We're going to call the meeting of the committee to order June 3rd, 2026.

Mr.

Clerk, would you please call them?

Yes, Alderman Smith.

Alderman Sullivan is here.

Alderman at large Greg?

Here.

Alderman at large Clemens.

Alderman at large Wilshair?

Here.

Alderman Cleve, Vice Chair.

Here.

And Mayor Jim Donchus.

Here.

You have one, two, three, four, five, six in attendance.

And we also have Alderman Paula Johnson.

And you've got to be able to do that.

No, you were you're on the committee.

Mr.

Mayor, Alderman Clemens uh reached out to me that he was unable to make the meeting tonight.

Okay.

Okay, thank you.

All right, we have public comment on any of the items that uh are on tonight's agenda.

No one's coming forward on that.

So we go to the communications.

The first being from Amy Girard purchasing manager, uh Alderman Sullivan.

Yes, I'd like to make a motion to accept place on file and approve the purchase of various replacement parts for the Gillig bus fleet and the amount not to exceed $70,000.

Funding will be through Department 186 Transportation Fund, transit grant 61 supplies and materials.

Good evening, committee members.

Matt Sullivan, community development director.

This is an annual authorization or request to the finance committee in the form of aggregate purchasing power for the fiscal 27 uh purchasing year.

Uh Gilly is the manufacturer of most of our bus fleet down at NTS.

As you know, we have a somewhat aging fleet, they're sort of midlife right now, uh, but we buy a lot of replacement parts from Gillig, whether that's uh sort of OEM parts or body work that needs to be replaced from time to time.

We're making a fair amount of purchases through them as the original manufacturer of that equipment.

In the past, we've been able to purchase keep these purchases below $50,000 or about $60,000.

With the aging of the bus fleet that we have right now, we're looking at it spending about 70 up to $70,000 in fiscal year 27.

But again, because it exceeds in aggregate that $25,000 threshold, we're required to come forward before you.

So again, these will all be smaller purchases most likely than the $25,000 number that you typically look at.

But together they ref reflect something over $25, and so that's why we're here.

I will just note for the record that in the past we've in on some occasions had to come and get even further authorization later in the year.

I don't anticipate that being the case, but certainly if we need to again come back during fiscal 27 above $70,000, any request above and beyond needs to come back to you before review.

So I just wanted to be really clear about that.

Happy to answer any questions that you all might have.

Alderman Sullivan.

Thank you.

Uh uh two questions.

Are these uh are these um replacement parts or are they parts for any uh piece of equipment that's offline right now?

They are uh Alderman Sullivan, these are these are fiscal twenty-seven.

This is sort of a uh a future predictive asked, so these are actually going to be parts that we anticipate having to buy in the future, so it's nothing to replace or or fix anything right now.

Uh this is anticipatory of repairs that we expect to have to make.

We just don't want to be in a position where we're at that line of 25,000 in fiscal twenty-seven and we can't make a purchase that needs to be made to keep fleet on the road.

So that's why we come to you maybe a little bit earlier than you you might expect to make this request.

Okay.

Could I have a follow-up, please?

How's your lead time on these parts?

Uh it depends, and I certainly don't want to I don't want to play fleet manager for you.

Um but it it depends on what the part is.

Body work is more readily available because those pieces tend to exist.

Um I will tell you that generally the gilling parts are more readily available because our equipment is relatively new.

Uh what is more challenging is when we are dealing with an engine rebuild or something that's more mechanical in nature as part of the bus.

Uh but I can't speak to specifics there, but I do know typically what we're buying here is body parts for the vehicles, and those are fairly easy to get.

Uh we're talking, you know, a week to weeks of lead time, not not months in any way, shape, or form.

Good.

All right, thanks.

Um Alderwoman Clee.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, what's the average age of our buses?

The average age of our buses is approximately six years right now, Alderwoman Clee.

Uh there's a little bit of range there.

We have Gilles and we have an El Dorado bus as well, but generally they're about six years old right now.

Are these replacement parts for the CNG buses or are they so some of them, some of these buses are in fact CNG.

Um some of them are also uh a hybrid as as well.

So these replacement parts are actually our Gillig vehicles are more than just our CNG fleet, they actually are other fuel sources as well.

One more question, please.

Yes.

Thank you.

So what should we expect the average life of a bus to be?

Buses typically are anywhere between nine and eleven years, I would say.

But remember when it comes to our replacement process is a bit different over at NTS because we are governed by uh the FTA, the Transportation Administration.

They have a transit asset management plan, a TAM plan that we present to them on an annual basis, and they evaluate whether or not our vehicles are actually eligible for replacement.

So it's not we're not just controlled by the surf replacement schedule.

