So now they know whatever they say is can be heard.

Could be live.

Happy St.

Patrick's Day.

No.

We'll start with that.

So if that would be closely.

We all did.

It's seven o'clock.

So boy.

That's it.

She's fired.

I'm going to call a special meeting of the Board of Alderman to order on Tuesday, March 17th, 2026 at 7 p.m.

in the Aldermanic Chamber, which has been duly noticed in two places in accordance with the requirements of RSA 91A.

The prayer will be offered by Alderman Morgan.

And Alderman Tebow will lead us in the punch to the flag.

Almighty God, we have the high honor and the serious duty to manage the affairs of our beloved city.

Fill us, oh God, with a spirit of unity and understanding, which enables us to face our multiple problems with a serene mind with justice and charity for all, so that any and all decisions made by us will always be for the betterment and greater happiness of all our fellow citizens.

So help us God.

Okay, let's start the meeting by taking a roll call attendance, please.

Okay.

Alderman Clemens.

Hi, I am here.

I am participating remotely, and I can hear everybody.

No one is in the room with me.

And the reason is I am taking care of an ill family member.

Alderman Clee.

Here.

Alderman Chess.

Alderman Smith.

Alderman Tebow?

Here.

Alderman O'Brien?

Present.

Alderman Greg.

Here.

Alderman Dow?

Present.

Alderman Sullivan?

Here.

Alderman Senate?

Here.

Alderman Johnson.

Present.

Alderwoman Kelly.

Alderman Morgan is here.

Alderman Lopez.

And Alderman Welshire.

I'm here.

Hold on.

I'm counting.

11 present.

Thank you.

I am going to turn this public hearing over to the chairman of the Planning and Economic Development Committee, Alderman Teble.

Thank you, Madam President.

R 26014, approving a project plan amendment number one to the school street tax increment finance district development program and financing plan for the West Pearl Street streetscaping project.

I'm happy to provide if you want me to put the overview.

Yes, if you if you could so good evening for the record, Tim Cummings, Director of Administrative Services.

I'm here before you this evening to provide uh an overview on our 2614.

Um essentially a piece of legislation that would enable if you're so inclined to support it, would enable us to move the West Pearl Street streetscaping project forward.

So by way of background, the the city of Nashua has previously authorized what we refer to as the School Street TIFF.

The purpose of the TIFF plan was to advance desirable development and redevelopment and physical improvements along West Pearl Street and School Street, creating a mixed-use environment and growing a multifamily neighborhood.

There's already an established plan and framework in place to fund various improvements.

And what we're doing this evening is seeking to uh create uh a pathway forward for the West Pearl Street streetscaping project by uh essentially um uh enabling it to access the the school street funds.

So some objectives of the plan is to make uh public upgrades to infrastructure and ads and public amenities.

All this has been outlined in the school street uh uh TIFF plan, which is on the city's website.

Um as some of you may recall, um about a year or so ago, maybe a little longer than that.

We presented to the body the idea of moving the West Pearl Street streetscaping project through uh supplemental appropriation with some of our surplus funds at that time.

I think it was uh Alderwoman Clee and a couple others suggested a pathway forward of using the school street TIFF, and we heard those comments loud and clear, and so um we're back before you tonight uh trying to actually move in that direction, and this is the the first step in doing that.

And so um what this legislation essentially does is it um uh just ordains that the West Pearl Street Streetscaping Project would be an official project of the School Street TIFF.

Um next slide, please.

Um once that occurs, um we would come before you for a supplemental uh piece of legislation, an additional piece of legislation that would be an authorization for some sort of cash or debt, depending on what is decided using uh as the source of funds the the school street TIFF.

And so just a little bit on the financials of the of the school street TIFF.

Currently, we hold a balance of just over 700,000.

Uh approximately there's a 280,000 in expenses.

Revenue is just under a half a million dollars.

Year over year we see a balance of about 165-ish thousand dollars, which is eligible to be used.

And so um what we may do is some sort of combination of using some of the balance and then authorizing some debt.

Um there's a gap of about two and a half million dollars needed to to do the project.

Um we have already previously authorized some funds for for this project, about a 500-ish thousand dollars, maybe a little bit more than that.

The project is a hundred percent designed.

Um, and so what this legislation would do is allow us to create a pathway forward for the West Pearl Street streetscaping project.

And so just a couple other uh housekeeping items to note for the record.

Um, we did recently revisit this uh uh topic with some uh businesses along the corridor.

I believe there was a town hall type meeting that that um both uh director Sullivan and Director Hanum uh undertook to ensure that folks were aware of it.

