OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Nashua Aldermen Special Meeting April 22, 2026: 14 Mulberry Street Purchase Tabled

Board of Aldermen MeetingsThursday, April 23, 2026
BodyNashua, New Hampshire
SessionBoard of Aldermen Meetings
DateThursday, April 23, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record

STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Call a special meeting of the Board of Alderman to order on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026 at 7 p.m.

0:08

Here in the Aldermanic Chamber, which has been duly noticed in two places, including the city's website in accordance with the requirements of RSA 91A.

0:17

The prayer will be offered by City Clerk Dan Healy and Alderman at large Amber Morgan will lead us in the pledge to the flag.

0:24

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

0:31

Fill us, O 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.

0:49

So help us God.

0:50

Amen.

0:52

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for the nation, under God, individual liberty and justice for all.

1:16

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

1:20

Alderman Clemens.

1:23

I am here.

1:24

I'm participating remotely because my wife is ill and I'm taking care of her.

1:30

And I am uh alone in the room, and I can hear everybody.

1:35

Alderman Clee.

1:37

Here Alderwoman Smith.

1:45

Alderman Tebow.

1:46

Here Alderman O'Brien.

1:50

Present.

1:51

Alderman Greg.

1:53

Here.

1:54

Alderman Dowd.

1:56

Present.

1:57

Alderman Sullivan.

1:59

Well, I'm here on Zoom tonight because I'm traveling for work this week.

2:02

I'm alone in the room and I can hear everybody.

2:05

Alderman Summit.

2:08

I'm here.

2:08

I'm also participating remotely via Zoom due to a scheduling conflict that left us without child care.

2:15

I'm alone in the room and I can hear everybody.

2:19

Alderman Johnson.

2:21

Present.

2:22

Alderwoman Kelly.

2:26

Alderman Morgan.

2:27

Here.

2:29

Alderman Lopez.

2:33

Alderman Wilshire.

2:35

Here.

2:36

Eleven present, three absent.

2:39

Thank you.

2:39

Also joining us this evening is Mayor Jim Donchis and Deputy Corporation Council Celia Leonard.

2:45

Communications.

2:47

Communication has been received from Laurie Wilshire, President of the Board of Alderman, regarding calling special board of Alderman meeting on April 22nd, 2026, relative to resolutions R-26-019 and R-26020.

3:04

The communication has been received from same Sam Durfee, AICP planning manager regarding referral for the from the Board of Alderman on resolution R-26-019 relative to authorizing the purchase of 14 Mulberry Street.

3:19

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

3:23

Period for public comment relative to items expected to be acted upon this evening.

3:29

I'm sorry.

3:30

I have do you have these communications, Mr.

3:34

Clerk?

3:35

Yes.

3:36

Okay.

3:40

Communication has been received from Mount Sullivan Community Development Director regarding 14 Mulberry Street led program funding.

3:48

The communication has been received from Tim Cummings, Administrative Services Director, regarding following up comments from the Board of Alderman regarding site selection of 14 Mulberry Street.

4:00

There being no objection, I will accept the communications and place them on file.

4:06

At this moment, we are going to go into a non-meeting with our legal attorney with our legal counsel.

4:15

So we need to clear the room.

4:36

No jail time, they say, but that doesn't make it humane.

4:39

The message is clear.

4:44

When this ban passed, we were told a resource center was coming.

4:47

Portable classrooms have 14 Marbury Street.

4:50

Plans, momentum, but the Warman station is already closed, and the center is still still isn't open.

4:56

Alderman themselves called this abhorrent and inhumane.

5:00

They were right.

5:00

We are not statistics.

5:02

We are mothers, fathers, veterans, workers whose paychecks no longer cover rent.

5:07

People battling addiction or mental health crisis.

5:09

Made worse because there was no soft place to land.

5:12

Were your neighbors?

5:13

Some of us work downtown, some of us used to pay taxes in the city.

5:17

All of us deserve more than a citation and it's up back into the woods.

5:21

April night still drop into the 30s and 40s.

5:24

Rain is coming.

5:25

Imagine trying to sleep through that, knowing police can show up at any hour, flashlights in your face, telling you to pack up or pay up.

5:32

This isn't cleaning up the streets.

5:34

This is manufacturing despair.

5:36

We have a housing crisis, not a camping crisis.

5:40

Sweeping people away doesn't solve it.

5:42

It just moves the suffering somewhere else.

5:44

So I'm asking for three things reopen or extend the warming station until the resource center actually opens.

5:50

Accelerate emergency shelter and transitional housing.

5:54

One minute.

5:55

And commit to outreach that builds trust instead of fear.

5:58

The warming station is already closed.

6:00

Our tents are already in the rain.

6:02

Please choose compassion.

6:03

Choose humanity.

6:05

Choose us.

6:06

Thank you.

6:07

Will Darby.

6:16

Thank you.

6:17

Um I'm representative Will Darby, um representing Ward 8, which is Hillsboro District 11.

6:22

I live at 13 Jensen Street.

6:24

I'm going to be talking about the resource center.