We actually are controlled by when the federal government will allow us to buy new equipment.

And the reason for that is that they're often the ones giving us a substantial amount of the money to actually make that purchase.

And so they're not likely to give us money for new equipment unless we're actually deserving of it.

Years is one element, mileage is far more important.

Um so we have we track both.

Um and so while these are this equipment may be a little bit through half-life, uh, it's it's it's actually thereabouts for mileage as well, but we're looking at both measures of how much a piece of equipment has been used when talking about replacing it.

I I get that.

And I know the NPD uses um engine hours.

Yeah, I I get that.

Uh thank you.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

Next communication from Amy Girard purchasing manager, Alderman Sullivan.

Yes, I'd like to make a motion to accept and place on file and approve the purchase of 28 SWAT replacement body armor from Lionheart Alliance and the amount not to exceed 98,228 and 81 cents.

Funding will be through Department 150 police department fund Homeland Security SWAT grant 71 equipment, 97,050 and general fund 71 equipment, 1,178.81 cents.

Good evening, everyone.

Lieutenant Mike Lang of National Police.

Uh I'm also assistant commander of the SWAT team.

Uh so this purchase is for 28 uh tactical ballistic vest systems, um, which in plain language is just our body armor that we wear on SWOT operations.

The last vests were bought in 2015, uh, and the warranty on those vests is about five years, and that includes the hard rifle plates and then the soft armor back or behind those plates.

Um typically it's a five-year shelf life.

Uh, we try to stretch that out because these are designed for daily use in military environments so we can get more out of that uh as a police department.

So we try to be responsible and not actually replace them every five years, but they do degrade uh through use, um, exposure to water and things like that, and it's just time.

Uh we were a little overdue, and then we had the opportunity to purchase these when this grant came up.

Um so right now we have 25 operators, uh, members of the team.

We also have three doctors on staff with the team, and they're also required to have vests because they embed with us on calls.

Um, so we have to protect them just like uh we do with us, so that's why you see 28 instead of 25.

New one?

Alderman Sullivan.

Thank you.

Um just looking at the uh the contract, just for clarification.

Shaw concepts is the manufacturer and Lionhart is the distributor of the bests.

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

Go on.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye.

Motion passes.

Next communication from Amy Gerard purchasing manager.

Uh Alderman Sullivan.

Yeah, so I skipped one, so I have to go back.

Apologies.

Uh I'd like to make a motion to accept place on file and award a contract to nocturn industries for the purchase of four vision binoculars, night vision binoculars in the amount not to exceed 29,729 cents.

Funding will be through Department 150 police department fund homeland security grant, 71 equipment.

So currently, again, we have 25 operators, and right now all the operators are running monocular night vision devices, those are just single tube.

Uh you look through with one eye.

Um, and the last time we bought those, I think was five or six years ago, uh, to just plus up our inventory, make sure everybody had night vision.

Um they've been working okay.

Uh the disadvantage to the monocular device is a lack of depth perception, um, and it's just really difficult to wear them for extended missions because it strains your eye more than a dual tube system, uh, which is uh a system that goes in front of both eyes.

Um and this really kind of came to light.

Uh I'm sure you all heard about the incident in Raymond uh several months ago where there was the manhunt uh in the woods, and we were sent to relieve some of the teams uh that were already on scene.

Um we actually it was resolved before we had to get involved, but in speaking with the guys that were there.

Um some have binoculars and some have the dual tube systems, and uh we just really were prepared to be on an extended deployment like that with the binocular systems.

Um, so we're currently working on getting all 25 operators dual tube systems, um, and the first phase of that project is converting um 12 sets of the monoculars into dual tube systems.

So we'll send 12 monoculars to nocturn and then take the internals out and they put them in dual tube housings.

So they're able to convert our single tubes to dual tubes, and then also on there you'll see a purchase of three true dual tube systems uh that come that way from the factory.

Uh those are a little bit different.

Um we were able to afford three nicer ones uh with the grant allotment.

Um, and the difference between those will be the the ones that are converting are going to be manual gains or manual adjustment to account for the light coming into the devices and the three true duals that we're gonna be purchasing are auto beams, so the uh so the guys don't have to mess with the settings as we're walking through the woods at night.

Alderwoman Clee.

Uh thank you.

Um, somewhat related to this.

The is this like the other, I should say, are both of these that you've come and spoken to, these are uh purchased on grants, correct?

Correct, yes.

With no um city funding on that, it's a hundred percent grants, or is there with the uh night vision devices?

Yes.

Um I don't have the exact figure in front of me, um, but it's about eight hundred dollars, I think, that were exceeding the grant, so it would be a small amount of city funding.

Okay, okay.

But it's it's primarily the grant money.

I think the vast majority is money, yes, that's correct.

