, it means the potential for trash pickup for ploughing and for the city's ownership as well of paving and so on of the street, correct?

7:46

Uh yes.

7:47

Here where it's just though a turn lane, you know, I'm that it it doesn't have much import, but generally, yes, uh making a street public means the city is responsible for it.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parking Regulations██████████████████████████████████████████42%
Procedural█████████████████████████25%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████████████17%
Traffic And Parking████████████████16%
Summary of Proceedings

Metropolis City Council Infrastructure Meeting - October 22, 2025

The Committee on Infrastructure convened to discuss street acceptances, traffic safety ordinances, and ongoing parking studies. The meeting proceeded with few members of the public in attendance but included significant deliberation on new legislation and updates from city staff regarding real property disposal and zoning.

Consent Calendar

  • No items were placed on the consent calendar; routine communications were accepted and filed after a brief presentation by Alderman Clee.
  • Communications from Sam Durfee (Planning Manager) and Wayne Husband (Senior Traffic Engineer) regarding pending legislation were accepted into the record.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public were in attendance to provide testimony during the public hearing or the regular meeting portions. Alderman Sullivan noted the lack of attendance during the public comment period.

Discussion Items

Petition for Street Acceptance (Sanders Street)

  • Alderman Sullivan asked if accepting the petition would officially designate the area as a public street. City Counselor clarified that while the area becomes public right-of-way, the specific action is a dedication of an easement for public use rather than a transfer of land ownership to the city.
  • Alderman Clay sought clarification on whether public street status implies city responsibility for trash pickup, plowing, and paving. Counselor confirmed that generally, yes, making a street public transfers these responsibilities to the city.
  • Counselor detailed that the right-hand turn lane onto Bridge Street was constructed outside the original Sanders Street right-of-way due to site plan approvals for a former John Mansfield development. Consequently, the land is being dedicated to the city to resolve the discrepancy. However, Counselor noted that Sanders Street remains subject to a maintenance agreement where the developer retains responsibility for upkeep, allowing for priority plowing.

Ordinance 025-069 (Stop Sign on Wilson Street)

  • Alderman Thibodeau proposed adding a stop sign at the intersection of Wilson and Almont Streets to address visibility and speeding concerns. He noted the project had a favorable recommendation from City Engineer Hudson.

Ordinance 025-070 (Stop Signs on Macefield Road and Ryden Avenue)

  • Alderman Clay moved to table Ordinance 025-070, which authorizes stop signs on Macefield Road and Ryden Avenue at their intersections with Peel Road. The move was made as a courtesy to Alderman Table, who was unable to attend the meeting. Alderman Thibodeau clarified that the prime sponsor had requested the legislation be held, which resulted in the tabling.

Ordinance 025-072 (Disposition of Real Property)

  • Alderman Thibodeau moved to table Ordinance 025-072 regarding the disposition of real property. The motion was made because the prime sponsor and others capable of providing detailed information were unavailable. The committee agreed to defer discussion until the sponsor could attend.

Parking Study Update

  • Alderman Sullivan provided an update on the ongoing parking study. He warned members to be "careful what they wish for," citing legal restrictions such as the inability to park across driveways and street width requirements accounting for snowbanks. He explained the slow progress is due to the need to "do it right" in one zone first to establish a template, noting that reversing decisions on already granted zones would be difficult.
  • Alderman Sullivan highlighted that with more registered cars than parking spaces, converting two-family homes to multi-unit apartments exacerbates the issue. He emphasized that the parking study is currently focusing on one specific zone, potentially using a lottery system for permits rather than basing them on vehicle ownership, to address transient populations.
  • Alderman Clay expressed support for creating specific neighborhood zones rather than city-wide overnight passes but emphasized the need for a review process to ensure fairness for landlords and apartment dwellers.
  • Alderman Dowd noted that while the committee is working with Desmond Enterprises and Mr. Andy Hill, the complexity of the streets—some designed for horses and carts—makes the process tedious but necessary.

Key Outcomes

  • Sanders Street Petition: Declared closed. Motion carried (All voted "Aye") to accept the petition for street acceptance.
  • Ordinance 025-069 (Wilson Street): Recommended final passage. Motion carried (All voted "Aye").
  • Ordinance 025-070 (Macefield/Ryden Ave): Motion carried (All voted "Aye") to table the ordinance pending further discussion.
  • Ordinance 025-072 (Real Property): Motion carried (All voted "Aye") to table the ordinance pending the presence of the prime sponsor.
  • Meeting Adjournment: The Committee adjourned at 7:24 p.m. following a motion by Alderman Dowd which passed unanimously.

Meeting Transcript

Yeah, you're already here. And we have uh administrative service director, Mr. Cummings, and uh do we have anybody else, Mr. Cummings? Let me let me open this up wider. You can see it. Yes, you have deputy corporation. Thank you for uh coming. We have somebody from corporate council, so we're represented there. And I think that's it. So uh first on the agenda is we're gonna open up a public hearing on the uh petition for street acceptance on Sanders Street. Unfortunately, we have nobody who is there, but we're gonna go through the motions because we are required. So therefore, I'll call for testimony in favor. Nobody present, so I'll close testimony in favor to open it to testimony in opposition. Again, no attendance. So I'll move to testimony again in favor. Nobody present, and we'll go to testimony in opposition. Nobody present. Therefore, the public hearing, the petition of street acceptance, Sanders Street, I will declare closed at 702. At this time at 702, I will open up the regular meeting of the Committee of Infrastructure, call for public comment. Nobody from the public is in attendance. So we'll skip to communications. Uh Clerk Clee. Uh yes. Um thank you, Mr. Chairman. From Sam Durfee, AICP planning manager, referral from the Board of Alderman on petition for street acceptance for a portion of Sanders Street. Thank you. From Wayne Husband PE, Senior Traffic Engineer, Division of Public Work Support of Pending Legislation O twenty-five-069. From Wayne Husband, PE Senior Traffic Engineering Division of Public Work Support of Pending Legislation O twenty-five seventy. There being no objection, I'll accept the communications to place them on file. And when you get that if you can make the motion. Sanders Street um attorney Leonard Yes. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Now you know why we have you, counselor. You and and uh attorney Bolton are invaluable. Yes. Okay, I'll open it up for discussions. Alderman Sullivan. I just had a city one oh city government one on one question. When we accept uh petition for street acceptance, are we basically saying this is now a public street? Is that essentially what this does? Uh counselor, uh what do you have to say on that? Uh the the short answer is yes. It comes public right of way. Okay, but is it counselor? Isn't it all uh already part of it? A public street because it was an address at one time for the former John Mansfield. Well, it it I'm afraid I don't know.

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