6:26

We all know that homelessness is a serious concern.

6:29

Um, in particular, when I talk to constituents, it's one of the things that comes up first here in Nashua.

6:34

This is caused by federal and state policies that are beyond the control of uh the city of Nashua.

6:40

But with but uh we are the ones that are basically have to bear the brunt of it.

6:44

With an average home cost of $550,000 and over $2,000 for on average for one bedroom apartment in Nashua.

6:51

Um the problem will only grow over time.

6:54

I know that the mayor and the aldermen are looking for solutions to this problem, but this requires investment.

7:00

People need a place to go, and so we need to take opportunities, uh, take advantage of opportunities when they arise.

7:06

This requires taking calculated risks because we know that downtown property is hard to come by.

7:13

Uh if we put up roadblocks and delay tactics, we'll lose those opportunities.

7:18

This um we won't be able to address our growing challenge here in the city, um, which and thereby we won't be addressing the uh this key constituent concern.

7:29

So I urge you to move forward with uh the resource center at 14 Mulberry Street.

7:34

Thank you.

7:34

Thank you.

7:40

Christy AI.

7:48

Thank you.

7:49

Christy A.

7:51

For Causeworth Circle.

7:52

As a member of Granite State Organizing Project and Main Street United Methodist Church, I wanted to be here tonight to support our public health workers and the hardworking case managers that confront homelessness and the challenges and problems that they encounter every day out in the woods on the streets, places where you and I would probably not go voluntarily.

8:16

So I'm here to support the resource center from a long-term point of view, because I believe that having a centralized location that is safe and secure, that can provide the services assisted in helping people access benefits, register where they need to for insurance possibility, have access to the needed health care, and do this all with dignity and respect in a safe and secure setting.

8:42

I think just makes sense in the long term.

8:45

It's important, of course, to have shelter beds, and it's important to meet the immediate needs, but in the long term, working toward permanent housing and getting folks insurance, getting them the resources that they need to have a home a secure and safe place to call home is really what I think the respect that they deserve.

9:07

And I heard this a couple of weeks ago.

9:09

We had testimonies read from a number of people, and the common thread that I heard throughout that was safety, security, and respect.

9:18

I realize the resource center is a lot of money, and I realize there's a lot of um concern about will it address the problem, but I think it's a step in the right direction.

9:27

It's centralized, and it provides the opportunity for the resources to be accessed in one safe place.

9:34

Thank you.

9:35

Thank you.

9:36

Karen Bill.

10:00

And it is part of the duty of any municipality to ensure that happens.

10:06

14 Mulberry Street is just the wrong location.

10:11

Fifteen years, 364 days ago, I purchased my home in Nashua.

10:16

I did all the right things.

10:22

Because heaven forbid anything should happen, and you didn't know about it.

10:28

Or you didn't get an inspection.

10:30

Shame on you.

10:33

I mean, it seemed like the rules were clear.

10:35

If you're an intelligent, maybe I shouldn't say intelligent.

10:38

If you want to try to do the best that you can, you need to have all the information that you can.

10:45

So when you purchase a property, whether it be having it surveyed or inspected, that's just step number one, because otherwise you might not want to purchase that property.

10:57

So that's a concern of mine that there was no inspection.

11:02

Number two, um, you know, usually when you're purchasing property, two sides negotiate.

11:11

So again, if you need a new roof, you may negotiate the price downward.

11:18

Nowhere in my world or anybody else that I know would they um pay 150,000 more than asking price, uh, unless maybe you're a Chinese businessman.

11:31

But um, you know, this is not the place for this.

11:35

There has to be other avenues in Nashua that we can look into.

11:41

I know that there's still a lot of indecision and about what's going to go on on Elm Street.

11:48

Mixed use could be something along the lines of having some type of, you know, um rent control, uh support for those who are unhoused.

12:00

There's got to be some cities in this country that have successfully built tiny homes.

12:08

Um have been a bit more successful at assisting people without homes in their community.

12:16

And to rush into this purchase, I think it's it's reckless.

12:21

I think the means by which it is being done are crazy.

12:27

Um, and that there's new information that has been come up that has come up in the last couple of few weeks that would warrant a brand new public hearing, including money given to that home because of lead point remediation.

12:42

So I say no, I tell my alderman, Benet Faluga, no, please support me in that, and thank you very much for your time.

12:52

Dave Godsman?

12:54

I'm MSP.

12:55

Okay.

12:57

Beth scare.

13:09

Beth scare, 11 East Hobart Street.

13:12

Uh Tim Cummings, Director of Administrative Services said it could cost as much as 4.5 million dollars to purchase and renovate the Mulberry Street property.

13:21

The mayor's proposed budget is up six percent over last year.

13:25

Our sky high property taxes are driving people out of their homes and driving up rents and making it more and more difficult for people to find housing.

13:34

If the goal is for people to be housed, then spending money on boondoggles is only going to make things worse.

13:39

Please vote no.

13:42

Steven Scar.

13:50

Good evening, Stephen Scarer, 11 East Hobart Street.