And uh and the best is all grant money.

Thank you.

I would approve the city money, but I just wanted to so for those listening know that this is mostly being paid out of grants.

So thank you.

Alderman Sullivan.

Thank you.

Um I noticed we picked a New Hampshire company for this.

Yes, sir.

Are these parts made in the U.S.?

Yes, part of our grant specifications where all the parts were made in manufacturing in the United States.

Fantastic.

Thank you.

Alder Woman Smith.

Yeah, and my question is I I can appreciate that there might be some cost savings with the um adapting of the single visions to the double visions.

Is there any reason we're not able to, other than financial, I guess, to just get all of the dual vision, which were automatically adjust?

Sure, it's really financial.

We're trying to get the most bang for our buck with the grant allotment.

Um, phase two of this project, we're trying to get up more of the you know the nicer ones.

Um practically, there's not a huge difference, so um, it would be nice if everyone have the nicest ones.

Um, kind of like with everything we do, we have to make compromises.

So that was just a compromise we made in this project.

Okay.

Thank you.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

Next communication from Amy Gerard, purchasing manager Alderman Sullivan.

Yes, I'd like to make a motion to accept place on file and award a contract to Haywood Associates Incorporation.

DBA Trans Corps Info Technologies for the purchase and installation of mobile wireless routers, antennas, and docking stations for iPads and 14 vehicles within the fire department fleet in the amount not to exceed 39,844.93 cents.

Funding will be through Department 152 fire rescue fund, general fund 71 equipment.

Hi, good evening, Adam Plea, assistant fire chief, Nashville Fire.

Uh so we're looking to upgrade our mobile data terminals.

These are the terminals that are in all of our apparatus.

Uh it's about a 12-inch screen, sits in the cab, and it provides us on the way to the call with call information, uh, nearest hydrant location, information about the buildings, such as you know, fire alarm panel location, gas shutoffs, things like that.

Um the ones that we have currently were installed 2011-2012-ish time frame.

Um they don't work outside of the vehicle.

Uh they're starting to age out and fail.

We have a lot of connectivity issues.

Uh the two new apparatus that we've purchased this year.

We have upgraded to the new system, which eliminates the old-style MDTs and replaces them with iPads.

A lot more functional.

They work outside of the apparatus.

They have a range of about 300 feet away from the truck.

Uh we can use them to take on-scene photos.

You press a button, upload photos directly to the report.

Um we're using them on EMS calls to do patient care reports to process patient refusals.

I mean, this technology we're using every single day.

So again, we got it on our two new apparatus.

It's been working fantastic, and we want to upgrade our remaining fleet to these.

Right.

Anyone?

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye.

Motion passes.

Next communication from Amy Gerard purchasing manager Alderman Sullivan.

I'd like to make a motion to accept place on file, award a contract to Peter De Salvo contracting LLC for replacing the roof at fire alarm station three and the repair/slash partial replacement of the roof at station two and also including a contingency amount of $50,000, which will cover any unknowns in the amount not to exceed $552,795 and 37 cents.

Funding will be through Department 152 Fire Rescue Fund Bond 54 property services.

Yes.

Go ahead, please.

Okay.

This is a continuation of our uh roof projects.

We've finished the roof replacement over at station six.

Uh we did that one first.

That was the most critical, and that one we knew ahead of time had significant amounts of asbestos abatement that had to be done.

Um so we did that project first.

It took a little bit longer than we expected because we did it through the winter, and as you know, we had a little more traditional winter this past year, so there were some delays.

Uh so again, these are the next ones.

It's our fire alarm center at 38 Lake Street, and that's a complete roof replacement.

Uh the main part of the building is peaked roof asphalt shingles.

There is a low slope uh rubber membrane roof off the back, and that's where uh the AC condensers are for our HVAC system.

So there's a little bit extra cost with this roof because those have to be removed.

Roofs done, and then they get reinstalled.

Uh the Spitbrook Road station, which is station three.

That's a complete replacement on the original portion of the building, so that's the 1978 build.

Um because it falls in the 1978 year where we're kind of getting towards the end of asbestos.

We just finished up a few weeks ago environmental survey on that.

There was a couple small areas of asbestos that they have to abate, but for the most part that's clean.

And station two over at Lake Street.

Um, we have some significant water issues where some of the peaks and valleys of the roof meet.

We have a lot of intrusion into the building, so that's gonna require uh removal of some of the standing seam metal roof, some of the siding, so that they can see what the scope of the damage is, repair the damage, replace the siding, replace the roof section, add some gutters, and shed the water away from the building.

So those are the three projects.

And is all the work on um Lake Street covered by this by this contract?

Yes.

Okay.

Alderman Sullivan.