This body was aware of this project uh a few years ago because we are at 100% design um and we we got this project to a certain point back in 2021, 2022, um and then we we always knew we would need to come back before you for the for the construction financing.

And then lastly, just to note for the record, we did reach out to both the county and the schools to make them aware of this um uh particular uh request this evening to put us in good stead.

So uh uh Ms.

Chairman, that's just a quick overview of the uh legislation this evening.

Thank you.

All right, thank you, uh Director Cummings.

So uh just so you guys know uh we are gonna debate this in the meeting after this, but if there's any clarifying questions on uh what director uh comings has said, we could take them now before I open it up to the public.

There's none.

Okay.

Um testimony in favor.

We see there is none.

Testimony in opposition.

I see there is none.

Again, testimony in favor.

There is none.

And testimony in opposition again.

There is none.

So I am going to close the public hearing on resolution R-26-1 uh 014 at uh 708 p.m.

And I'm gonna open uh the public hearing on ordinance 0-26-003 uh 708 p.m.

or 709 p.m.

sorry.

Um this public hearing is 0-26-003 expanding the tax increment financing development district under RSA 162-k and NRO 295-11 established by O-03 or 03-171 and replacing the tax increment financing development program and financing plan adopted by O-18-006.

Is there someone here to speak to it?

Director Hannem and Director Sullivan.

Um could I put the presentation up in the schools?

Okay, yeah.

Is it this one here?

It's actually a PDF.

Should we write it?

This one?

That one.

That's perfect, yeah.

All right.

Sorry.

There you go.

Just for housekeeping, uh all the older woman Smith is uh show up at 710 for the record.

So um Liz Hannem, economic development director, and I have with me also uh Director Sullivan from community development.

Um we are looking to um expand the TIFF district into the mill yard um in give you a quick overview in 20 or 2003, the TIFF was created to start working on riverfront projects.

Um the official master plan was created in 2017 that broke the the riverfront into four different sections.

Um the section three, which is the Kathy Hirsch Walk and the boardwalk by Jackson Falls Condo, that was completed, I believe in about 2007-2008.

Um and then we had another um expansion of the TIFF in 2018, um, and that area was allowed us to um pull put the bond together for quadrant two, which is uh the side or the west side of Main Street, both north and south, um the two new parks and the boardwalks that you um saw open in November.

Um and uh we are looking to expand this into the milliard now in order to continue that master planning process.

Mr.

Chairman, I approach just a full screen this so I can change it.

Yeah.

Is that okay?

Okay.

Thank you.

Um so just an overview of the current TIFF uh district.

Um we go from the board street parkway by a clock tower, both north and south of the river, all the way past the library um towards the BAE property um and the rail yard or the um railroad crossing across uh Main Street or the river.

Um so uh we have expanded it twice in the past uh to do more public um public use projects and are looking to do uh just the next piece of it.

Um so if you want to go to the next piece, um so this is just a bit about how uh TIFF districts work.

Um we say this year the base valuation, let's say is a thousand dollars for for easy money um purposes.

Um the tax rate for this year um would be applied to that, and that is the baseline property value.

So for a thousand dollars for the next um however long that the TIF district is um in place, that thousand dollars would be then multiplied by that year's tax rate, and that would go into the general fund, and any increment uh would then be captured in the TIFF district cash fund.

Um so it's essentially an economic development tool that allows us to um do public or um uh economic development um uh projects within uh the the district.

So this this increment money cannot be used anywhere but this district.

Um so and then once the um once the TIFF sunsets, uh then all of that increment would go back into the general fund.

Um just some kind of uh good kind of PR for the for the TIFF.

Um we have completed uh two projects so far, um, and then we have committed uh the dog park in that quadrant one.

Um so the the TIFF district um the TIFF improvements have been continuing to kind of um build off of each other and continue uh future development projects.

Um so we've done the boardwalk as I mentioned between Peddler's daughter and Margaritas.

Um we have now completed or mostly completed um quadrant two, which is the the two parks and the boardwalks, um, along with the ADA accessible ramp on um the cotton mill transfer bridge.

I'll just quickly toot the horn of this project is um just immediately I've seen lots of people that use wheelchairs or assistive devices are now not in the street when they're walking because we do not have accessible sidewalks on in that area, so it's really exciting to see them be able to get from clock tower to Main Street without being in the middle of a street.

So it's really exciting to see them be able to get from Clock Tower to Main Street without being in the middle of a street.

So quick quick tuning of the horn for that project.

If you want to.

So the next piece of it, and we have plans for both the east side of Main Street as well as the milliard area.