13:54

I encourage you not to take make this purchase.

13:58

Things seem to be going backwards in the wrong order to me.

14:02

First of all, what exactly is this resource center going to do?

14:07

How many people are going to be working there, and what exactly are their services?

14:11

Once we determine what those are, then we shop around for the most appropriate and uh the least expensive um property to do that.

14:22

That might mean wrenching an office space.

14:25

It seems like you're purchasing a house, an expensive kind of run down one too, and then figuring out what you're going to do with it.

14:34

I uh I'm especially concerned about whether this is an expansion of the city services that's going to be attendant to this.

14:40

And if so, what are they?

14:43

Are these going to be services that end up taking more people off the street and helping them secure places to live?

14:50

Or are is the city going to keep continue enabling and encouraging people sleeping out of doors, and we're going to keep on becoming another Seattle or Portland?

15:03

I I appreciate Alderman Kelly's statement that businesses take risk.

15:08

We've got to act like a business.

15:10

Well, if a business takes a foolish risk, it goes bankrupt.

15:15

The city won't go bankrupt if it if it makes a bad expenditure.

15:19

You'll just raise my taxes.

15:21

So please slow down.

15:22

Don't make this purchase.

15:24

Decide what this these services should look like, and then the appropriate space for it.

15:28

Thank you.

15:30

Laurie Delano.

15:44

Laurie Ortolano, 41 Berkeley Street.

15:47

I was out last Wednesday and I expressed my opposition to this.

15:50

And I'm not going to go over the reasons why, because that's documented in film.

15:54

I'm going to talk about some other newer things here.

15:57

And I continue to not support this purchase.

16:00

I think the inspection issue is huge to simply wave it and decide you're not going to do it on a Civil War building where we're telling the planning board we don't understand what's going on with sewer, water, or infrastructure.

16:13

We're going to buy it anyway and figure it out after is a bad idea.

16:17

This is starting to ring to me like the Art Center, the Performing Arts Center.

16:21

We purchased Alex Shoe's store for two million dollars.

16:24

We told everyone the building was going to be used to add a second story and become an art center, and we had architects walk through it and tell us it could be used, and then six months later they came back and said we had to tear the whole thing down.

16:35

Not usable.

16:36

Became a hole in the ground with a whole new foundation with a price tag that went from 10 million to 15 million with a final price of 34 million.

16:44

We're going down that road again.

16:46

And I don't want to see that.

16:48

I think there's been a total lack of transparency here, and we deserve so much better.

16:52

There should be another public hearing on this because we have new information at the public hearing last Wednesday.

16:57

The vote of the planning board was never even revealed to the public.

17:00

And what the position was of three pretty educated gentlemen that look at site plans and building stuff all the time, and their comments were insane, crazy, rushed, uh, lack of due diligence, support all of that.

17:14

Good good use of words.

17:16

I'm right in on board with that.

17:18

So, you know, and also this HUD fund money.

17:21

Um how it was allocated, what has to be recaptured if the property is sold within the three-year period.

17:27

I see this letter that the city gave to um uh Donchus Wilshire um came to the Board of Uh Aldermen from Matt Sullivan regarding the lead program funding.

17:39

It says that attached to this is the records for your review.

17:42

I don't have any records attached to mine, but I'd like to see them.

17:45

But it also says, hey, tomorrow we're gonna have a meeting and we're gonna find out if we owe the 75,000.

17:50

I think it's possible it might even be prorated, or it's gonna be something less, so it's gonna be covered and they'll let us fill it with occupancy down the road and not hit us with the three-year requirement.

18:00

So if we don't know what's going on and what the price is really gonna be, why aren't we having another public hearing?

18:06

Is this gonna be 900,000 to bond plus 75,000 from the general fund?

18:10

That's a taxpayer expenditure that should have been addressed in a public hearing.

18:14

And um I asked for those records on Thursday after the meeting.

18:19

I am still waiting for those records on what we did regarding the um deed restriction or the lien on those records.

18:27

I did I never got them.

18:29

So um I think there's been a lack of transparency, site plan, uh, a butters, butters were never notified.

18:36

Nobody was notified this was happening, rushed, you know, already fire, aim plan.

18:42

That isn't really what I want to pay for.

18:44

Thank you.

18:47

Brooke Pearl.

18:55

Hello, my name is Brooke Pearley, and my wife is a business owner at Three Bud Way in Nashua.

19:02

I am in support of the resource center, and when I heard that the board was going to be pursuing this, I was really grateful and thankful to all of you because I think that how we treat all of the members of our community says so much about who we are.

19:16

I think that we can't let perfection be the enemy of making progress towards this resource center that is so desperately needed.

19:24

We've heard from the Department of Public Health that we need a centralized location to get people access to these resources.

19:31

And this location is perfect.

19:33

It's right by the Department of Public Health, and it will provide access that's safe for the unhoused participants who go there, as well as the employees that are expected to stack there and be there appropriately.

19:46

I think that um it is a competitive housing market, and I think to not acknowledge that uh would be uh insane at this point because there are things that are so commonly done today in the housing market, such as paying over asking, um waiving inspection fees and all those other things.