Thank you.

How long will the roofs last?

They should be good, 25 to 30 years.

Okay.

Uh follow-up, please.

Yeah.

In the contract to mention there was an affidavit for insurance.

I don't remember seeing it in there.

We're all set on that.

Yes.

Before the contract is signed and awarded, they will provide um proof of insurance and a performance bond for the project and a payment bond for all of their subs.

Okay, thank you.

And that cost for those bonds is included in the pricing.

Okay, thank you very much.

All right, all those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

Next communication from Amy Girard purchasing manager.

Alderman Sullivan.

I'd like to make a motion to accept place on file and award a contract to charter contracting for the construction of 735 feet of landfill perimeter litter fence on the east side of the phase four landfill in the amount not to exceed 278,250 dollars.

Funding will be through Department 168 Solid Waste Fund, Bond 54 property services.

And I believe and Mr.

LaFleur is on the is on Zoom.

Yes, sir.

Chef LaFur Superintendent.

Uh, this is uh exactly what it says is that it's uh an extension of our fitter control fence, which DES is requiring us to do the open phase four.

All right, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed motion passes.

Next communication from Amy Girard purchasing manager, Alderman Sullivan.

I'd like to make a motion to accept place on file and approve change order number one with electrical installations LLC for installing and programming a new uh SCADA slash telemetry panel on the phase four landfill leachite pump house in the amount not to exceed 58,586.32 cents.

Funding will be through Department 168 Solid Waste Fund Bond 54 property services.

Deflect solid waste.

So this uh this is gonna tie all of our landfills together in one SCADA system so we can um be able to look at on the cloud and computer and be able to get any alarms or notifications that are needed to report to DES.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye motion passes.

Next communication from Amy Girard purchasing manager Alderman Sullivan.

Yes, I'd like to make a motion to accept place on file and approve change order number five with charter contracting company for additional costs related to the phase four stage one landfill construction project in the amount not to exceed ninety-eight thousand seven hundred eighty-six dollars twenty-eight cents.

Funding will be through Department 168 solid waste fund, bond 54 property services.

Jeff LaFleur Super So this uh this is the last change order.

I'm happy to say for uh phase four landfill.

Uh this was mostly 90 percent of the this cost is from delayed DES getting us approvals.

In fact, the the one that we did for the litter fence was one of the holdups that took some extra time for us to get approvals.

So uh this the last change order with charter, and we should be able to open our early July August.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

Next communication from Amy Gerard Purchasing Manager Alderman Sullivan.

I'd like to make a motion to accept place on file and award a contract to seal coating inc DBA Indus for the 2026 pavement preservation program that includes approximately 60 miles of streets and microservicing of selected roads and the amount not to exceed 894,875 dollars.

Funding will be through Department 160 admin engineering fund bond 54 property services.

Mr.

Hudson?

Uh thank you.

Good evening, Dan Hudson, City Engineer.

So an important part of our paving program is preserving roads that have been paved, uh trying to get the long jet longevity of life out of them.

Um so we every year we've done this crack sealing program.

This year we're ramping it up a little bit, trying to uh address more streets given the amount of we've recently paid.

But our goal as stated in the motion is to pave about 60 miles of streets, not paved, sorry, crack seal to preserve that.

And in addition, we're gonna try some preservation treatments where we provide uh basically a uh a surface layer over some of the pavements that are in fairly good condition, but could use an awareness course.

Um be happy to address any questions.

Alderwoman Clee.

Uh thank you.

Um, just kind of like a quick question here.

So this preservation and seal cracking and microservicing, is that of roads that we recently done that we're taking care of?

Are these a road that we see the little black squiggles on and so on?

Um so it would be some that we've done probably two or three years ago, and then some probably even older than that.

Um, so it's a variety of ages of roadway.

I'd say if a road is uh even if it's uh older but still has good shape and this conditions okay, but it has some cracks.

We want to seal those cracks, keep the water out, just like the roof on your house, water into the roadway creates damage through frost activity and other things.

So it is a variety of roadways.

The city through this 10-year paving program, we've paved uh lots of roads and um in the early parts of the program is time to make sure we preserve those, try to get as much life as out of them as we can.

So, yeah, it is a variety of roads.

Thank you.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

Next communication from Amy Girard purchasing manager Alderman Sullivan.

I'd like to make a motion to play to accept place on file and approve change order number seven with crisp contracting relative to the 2025 sewer replacement project for construction of manholes and raise manhole covers to grade, support sewer lining efforts, and provide emergency sewer repairs as needed in the amount not to exceed one million dollars.

Funding will be through Department 160 admin engineering fund bond 54 property services.

So this is uh contract.

We currently have a crisp contracting in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Um, in 2025, we bid out some sewer work.