And the reason we're kind of shifting to look towards the milliard is because of projects like NIMCO and the Bagshaw property and BIDA is now has released an RFP for the parking lot and the park or police training facility in that area.

So we're looking to see a lot of development happen in the next few years.

So the NIMCO property has approved, I believe 240-ish units in that area.

Bagshaw will be fairly similar to that size.

But we also in this process right now, because this area is not in the TIFF district, we cannot use any TIFF funds in there to help us plan for future development.

Which means that when these private developers are coming to us and saying, you know, what do you want to see here?

We don't really we have a concept plan from the master plan, but we don't really have a good sense of what exactly needs to get done.

That concept plan did not take into account like 3D, you know, the fact that there are slopes in places, things like that.

So we really need to do a lot of vetting of that master plan.

We have we have the idea of what we want, but not exactly.

So in order to spend any TIFF funds on the planning, um we we need to expand into the TIFT or into the milliard so that we can use some of those funds in there.

Um so the expansion, um we have uh 18 parcels uh would be the the addition.

Um so all of the milliard and that one little one little property um north uh northwest of um where cotton mill is just west of the the board street or broad street parkway um and the the increased district would be 66 acres as of April 1st uh later this year the taxable property within the TIFF would be less than one percent of our total taxable value across the the city and it does not modify any any of the assessed values so we would continue assessing the exact same way every other um every other property in the city is done.

Um we would just collect the increment in a separate accounting fund.

Um so um and we had we worked with um our assessing department and um and looked at some of the future projects, uh the the four that we talked about, NIMCO, Bagshaw, um, and then the mill yard area and looked at what the future estimated tax revenue was going to be.

Um and we are looking at um probably I don't know, I'm doing quick math off the top of my head.

So two just over two million dollars in future tax revenue.

Um that would be that's that's both the increment and the base value.

So um it would then be split.

Um roughly about two-thirds of it once all this development is done, about two-thirds of the tax revenue would go into the the tax increment fund, and about a third of it would be the base value.

So we're hoping that our public improvements can actually spur further development, not just in the TIFF district, but also in the neighboring areas as well.

And this is uh kind of a quick update of what the 2017 master plan looks like in these um milliard area.

So we've got a dog park, playground, um walking trails, boardwalks, um, and increased or better pedestrian pathways between Clock Tower and the Milliard.

And so we do not anticipate that this will be a one and done kind of project.

We were kind of lucky with the quadrant two area that we just completed.

We do not anticipate having enough revenue in the TIFF funds to be able to do all of this at one time.

So if you see the the dotted lines are how we anticipate potentially phasing out some of these um projects, the public improvement projects, so that we can slowly build out.

So we're we're talking um probably several several different projects over a decade or more.

Um we we will not be seeking any general fund money if we do this and expand into this area.

Um we will only be working off of the revenue that the TIFF creates.

So if that makes a little bit of sense, we we don't see these projects um being able to compete against existing city projects, which is why the the TIFF districts exist.

Um it's kind of our our one economic development tool that we have to target a specific area.

So next steps.

Um so we did meet with the milliard associates this morning um and got some feedback from them.

Um and we've met with the Mine Falls group, we've met with um the TIFF advisory group, um, and everyone seems to think that this could be really good for the community.

Um there are definitely concerns just um about TIFF understanding in general, um, but we're we're slowly trying to educate people about what it actually means to be a part of a TIFF.

Um I think the the biggest concern is always, oh, my taxes will go up.

Um that is not officially the case.

Um ideally your your taxes would go up because your assessed value goes up because everything around you is nicer.

So it would be incremental and it would be um as part of uh uh public improvements in the area that would allow you to increase your rents, um, that would uh increase your assessed value um when you sell the properties.

Um but there's there is um we we do see correlation between um increased property values and TIFF districts, but that is because we are doing development there.

Um I think that's it.

Yeah.

So that's the the uh general overview of what this is gonna allow us to do.

Right.

Do we have any clarifying questions?

I'll start over here.

Although old woman clique.

Thank you.

Um the dog park, you said that was in quadrant one, but isn't that technically quadrant four where the milliard is because the dog park is off the milliard?

No, so it actually goes from left to right, basically, like west to east.

So quadrant four is actually BAE.

Um, the library area is quadrant three, um, the west side of Main Street, Renaissance Park is quadrant two.

Um this is all um based off what what we have in the the master plan, the river walk or riverfront master plan.

Oh bald and one clean.

Yeah, thank you.

So what you're saying is that you're asking to expand this into the milliard, so you're asking to expand it into quadrant one.

Correct, yes from the master plan.

Okay.

It's just a little confusing that we kind of done four three years, two, and now we're doing backwards.