20:06

And if you want to be taken seriously as somebody putting a bid on a home, I think that's more than expected, and I think that Nashua as a city that's pursuing that against people who want to purchase that home that are part of the community as well.

20:19

I think that makes perfect sense.

20:20

Um, so thank you all for taking this so seriously and continuing to support the unhoused, and I hope that it moves forward.

20:28

Thank you.

20:29

Joan Donahue.

20:38

My name is Joan Donahue, and I live in Ward 9.

20:42

And I'm gonna ask all of you folks to slow this project down as well.

20:46

I agree that we need a resource center.

20:50

I think that the homeless and other communities need a place where all of their resources are centralized.

20:57

I think right now what we have is piecemeal.

21:00

I've seen all paperwork for 14 Mulberry Street.

21:03

I don't think that's the best location for what we want to do as a city.

21:08

I think that the city has also failed us in projects like this that we put in one and a half million or 1.8 million dollars, and it turns into 16 million dollars with borrowing four and a half million dollars from asset funds to pay eight million dollars on something over here.

21:28

That's one.

21:29

Number two is the performing arts center.

21:32

That started out as 15 and a half million.

21:34

We were told it was four million in private donations.

21:37

Private donations never happened.

21:40

Now it's 34, 35 million, zero accountability, zero transparency.

21:46

We have none.

21:47

We have a woman out half a million dollars trying to get the records.

21:52

I feel like this whole project has been rushed.

21:55

I don't think there's any competition for 168-year-old project home.

22:00

I'm wondering why it wasn't assessed at the price that we're paying for it.

22:06

And I would like to once again just say that I support this.

22:10

I think this is the wrong project, the wrong address, and the wrong amount of money.

22:16

I want to see a full plan.

22:18

And I like um Director Bagley's floor plan.

22:21

I saw it for the the three-story building.

22:24

If there's a way we could work out something like that with a longer term plan, because everybody has said this is only a little bit, it's incremental.

22:31

What happens after this?

22:32

Every time we need something, we come back and it gets bonded, or it gets added on to another bond, or are all these bonds fungible and we just move them around and wait and see what lands.

22:41

It's not good planning, it's not good accounting, and there is no transparency.

22:46

Please postpone this.

22:48

Tim Cummings as well said that nothing's going to happen with the Elm Street project until the fall of 27 or 28.

22:54

We can open that up again.

22:55

There's a will there, everybody's behind it.

22:58

Slow it down, please.

22:59

Thank you.

23:01

Matthew Guthrow.

23:09

Matthew Guthrie 104 Fawn Lane.

23:12

I'm here to express my concern with the city's accelerated purchase of 14 Mulberry Street in Nashua.

23:17

Uh, this potential site is a historic residential property that will need to be rezoned for commercial use.

23:23

It's not ADA compliant.

23:25

The elevation in which the property sits will make it a problem to be ADA compliant.

23:30

It's not fire sprinkler ready, and it's unclear if the site will accommodate a commercial gray kitchen to prepare and dispense warm meals.

23:38

It won't meet the load-bearing requirements for all the beds that the mayor says that the temporary shelter will require.

23:45

And I've also seen some concerning information about the property's HUD qualifications and the ability to sell this property as a result of the lead paint remediation grant.

23:57

The city is so ambitious in their pursuit of this property that they've waived contingencies that would customarily be associated with a property like this.

24:06

This is why the city's planning board came back with an unfavorable recommendation because the lack of adequate due diligence with this purchase.

24:13

This all feels like a coordinated breathless rush to do something.

24:17

The question remains: why this property?

24:20

Why are they singularly focused on this one parcel to solve this issue?

24:24

We have an abundance of vacant commercial properties downtown that would be more than adequately address this need.

24:29

We also have school properties that the city owns that are closed or close to being phased out that could meet this need.

24:36

These other commercial properties would also not need to be rezoned and where we sprinkler ready and be more manageable for ADA compliance and even have room for office space.

24:47

By selecting another venue, it would allow the Board of Health and the Mayor's office to have the ability to seek out public and private stakeholders to help fund this opportunity, much like neighboring cities did when they completed similar projects.

25:01

When the mayor, when Manchester built their resource center, they did so with a combination of grant and private partnership funds.

25:08

But Nashua is in such a hurry to make this happen that they want to use the taxpayer to foot this bill.

25:14

At the end of the day, this solution to the resource center looks more like a square peg in a round hole.

25:20

The city may need a building, but by throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars, tax dollars at that, and then spending over four million of our tax dollars to make enhancements to this project for the sake of doing something is not a win.

25:36

I believe a more well planned, better coordinated option would most benefit our unhoused population with a far greater resources.

25:46

I ask you to vote no on this rushed purchase for 14 Mulberry Street.

25:51

And I asked the mayor and his administration to come back to this dais with a more comprehensive and well thought out solution to this situation that incorporates more stakeholders than simply asking you to quickly bond our tax dollars.

26:07

Thank you.