Um it was a combination of work that we knew we needed to do, but then also kind of an open contract for anything that comes along the way.

Um, if we have a problem with a sewer main, we need to be able to quickly address it.

So having somebody uh not so much on a retainer, but having an agreement with somebody and funding available to quickly respond to issues is important.

We've amended this contract once adding in another million dollars.

That was uh either late last year or early this year, giving the scope of what we currently have in front of us.

We're envisioning we're gonna we need to do that again to get through the remainder of this year.

So we're seeking to uh further amend the contract um to add in another million dollars again for some things that we know, but some things that we don't know of uh but that were likely to occur.

I'd be happy to address any questions.

Alderman Johnson.

Thank you very much.

So do we have any of this work done in-house?

Like I if we do it one time in-house.

So yes, we do.

Um it kind of depends on the situation.

So, like we had one the other day, it was 15 feet deep.

It really wasn't something that uh is well suited for our crews and our equipment to take on.

So but but our our crews are capable, they do make repairs on occasion.

When we get into the bigger stuff, the deeper stuff, or depending on what's going on.

We have a lot of things under construction at DPW all the time.

Um they're not they're not always quickly able to respond.

In the winter, we're all geared up for snow operations, so uh we wouldn't be you know, we'd have to remove snow equipment from vehicles to be able to go out there and use them for sewer repair, which occur at all times of year.

So it is it is a mix um, but the larger stuff, the time critical stuff, um, we tend to contract out.

Yes, Alderman Johnson.

Thank you.

So um, when would you say that we would use them more when was the last time we used the city employees to um work on this that we used to do?

Um I don't I don't know exactly the last time when uh you know when things come in they get kind of triaged and we make a decision.

Um city forces we tend to use more for the short term.

Uh you know, we have a uh single family you know sewer service that has a problem in the right-of-way that you know through ordinance we have an arrangement that we go repair, they do that kind of kind of thing.

But if we need to go replace you know 100 feet of sewer main in a pub busy public street, that's not something that typically we would have our our guys do.

Thank you.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Yes.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

Next communication from Amy Gerard Purchasing Manager, Alderman Sullivan.

That was a big sneeze.

I'm gonna need a second.

All right.

I'd like to make a motion to accept place on file and approve change order number one to the 2026 paving program contract two with sunshine paving for additional sidewalk work and drainage improvements in the amount not to exceed $350,000.

Funding will be through Department 161 streets and 169 wastewater fund bond 54 property services.

So we're seeking to uh do a change order here with Sunshine Paving.

There they are our uh contractor on board for our paving program.

Um part of the paving work, we do all kinds of uh supporting work, we rebuild uh uh ADA ramps and things related to the paving.

We uh occasionally make some uh drainage repairs and things.

In this case, we're seeking to make some improvements on Ledge Street in the vicinity of the Ledge Street Elementary School.

Um we'd received a grant for some through the C D D B G program for some rectangular rapid flashing beacons for a couple of those crossings near the school.

Um to really do this right, we we would like to reconstruct the the sidewalk ramps uh you know, build to some bump outs uh to a small degree there in and around the school.

Um so we we and also there's some drainage issues uh in around the school, and uh there's there's some drainage of sheets off and ponds uh near the playground at the at that elementary school, which is actually a memorial park property.

Um so given given that uh we know we want to make these repairs, it makes sense that to this contractor uh we have have these items already scoped as they're in their contract in terms of unit prices and whatnot.

Um we uh and we want to do this work in a short period uh between the time when school's out, schools back in because we won't want to be uh working uh in and around school operations there.

So um, so we're proposing to bring them in under change order to do that work.

The work won't be funded by the paving program, though we're pulling funding from some some sidewalk funds that we have as well as some drainage funds we have.

So although we're using this contract contractor under this contract, uh it's not the paving dollars that are funding this work.

So be happy to address any questions about that work.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye opposed.

Motion passes.

Next communication from Amy Girard purchasing manager, Alderman Sullivan.

Yes, I'd like to make a motion to accept place on file and approve the purchase of 12 UNIX traffic signal controllers from Ocean State Signal in the amount not to exceed 35,400.

Funding will be through Department 160 admin engineering fund, Amher Street Traffic Mitigation 74 equipment.

Uh so we re we received a reach out from our one of our signal contractors about the opportunity to purchase some traffic signal controllers uh at a reduced price, about 40% discount versus the normal pricing.

Um the uh the the we and what we're proposing is to do that for the Airhart Street corridor.

Some of the equipment out there is is aged.

Traffic signal controllers basically the computer brain in the in the cabinet uh that runs the signal operation.

Um just like your computer at home, periodically uh those should be updated to current version.

Um so that's what this would do.