Okay.

Phases don't match our quadrant numbers, unfortunately.

Um, but if you think west west to east is the number, um, and then we've we've matched the project with the low the potential revenue source rather than going one, two, three, four, um, because it just didn't make sense for us to be able to afford certain projects in certain ways.

Um, so we're we're going off of what we can actually afford based on the increase in in that um increment.

Um thank you.

I I'm directionally challenged.

So I appreciate you giving landmarks, it helps a lot for me.

Thank you.

Alternative large, Greg.

Um thank you.

So you talked about the uh possible increase in the taxes, and I understand that property values go up, and that would help, you know, you can increase rent and stuff, but with people like barely getting by.

Do you have like an average that this would normally bring up like the amount of taxes in that area for people?

Um we don't because we don't know how long it will take to actually do the development.

Okay.

Okay, um or and we we have a semi-sort of plan for the public improvements, but it really is gonna depend on the revenue source in the the increment.

Um so we can look at what the property tax increase has been on the east side where the existing TIFF district, um, which has been affected by a lot more than just the TIFF um investments, um, but we haven't seen any um quadrant two related uh increase in taxes specific to that yet.

Um but again the the market um changes uh all all sorts of things affect the tax rate.

So we do see some correlation, but it's not necessarily causation.

Okay, yeah, thanks.

Uh Alderman Johnson.

Thank you.

Alderman Greg kind of asked the question that I was gonna ask, but um I see that first of all.

Can I can um you and Mr.

Cummings please send all the the slides to my email so I can study them a little bit better because it's kind of hard sometimes to see it on the monitor.

I under you know, and I don't gonna bring this up again because I think this is all part of it.

You know, I hear about all these apartments and how we're gonna improve the area, but we don't bring what is what are we going to do to try to bring in industry into the TIFF area, especially down the mill yacht area where NIMCO is gonna be because if people don't have good paying jobs, people can't afford apartments because if you raise the taxes, even if they were affordable now, that you raise the taxes, the apartment goes up now.

It's not affordable, and you want to keep people living here not having to flee national because they can't afford the rents because the landlords can't afford the taxes.

Yeah, I think I think that might be in the discussion section rather than the clarification side, but um I can at least give a quick um I'll let it stand.

Yeah, thank you.

Um we are uh we do have a uh strategic plan for um business recruitment that we are working on currently.

Um it's not ready yet, but um over the next six months or so we we can start working on actually doing business recruitment um with a strategy.

Um and so we we are working on at several angles on this.

I know um our community development department is working specifically on the the code update in order to support um more industry and more business.

Um so there's lots of different ways that we are trying to build um the industry and business um in this community um specifically for the TIFF district, we um as part of the master plan we identified this these areas as um potential um pedestrian-friendly or um housing opportunities um within that 2017 master plan and so that's what we've been working off of um to try to recruit those types of locations.

We did um a NIMCO study um where we identified the the community identified housing as the biggest priority for that location, so we are working off of the priorities that that the community has given us for that area um but larger conversation about um business recruitment and industrial development um is happening across the city.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Anybody else?

All right.

Well, thank you, Director Hannem.

I'm going to uh open it up to the public.

Uh any testimony in favor in opposition.

I don't see any again.

Testimony in favor.

There is none and testimony in opposition.

There is none.

All right, I'm gonna close the public hearing of ordinance 0-26-003 at 7 28 p.m.

Um and so with a happy St.

Patrick's Day for all you that are leaving us for the next meeting.

I'm going to throw this over to Alderman O'Brien for a motion.

Um this, I'm sorry.

I think very good.

Uh yeah, okay.

It's about time on the patty say.

I figured I'd give it to you.

I know Alderman Clemens is online, but I figured I'd throw it out to you.

Well, I would like to uh make the motion for an adjournment of the March 17th special board of Alderman's meeting.

All in favor?

Actually, we got a lot of things.

That's why that's why I interrupted you.

I apologize.

You got me.

I apologize.

Ohderman Clemens.

Yes.

Alder Woman.

Yes.

Alderman Smith.

Yes.

Alderman Tebow?

Uh yes.

Alderman O'Brien?

Yes.

Alderman Gregg?

Yes.

Alderman Dowd.

Yes.

Alderman Sullivan?

Yes.

Alderman Senott?

Yes.

Alderman Johnson?

Yes.

Alderman Morgan.

Yes.

And Alderman Wilshire.

Yes.

We are adjourned at seven thirty.

Um we will uh I'll give everybody five minutes because I know people will be leaving and moving around and stuff.

Um, so we'll readjourn in five minutes.