26:08

Well said Laura Cohomer.

26:23

I find it concerning that we are here tonight to discuss purchasing 14 Mulberry Street for $900,000.

26:31

Given that this building only contains 3,000 square feet, far too small to function efficiently as a resource center.

26:41

It is also important to note that the city acquired a property at 13, 11 13 Mulberry Street in February of 2025.

26:51

This property offered approximately 33,000 square feet and included an existing, though currently not functioning, elevated that could be rehabbed.

27:02

Under the New Hampshire law, the City of Nashua is not required to return a tax deeded property to its former owner unless all back taxes, interest cost, and the statutory 15% penalty are paid in full.

27:20

In this case, that did not occur.

27:23

The property was foreclosed upon, and the city wrote off all the outstanding taxes dating back to 2019 before taking ownership.

27:34

What remains unclear is how the city subsequently returned the property to the former owner without requiring repayment of those property taxes, and why no property taxes are being assessed for the fiscal year 2025, despite the property assessed value of $102,000.

27:57

Typically, when a city acquires a property through a taxed lien, the Board of Walterman determines how the property will be used or disposed of.

28:06

In this instance, the matter was never brought to the board.

28:11

Instead, the property was simply transferred back to the previous owner.

28:17

The city had also had the option to retain the property for the use, yet that opportunity was not pursued.

28:26

As a result, the Board of Alderman is now being asked to consider spending 900,000 on 14 Mulberry Street when a significantly larger and more suitable property, 11-13 Mulberry Street, was already available, but were returned to the property owner without clear justification.

28:47

This situation raises serious concerns about process, transparency, and oversight of taxpayers' resources.

28:56

Thank you.

28:58

Tory Markowitz.

29:07

Hello, my name is Tori Markwitz.

29:09

I live in Manchester.

29:10

I work here in Nashua.

29:13

As you folks know, I was volunteering at the warming station all winter, and um I I worry about where those folks are now after the warming station has closed and the camping ban is in place.

29:26

Um I feel that those people are probably scattered into the forest and really hard to access.

29:45

When the encampments grew and the camping ban was passed.

29:49

I know folks are worried about the price tag, but um I feel like, in my opinion, this is a step in the right direction.

30:00

I know that it's not a perfect solution, and it's not going to help all of the unhoused people in Nashua, but I um trust that public health, as the experts on homelessness in Nashua, know what the needs are for our city.

30:11

Um I realize that also public health has been looking for a property for two years already for a resource center and haven't been able to find one, and that's why we were going to use a parking lot up until about a week or two ago for this resource center as a temporary option, which would have cost one to two million dollars to move mobile classrooms over there and run water and everything, and then still it would only be temporary.

30:36

So I would much rather have this building right across the street from public health than have the abandoned parking lot option.

30:45

So I would encourage you to vote yes for this resource center.

30:49

Thank you.

30:50

Fred Keebum.

30:56

Fred T Boom 24 Cheyenne Drive.

31:00

Uh nobody I know is against a resource center.

31:06

But if you vote for this particular purchase, in my opinion, you are plain negligent.

31:15

Now I won't go into all the stuff that people already said.

31:19

I have myself written several memorandum to the board, but I'd like to say a couple of things that haven't been said.

31:27

There were no inspections required.

31:31

None of the 158-old building.

31:50

How do you expect to have a transient use of over 50 clients crowded daily in a space, residential space of 3,000 square feet?

32:02

It's only slightly smaller than my home.

32:05

And on the lot, that's four thousand less than four thousand square feet.

32:11

And that's a fraction of my lot of my home.

32:14

And there's only two of us living there.

32:16

You expect over 50, maybe more, to daily use this property.

32:21

It's insane.

32:24

4.5 million dollars for renovation.

32:27

My God, I like it so badly.

32:30

What you couldn't get for four or five million, four point five million dollars.

32:35

You're gonna have to tear this whole thing apart.

32:37

And then what do you have?

32:38

You still have about 3,000 square feet of residential space.

32:43

My God, what's insanity?

32:45

That's $1,500 a square foot.

32:51

And then, which nobody's mentioned yet, was mentioned by Director Solomon who's here.

32:59

You're forfeiting 1.2 million dollars in federal grants because of your rush to this insanity.

33:10

Less costly alternatives have not been submitted or talked about, and said there aren't any, but none of these have been submitted to you.

33:22

The planning board, like Ortolano said, three professionals said this is insane, ridiculous.

33:30

Hasty.

33:35

All kinds of problems.

33:37

There's purchase weeks of corruption.

33:42

I just say it.

33:43

That's the only thing I can see.

33:46

There may very well be journey money involved in this purchase.

33:51

I recommend that when this comes before you, we asked for a roll call vote so we can see who votes for it, and you could see against it by name.

34:02

Bob Keating.

34:16

My name is uh Bob Keating.

34:18

I live at five uh Coburn Woods Drive here in Nashville.

34:22

I'm speaking about the resource center as proposed at 14 Woolburg Street.

34:27

Many of us have spoken in favor of the resource uh center uh with housing, including myself.