We would uh purchase uh new ones, current models, the ones that are in the street.

If they're um older models, they can still serve as some back line equipment in case we have a weather issue or something that takes out an intersection or you know a vehicle crashes in one of our cabinets or something creates damage.

We can use these uh as spares um to uh deploy.

Um the timing of this uh seemed appropriate because we are wrapping up a project to run fire bear optic the rest of the way out the Amherst corridor and tie in all the signals into fiber optic.

Previously, that whole system was on like carp old cop repair connectivity, um, and it is a coordinated signal system.

So we're we're upgrading the communications, seems like a good time to upgrade the equipment in the cabinets.

Um the latest versions of the controllers, they can do some things that are current conversions can't in terms of future uh connected vehicle um operations and various things like that.

So we're not building all that out at this time, but these will give us capability to do that.

Um be happy to address any questions about this.

Alderwoman Clee.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, where Amherst Street is also a state highway.

Is there any state funding as part of this, or is this all on the city?

Um so this is uh this is all in the city.

This purchase basically is through uh traffic corridor account funds, so funds that uh developers have paid in as mitigation for um for their incremental traffic impact to the network.

So it's not in one sense it's not city funds, it's kind of funds that have been paid into the city and dedicated for for purposes of improving traffic operations along these corridors.

So uh so from that standpoint, city funds.

There the uh it is a state number route, but a portion well, a good part of it's in the urban compact.

The state has a future project plan on Amherst Street, but it's uh further out to the to the west end of Amherst Street.

Um so and and that whatever we you know, whatever we do now uh will supplement that.

But there'd be plenty of work I'm anticipating to do regardless with that project.

So we're just seizing upon an opportunity here to buy buy these at a reduced price and implement them and um we think they'll serve the city well.

May I?

Yes.

I uh no, I I agree, and I I've got no issue with that.

Um and but I heard you mention the word urban compact.

Um correct me if I'm wrong.

That means that all of the municipalities along the route kind of agree.

Is that what that urban compact is?

Urban compact is areas that previously could have been state highway, state numbered routes, but it's we're within the defined area that the municipality is is uh now has a responsibility to maintain.

So most of the roads in Ashua, you know, with the exception of the Turnpay, Canry Burke Highway, um, uh, and some other you know sections um are pretty much all our responsibility to to undertake and maintain.

So uh I'm just what I guess what I was saying was even though it's state numbered routes still are our area of responsibility.

Okay, thank you very much.

I appreciate that.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

Next communication from Amy Girard purchasing manager, Alderman Sullivan.

I'd like to make a motion to accept place on file and award a contract to reconstruct the Greeley Park waiting pool to Weston and Sampson.

The amount not to exceed 298,200.

Funding will be through Department 177 parks fund 50 bond 54 property services.

And um Mr.

Conan is on Zoom.

Good evening everyone.

Brian Conant, Superintendent of the Parks Department.

The current waiting pool at Greeley Park was constructed sometime in the 1950s.

After we had already repaired it, those cracks are allowing just too much water to leak from the waiting pool to keep it open.

We put this out to bid.

Weston and Sampson was the low bid.

It was another local company from Nashua who was in the 10%.

We do feel that Weston and Sampson is going to be able to do most of this project in house, which I think will be beneficial to the city moving forward.

And they just have more experience with jobs of this scope or even bigger than this scope, which is why I'm recommending we move forward with them.

I'd be happy to answer any questions on this if there are any.

Okay, thank you.

All right.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Motion passes.

Next communication from Amy Girard Purchasing Manager, Alderman Sullivan.

I'd like to make a motion to accept place on file and award a contract for the installation of drop ceilings in five areas of the wastewater treatment facility to trusted maintenance solutions and the amount not to exceed $32,812.50.

Funding will be through Department 169 wastewater fund, wastewater fund 81 capital outlay improvements.

Mr.

Boucher.

Good evening, Dave Boucher, Wastewater Superintendent.

As it says, this is to replace well to install drop ceilings in our administration building at the wastewater plant.

We have five locations in the administration building.

So this is to replace that.

This project will also include uh putting in new LED lights.

Also includes some emergency lights that are built into the LED lights.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

New business or resolutions and ordinances.

We have none.

Uh tabled in committee.

R 2603.

Alderman Sullivan.

I'd like to make a motion to remove R26033 from the table.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Motion passes.

And now we have our 2603 before us.

Alderman Sullivan.

Authorizing the city of Nashua to enter into contracts with Sohegan Valley Transportation Collaborative, Nashua Community College, Brivi Area University, Town of Hudson, and Town of Merrimack for transit services.

I'd like to make a motion to recommend final passage.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Matt Sullivan, Community Development Director, here on behalf of our 26033.

