Ad Hoc Joint Mayoral Board of Alderman Capital and Debt Committee Meeting - April 10, 2026
Ad Hoc Joint Mayoral Board of Alderman Capital and Debt Committee Meeting - April 10, 2026
The Ad Hoc Joint Mayoral Board of Alderman Capital and Debt Committee convened on April 10, 2026, at 7:00 PM (meeting adjourned at 9:05 PM) with seven members present. The committee received presentations from the Nashua Police Department and the Nashua Public Library regarding major capital improvement projects. Discussions focused on funding, design timelines, and safety concerns.
Police Department Presentation
- Parking Lot Renovation: The project, on the capital improvement list since 2017, aims to address drainage issues, traffic flow, and pedestrian access. The estimated cost is $1.5 million. A meeting with consultant VHB is scheduled for May 1, 2026, to review design concepts. The parking lot has not been repaved since 1979.
- Detention Facility Renovation: The facility, designed in 1977 with minimal upgrades, presents safety and liability risks. The estimated cost is $3 million. The department has researched other agencies and met with architects specializing in detention facilities. The project is included in the multi-year capital plan, with initial design funding in the upcoming budget. Speaker positions: Alderman Dowd emphasized the need for urgent action due to officer safety; Alderman Kelly asked about electric vehicle infrastructure for the parking lot; Alderman Clee noted prior concerns and asked about CALEA recommendations.
Library Presentation
- Building Renovation and Addition: The library director presented a $45 million project to renovate and add to the existing building, based on a feasibility study. The building systems (HVAC, windows, fire panel) are past their service life, and there are life safety and accessibility deficiencies. The next design phase is estimated at $3.4 million. A joint special committee of library trustees and the Infrastructure Committee is forming.
- Plaza Renovation: A fully designed $4.5 million project funded by ARPA and congressionally directed spending. The plaza has safety hazards (trip hazards, poor lighting, deteriorating concrete). The committee discussed timing: Director Sullivan recommended holding the plaza project until the building renovation design is complete to avoid conflicts. Alderman Dowd expressed concerns about losing federal funding if not spent quickly. Alderman Kelly asked about deadlines for the committed funds.
Key Outcomes
- No formal votes were taken on the projects; the presentations were for informational purposes.
- The committee acknowledged the need for further design work and funding prioritization.
- The meeting adjourned unanimously at 9:05 PM.
Meeting Transcript
We're calling to order the ad hoc joint mayoral board of alderman capital and debt committee. Mr. Clerk, would you please call a roll? Yes, uh, Mr. Mayor. Um President Wilshire. Here. Uh Alderman Clemens. Uh Mr. Mayor Alderman Clemens said that he had to come off. He's gonna try to pop back in. Okay. Um Alderman uh Alderman Kelly. I'm here. Aldman Clee. Here. Uh Director Cummings is here, Director Sullivan. Here. Director Photo. Present. And Mayor Dauntis. Here. All right. Seven members present. So we have some presentations, the first being from the police department. Um to talk about the possibility of renovating or improving the cell block area, correct? So come on, come forward, please. Or is she gonna present from the whatever your pleasure is? Yes. Good evening, Mayor. Yes, uh Alderman Kelly. I just wanted to ask a procedural question. Do you want to let them get all the way through and then ask questions or ask questions as they're presenting? Why don't we let them get through it and then um uh we'll get the questions answered. So please begin by introducing yourself and then absolutely good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Uh my name is Jennifer Moriarty. I'm a captain with the Nashua Police Department. Um currently representing the services bureau. And go ahead with the presentation. Thank you, Mayor. Um so previously for capital improvements we had presented um three items that we were hoping to work on. The first being um updated body camera contracts. Um we have since obtained funding for this, so we're no longer requesting assistance on that, so I'm gonna focus on two additional projects that we've been looking at. The first being our parking lot project. Uh this item has been on capital improvement project itinerary um since 2017, and still something that we are uh very much desiring. Currently very little um site drainage exists, resulting in flooding and damaged pavement at the police department. The traffic flow mixes with emergency vehicles and personal vehicles as well in a confined travel area, making things very difficult for passage, especially in emergency situations. There's no current pedestrian access from the public sidewalk to the police department and other site projects to include our most recent riverside project have reduced our parking spaces. We utilized contingency money from the Nine Riverside project to fund a parking lot study through VHB. Um our consultant VHB is designing a site silver project to repair the dilapidated parking lot at the police department main building.
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