34:34

Uh I do not have the same view now.

34:37

Uh resource center without housing, and this is a definition is in essence a place to meet people uh in office spaces, uh, and they're going to add uh laundry and bathrooms.

34:52

Uh without significant amount of housing, a resource center is a low priority of services needed for our homeless population.

35:01

In fact, the director of public health, when asked uh in a public meeting in response to a question, I believe from uh Alderman Senate said the shelter was more important than a resource center.

35:15

And I concur with that, and I think most people do.

35:18

Uh so the question is why is that not being brought forth at this time?

35:25

In addressing the most vulnerable people in our community, the most pressing me is repeatedly said in our own local uh analysis, our ending homeless plan, the new task force.

35:39

It's housing, housing, housing, housing, housing.

35:42

Uh and within that, I'm including shelter.

35:46

So the Mulberry property, as I understand it at this point, uh, would not meet a number of those uh issues.

35:54

First, it is too small.

35:56

That's been said repeatedly, 3,000 uh square feet.

36:00

Uh the soup kitchen uh shelter is 20,000 uh square feet.

36:04

The development would take a year or more, so we're not talking about anything in terms of uh urgency to uh it's not going to address that all of that.

36:15

It's too expensive.

36:17

I was flabbergasted by 4.5 million dollars for 3,000 property without money.

36:23

So much more could be done.

36:25

So much more specific targets.

36:31

We're we're proposing to have this funded without saying how many units of housing are you going to get it.

36:38

If you have an estimate of 4.5 million dollars, I think it needs to be targeted to say we're going to produce this many housing uh units.

36:46

So I do not think the Mowbray property uh will address our most urgent needs, uh which is which I think at the most immediate is to reopen the warming station.

37:00

That only costs 350 and thousand.

37:03

Um we're actually not paying that at all at this point in time.

37:07

And that you could fund a warming station if you funded it for 11 years.

37:13

You could fund multiple housing units either by purchasing or renting them and using them as vouchers.

37:20

There's so many better ways, I believe, matching.

37:23

So thank you for your thoughts, your consideration.

37:27

Judith McDonald.

37:39

Good evening.

37:41

Um Judith McDonald.

37:44

Um Dan Fourth Road, Partment 23.

37:50

Um I've watched several meetings on line.

37:55

I know how hard you all work, and how much you care about our city.

38:04

I am a third generation national, and I am very concerned about our homeless population.

38:14

I'm thrilled with the work you've done with the warming center at Elm Street Middle School.

38:23

I think that should continue.

38:25

I don't know all the limitations of that building, but I know that it would serve as a meeting space as a resource center.

38:38

We've heard that it's not likely to be sold for at least a couple of years.

38:55

Which people who are homeless and maybe mentally ill need their sleep.

39:02

It wouldn't resolve all their problems, but some of them.

39:06

I am not in favor of 14 Mulberry Street.

39:13

As a part owner of a building that's a hundred and fifty years old.

39:19

I know very well.

39:22

The expense to be in compliance up to code, keep up with maintenance.

39:29

So I thank you for your hard work.

39:32

Please do not go through with 14 Mulberry Street.

39:38

Thank you.

39:41

So the next three people I have signed up, have signed up for repealing the camping law, but that's at the next meeting following this meeting.

39:52

Except for Ken Lewis.

39:56

So if Ken Lewis wants to speak, he can speak now.

40:00

Otherwise, the other the other people that signed up to uh talk about repealing the camping law will have to wait till the next meeting, which is after this meeting.

40:09

Ken, are you here?

40:11

You can speak on the resource center.

40:18

No.

40:19

Okay, I'm not quite understanding.

40:22

I'm asking the the three people who signed up to speak on the repeal of the camping law.

40:28

Can wait till the next meeting because we're not talking about that right now.

40:32

If Ken Lewis is not here, we're gonna move on.

40:36

Okay.

40:45

Um unfinished business resolutions, second reading of R-26-019, authorizing the purchase of 14 Mulberry Street Alderman Tebow.

41:00

I'd like to make a motion to table R-26-019 by roll call.

41:10

Okay.

41:11

Motion is to table.

41:12

Would the clerk call the roll, please?

41:14

Alderman Clemens.

41:17

No Alderman Clay.

41:21

Yes.

41:23

Alderwoman Smith.

41:25

Yes.

41:27

Alderman Tebow.

41:28

Yes.

41:30

Alderman O'Brien.

41:32

Yes.

41:34

Alderman Gregg.

41:35

Yes.

41:37

Alderman Dowd.

41:39

Yes.

41:41

Alderman Sullivan.

41:44

Yes.

41:46

Alderman Senate.

41:48

Yes.

41:50

Alderman Johnson.

41:52

Yes.

41:54

Alderman Morgan.

41:56

Yes.

41:58

Alderman Lopez.

42:00

Yes.

42:02

Alderman Wilshire.

42:03

Yes.

42:06

12 YAs, one nay.

42:08

That motion carries, and resolution 2619 is tabled.

42:14

Second reading of R-26-020.