Another annual request to the finance committee for the city to enter into five revenue contracts, in fact, with the entities identified in the title of the legislation.

These are really sort of two separate types of contracts.

The contracts with Riviera University, Nashua Community College, are part of our UPASS program where students actually show an ID and they're able to write our fixed route bus service for free.

Uh so those are sort of just uh it's a pass on to our existing buses that you see traveling throughout the city of Nashua on the fixed routes.

The other three contracts, Sohegan Valley Transit Collaborative, the Town of Hudson and Town of Merrimack, these are individual contracts for which we provide paratransit and ADA services outside of the city of Nashua.

Uh so we provide rides to individuals in the town of Hudson, individuals in the town of Merrimack, and individuals in the Sohegan Valley Transit Collaborative Geography, which is the Milford Wilton Amherst area.

And we give them rides into and out of the city of Nashua.

The rides have to correspond with destinations in the city of Nashua.

We don't give them rides amongst those communities.

We don't give residents in Hudson rides to Boston.

It's all sort of Nashua focused service, but getting folks to services and appointments that they need.

We've been in these contracts for many, many years.

There are modest increases to the uh the hourly contract values that are included in each of these five contracts to accommodate increases in our operational costs that you'll also see in the budget.

Together, these represent based on the hours that we typically do about $300,000 of revenue overall into the NTS budget that doesn't obviously come from the federal government.

Uh and we have a long-standing relationship with each of these entities.

Our service is absolutely critical.

They've been with us through some fairly substantial pricing increases that you all have seen over recent years as well.

But the service is critical for them.

They have seniors that have to get to appointments here in the city of Nashua, so we're always happy to provide the service, but uh again recognize that the costs are not necessarily uh shouldn't be borne by the city of Nashua taxpayers, and so we pass those on to uh these communities when they're paying for these as well.

So happy to answer any questions that you might have.

Uh the one that I'm not prepared to answer, I was thinking about this before I came up is the the number of rides for SVTC.

I don't know that off the top of my head.

Uh it's not in the contract either, but I can get that as a follow-up if anyone's interested.

I just I don't know, quite frankly, uh, but I can certainly find that answer if anyone's interested in the Sullivan.

Thank you.

Uh you you alluded to fare increases.

I in just looking through the contract, I didn't see anything red-lined or you know what the old contract was, what the new contract is.

Can you speak to what those increases are?

Yeah, so each one is uh is is slightly different, Alderman Sullivan.

So let me first talk about uh the UPass program.

The UPass program is actually staying stable.

Uh that is remaining the same.

We we have not made any changes there.

There haven't been any modifications to those costs.

Within the uh town of Merrimack and town of Hudson, both of those contracts have in fact gone up, I believe about uh $2 to 6398 hourly.

Uh so they've gone up slightly from the past year and they were agreeable to those costs.

There was a bit of negotiation there.

And then the SVTCA hourly rate of 8042.

And the reason that's so much higher, by the way, than the other than the 63 I just mentioned is because that where we're going is much farther away.

Um that's a slight modification, I think, also about two to three dollars over the previous year.

So some minor changes for those three contracts with other municipal groups, but for the UPASS program, it's really our f our fixed route service that we currently provide sit in the city of Nashua.

No changes there.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you for answering that.

Yeah, of course.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

Thank you.

Uh record of expenditures, Alderman Sullivan.

I'd like to make a motion that the finance committee has comp uh complied with the city charter and ordinances pertaining to the record of expenditures for the period from May 15, 2026 through May 28, 2026.

All those in favor of the motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

General discussion.

Any older woman Clee.

Uh thank you, uh Mr.

Mayor.

Um, I don't want to say anybody's thunder, but we have a um uh a lovely um woman here, and I'm and I'm hoping that she is going to be speaking about the Ludge Street um school community um playground.

Um, but I wanted to say um that um we we passed uh legislation or I should say um approved monies for the Greeley Park waiting pool, but that was all part of that um program that we had originally started with Greeley Park with the um the bathrooms as well as the um that and so on.

So I just want you know, I know that uh Ledge Street is in desperate need of this playground, so I just don't want them to think that we're picking one over another.

Um we need to um make sure that we do fund that when we possibly can.

Um and beyond that, I'm going to um I did kind of speak to her just a few minutes before the the meeting, and I and I said that there could be a delay of casino monies, but Mr.

Mayor, I'll leave that to you at another at another time.

But um I'm done.

Thank you.

I wanted to thank um Director Conan for the explanation on the waiting pool.

Um I was unsure how I was gonna vote on that because I do prefer a local vendor, but in you know, thinking that that that vendor was gonna have to uh farm out a lot of the work that I think can uh can cause a lot of problems, and we certainly it's a high profile project, and we certainly don't want to uh do shoddy work on it.

So uh I appreciate the explanation on that.

Any other anyone else?

All right, public comment.

Does anyone want to speak to the committee on any subject just please step up to the microphone, state your name and your town of residence, please?

Good evening.

My name is Michelle Mells.

Um I actually live in Lichfield, New Hampshire.

Um I am a 32-year veteran teacher at Ledge Street School, and I am the chairperson of the Ledge Street School PTO Playground Committee.

Um I I simply came tonight uh to support uh the city working on the flooding over at Memorial Park, which does directly impact our playground, um, as many of you have seen through videos or pictures.

So tonight I actually just came to say thank you.

Um thank you to the mayor and thank you to the city.

Uh thank you to the community, thank you to Plant Ops, everybody who has taken the time to come out and hear the story and have a better understanding of why we are in need.

Um so tonight I'm just simply here to say thank you.

And I look forward to the work being done.

Um, and I do understand that we are in some transition area with the funding and the money that the mayor so graciously um gave us.

We are continuing to work hard to raise some money to supplement, as everyone knows.

Playgrounds are extremely expensive.

Um they are mostly funded through PTOs, which is one of the biggest challenges.

Um where Ledge Street School is, and I've been there like I said, a very long time.

Um that has always been a challenge for us.

I do like to clear up when equipment breaks.

Most of the time, the PTO tries to raise the money to fix it.

Unfortunately, over the last 32 years I've been there.

Um sometimes equipment can't be replaced because it comes out of the school's budget.

Um and when it comes out of our budget for Ledge Street school, that can be detrimental for some of our students.

So taking five thousand dollars for a slide at some schools may not may not seem so challenging as far as a PTO fundraiser can raise $10,000 in a night at some of our schools.

I won't go on forever.

I could.

Uh so I just just simply came tonight to say thank you to every person, everyone who's come out, everyone who's listened, and I'm extremely optimistic that the first step is the flooding.

Um, and then the next step will start to be rebuild that playground.

Um, and simply here to say thank you and have a great night.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

All right.

Um I don't see any members, any other members of the public.

Uh yes, quickly just say something.

Yeah, of course.

Um I I wanted to correct a fact that I stayed Alderman Sullivan for the NTS revenue contract.

So I was just checking something.

We had three dollar increases across the three the three municipal contracts, not two dollars for Hudson and Merrimack.

And on the UPass, the ridership went up slightly, and so we did increase those based on the ridership, not the actual cost per ride.

So the the ridership has gone, we've sort of seen more ridership from those individuals, and so we actually increase the not to exceed for both of those contracts, one by two thousand dollars and one by three thousand dollars.

Okay.

We try to align the not to exceed value with how many folks are actually riding the service.

Okay.

We saw an increase in ridership.

So we didn't actually increase the cost per ride, we increased the not to exceed based on the rides we anticipate, if that makes sense.

So the cost per ride is this the exact same, right?

But we anticipate more ridership, so the maximum value of the contract went up.

So I just want to clarify that.

Thank you.

Thank you, clarifying.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Remarks by Alderman.

Alderwoman Clee.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I there's two things I want to say is I want to thank the um the PTO at Ledge Street for all the hard work that they're doing.

I know they're in a regrouping and um so on, but um I think it's a school that um there's a lot of really good heart there.

With a school that doesn't quite have as much high income people.

So I really want to say thank you and appreciate everything that you do.

And I appreciated our conversation.

And hopefully, you can get on the casinos radar soon and start getting some of that money as well.

And that was the tax bills that just went out on the social media.

There have been a lot of comments that the tax bills have gone up 8%.

That is not true.

The tax bills that we received are 50% of last year's tax bill.

The comments were made because on the new tax bill, there is a line that says interest 8%.

And that 8% is for those that don't pay their bills prior to July 1st.

And those that are struggling to pay their bills, there are certain tax deferral options that allows you to defer it at an interest rate of 5%.

You have to meet certain criteria, elderly, disabled, or uh undue hardship.

So you know, please contact your aldermen to see if they can help you understand that.

And I know that Treasurer Enright would also be very happy to help people.

So I just want to make it very clear the tax bills have not gone up eight percent.

I pray they don't in in when we find out in the fall, but we won't know the rate until then.

Um so for all those that are panicking that their bill went up eight percent.

Um I don't want to say it hasn't happened yet, but uh we don't know what the rate increase is going to be.

So thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

All right, any other remarks by Alderman?

If not, I will look to Alderwoman Clee.

Uh thank you.

Um I'd like to make a motion for adjournment.

All those in favor of the motion say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Motion passes, and the meeting of the finance committee is adjourned at 7.53 p.m.