42:18

Authorizing the mayor and city treasurer to issue bonds not to exceed the amount of $900,000 to fund the purchase design pre-renovation work and renovations for a resource center at 14 Mulberry Street.

42:32

Alderman Dowd.

42:33

Yes, uh, since we just tabled R26019.

42:36

I'd like to make a motion table R26020.

42:40

Motion is to table with the clerk call the roll, please.

42:43

Alderman Clemens.

42:46

No.

42:48

Alderman Clee.

42:50

Yes.

42:52

Alderwoman Smith.

42:53

Yes.

42:55

Alderman Tebow.

42:56

Yes.

42:57

Alderman O'Brien.

42:59

Yes.

43:00

Alderman Gregg.

43:02

Yes.

43:03

Alderman Dowd.

43:05

Yes.

43:06

Alderman Sullivan.

43:08

Yes.

43:10

Alderman Senate.

43:12

Yes.

43:14

Alderman Johnson.

43:15

Yes.

43:17

Alderman Morgan.

43:18

Yes.

43:20

Alderman Lopez.

43:22

Yes.

43:24

Aldman Wilshire.

43:25

Yes.

43:26

12 years, one nay.

43:28

That motion carries in resolution 20-26-20 is uh tabled.

43:37

Alderman Clemens, do I have a motion?

43:42

Yes, madam President.

43:43

Motion to adjourn.

43:45

Motion is to adjourn.

43:47

Would the clerk please call the roll?

43:49

Alderman Clemens.

43:51

Yes.

43:53

Alderman Clee.

43:54

Yes.

43:55

Alderwoman Smith.

43:57

Yes.

43:59

Alderman Tebow?

44:00

No.

44:02

Alderman O'Brien.

44:03

Yes.

44:05

Alderman Gregg.

44:06

Yes.

44:07

Alderman Dowd.

44:09

Yes.

44:10

Alderman Sullivan.

44:12

Yes.

44:13

Alderman Senate.

44:15

Yes.

44:17

Alderman Johnson.

44:18

Yes.

44:20

Alderwoman Kelly.

44:21

Oh.

44:22

Alderman Morgan.

44:23

Yes.

44:25

Alderman Lopez.

44:27

No.

44:28

Alderman Wilshire.

44:30

Yes.

44:31

Eleven yes, two nays.

44:33

That motion carries, and we are adjourned at 827 p.m.

44:40

There's going to be a five-minute recess before the next committee meeting starts, the committee on infrastructure.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Homelessness█████████████████████████████████████████████60%
Procedural██████████████19%
Affordable Housing███████████14%
Fiscal Sustainability████5%
Historic Preservation██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Nashua Board of Aldermen Special Meeting - April 22, 2026: 14 Mulberry Street Purchase and Bond Tabled

The Board of Aldermen held a special meeting on Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 7 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chamber to consider two resolutions related to a proposed resource center for unhoused residents at 14 Mulberry Street: R-26-019 authorizing the purchase of the property for $900,000, and R-26-020 authorizing bonds up to $900,000 for purchase and renovations. After extensive public comment, the board voted 12-1 to table both resolutions. The meeting adjourned at 8:27 p.m.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Unhoused speaker (no name given): Expressed full support for a resource center but urged the board to reopen or extend the warming station until the center opens, accelerate emergency shelter and transitional housing, and commit to outreach that builds trust. Described the camping ban as "manufacturing despair."
  • Representative Will Darby (Ward 8, Hillsboro District 11): Stated that homelessness is a serious concern caused by federal and state policies beyond city control, with average home costs of $550,000 and over $2,000 for a one-bedroom apartment. Urged moving forward with the resource center, calling it a "calculated risk."
  • Christy AI (member of Granite State Organizing Project and Main Street United Methodist Church): Spoke in support of the resource center from a long-term perspective, emphasizing safety, security, and respect for unhoused individuals. Said a centralized location makes sense.
  • Karen Bill (homeowner of 15 years, 364 days): Opposed the purchase, citing lack of inspection on a 168-year-old building, paying $150,000 over asking price, and new information about lead paint remediation funds that warrants a new public hearing. Asked her alderman to vote no.
  • Beth Scare (11 East Hobart Street): Noted that Tim Cummings said the purchase and renovation could cost up to $4.5 million, and that the mayor's proposed budget is up 6%. Argued that spending on "boondoggles" drives up property taxes and rents. Said vote no.
  • Stephen Scarer (11 East Hobart Street): Opposed the purchase, saying the city should first define what the resource center will do and then find the most appropriate and least expensive property, not the reverse. Concerned about expansion of city services and enabling outdoor sleeping. Urged slowing down.
  • Laurie Ortolano (41 Berkeley Street): Continued opposition, citing the lack of inspection, a comparison to the Performing Arts Center cost overruns (from $10 million to $34 million), and lack of transparency. Noted that the planning board's vote was not revealed and that new information (HUD funding, lead program) warrants another public hearing. Asked for records and said the process is rushed.
  • Brooke Pearley (wife of business owner at Three Bud Way): Expressed support for the resource center, stating that how the city treats all community members says much about who it is. Said "perfection cannot be the enemy of progress" and that waiving inspections and paying over asking are common in today's housing market. Thanked the board.
  • Joan Donahue (Ward 9): Asked to slow the project. Supported the need for a resource center but said 14 Mulberry Street is the wrong location, wrong price. Cited past city project failures (Performing Arts Center, other bonds). Said she saw a floor plan from Director Bagley but wants a full plan and more transparency.
  • Matthew Guthrie (104 Fawn Lane): Expressed concern about the accelerated purchase, noting the historic residential property would need rezoning, is not ADA compliant, not fire sprinkler ready, and won't accommodate commercial kitchen or required beds. Cited the planning board's unfavorable recommendation due to lack of due diligence. Asked why not use vacant commercial or school properties, and why the city is in a hurry when other cities used grants and private funds. Asked to vote no.
  • Laura Cohomer: Found it concerning to spend $900,000 on a 3,000-square-foot building. Noted that the city acquired 11-13 Mulberry Street (33,000 square feet) in February 2025 but returned it to the former owner without requiring repayment of back taxes or bringing the matter to the Board of Aldermen. Raised concerns about process, transparency, and oversight.
  • Tori Markowitz (Manchester resident, volunteered at warming station): Supported the resource center, saying she trusts public health experts who have been looking for property for two years. Said the temporary parking lot option would have cost $1–2 million for mobile classrooms. Encouraged a yes vote.
  • Fred T. Boom (24 Cheyenne Drive): Opposed the purchase, calling it "negligent." Said a 3,000-square-foot residential building is too small for 50+ clients daily, and $4.5 million for renovation would be $1,500 per square foot. Also noted that Director Solomon mentioned forfeiting $1.2 million in federal grants. Alleged corruption and requested a roll call vote.
  • Bob Keating (5 Coburn Woods Drive): Spoke against the purchase, stating a resource center without significant housing is low priority. Noted the director of public health said shelter is more important. Argued that $4.5 million could be better spent on housing units, reopening the warming station ($350,000), or vouchers.
  • Judith McDonald (Dan Fourth Road, Apt 23): Opposed 14 Mulberry Street. Suggested using Elm Street Middle School as a resource center since it is not likely to be sold for a couple of years. Noted the expense of maintaining a 150-year-old building.

Key Outcomes

  • Motion to table R-26-019 (authorizing purchase of 14 Mulberry Street) by Alderman Tebow passed by roll call vote: 12 in favor (Aldermen Clee, Smith, Tebow, O'Brien, Gregg, Dowd, Sullivan, Senate, Johnson, Morgan, Lopez, Wilshire), 1 opposed (Alderman Clemens).
  • Motion to table R-26-020 (authorizing bonds up to $900,000 for the resource center) by Alderman Dowd passed by roll call vote: 12 in favor (same as above), 1 opposed (Alderman Clemens).
  • Motion to adjourn passed by roll call vote: 11 in favor, 2 opposed (Aldermen Tebow and Lopez voted no). The meeting adjourned at 8:27 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

Call a special meeting of the Board of Alderman to order on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026 at 7 p.m. Here in the Aldermanic Chamber, which has been duly noticed in two places, including the city's website in accordance with the requirements of RSA 91A. The prayer will be offered by City Clerk Dan Healy and Alderman at large Amber Morgan will lead us in the pledge to the flag. Almighty God, we have the high honor, the serious duty to manage the affairs of our beloved city. Fill us, O 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. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for the nation, under God, individual liberty and justice for all. Okay, let's start the meeting by taking a roll call attendance, please. Alderman Clemens. I am here. I'm participating remotely because my wife is ill and I'm taking care of her. And I am uh alone in the room, and I can hear everybody. Alderman Clee. Here Alderwoman Smith. Alderman Tebow. Here Alderman O'Brien. Present. Alderman Greg. Here. Alderman Dowd. Present. Alderman Sullivan. Well, I'm here on Zoom tonight because I'm traveling for work this week. I'm alone in the room and I can hear everybody. Alderman Summit. I'm here. I'm also participating remotely via Zoom due to a scheduling conflict that left us without child care. I'm alone in the room and I can hear everybody. Alderman Johnson. Present. Alderwoman Kelly. Alderman Morgan. Here. Alderman Lopez. Alderman Wilshire. Here. Eleven present, three absent. Thank you. Also joining us this evening is Mayor Jim Donchis and Deputy Corporation Council Celia Leonard. Communications. Communication has been received from Laurie Wilshire, President of the Board of Alderman, regarding calling special board of Alderman meeting on April 22nd, 2026, relative to resolutions R-26-019 and R-26020. The communication has been received from same Sam Durfee, AICP planning manager regarding referral for the from the Board of Alderman on resolution R-26-019 relative to authorizing the purchase of 14 Mulberry Street. There being no objection, I'll accept the communications and place them on file. Period for public comment relative to items expected to be acted upon this evening. I'm sorry. I have do you have these communications, Mr. Clerk? Yes. Okay.

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