OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Nashua Board of Aldermen Meeting - June 10, 2026

Board of Aldermen Meetings — Wednesday, June 10, 2026
BodyNashua, New Hampshire
SessionBoard of Aldermen Meetings
DateWednesday, June 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:33:59

Transcript — Verbatim
3:47

We'll always be for the betterment and greater happiness of all our fellow citizens.

3:51

So help us go on.

4:20

Yes, I am present.

4:22

I'm attending remotely.

4:24

I'm at home.

4:26

My wife is in the room with me, and the reason I'm uh here is because I am taking care of my wife who is out.

5:00

Alderman Johnson.

5:01

Present.

5:02

Alderwoman Kelly.

5:04

Here.

5:05

Alderman Morgan.

5:08

I am here.

5:09

I am attending remotely due to child care, and I can see and hear everyone, and I am alone.

5:15

Alderman Lopez.

5:17

Here.

5:17

I actually.

5:19

Aldman Wilshire.

5:20

Here.

5:21

13 present, two absent.

5:23

Thank you.

5:24

Also joining us this evening is Mayor Jim Donchis and Corporation Council Steve Bolton.

5:29

Mayor, did you wish to address the board this evening?

5:31

Yes, madam President.

5:33

Thank you.

5:34

Well, we had our public hearing last night on the fiscal 27 city budget.

5:40

I wanted to thank all of the residents who came out to speak about the budget or ask about it from various points of view.

5:48

And of course, the all of the department heads and division directors who came and were available for what turned out to be a pretty long meeting, like till about 11 o'clock.

6:01

But I think overall the room went well.

6:04

Alderman Senate did a well, did very well leading the meeting, and we missed Rick Dowd, but overall I thought it went pretty well.

6:18

Next, Madam President, I wanted to mention just briefly uh 26009.

6:24

That has to do with the designating which flags can fly in front of City Hall.

6:30

The amendment which we asked for would include also the Betsy Ross flag, which we want to fly on July 4th, the 250th anniversary of the of the country, and I want to thank the infrastructure committee for making that amendment.

6:53

Madam President, we have the Pride Parade and Pride Festival coming up on Saturday, June 20th.

7:01

The parade begins at 1.30 p.m.

7:03

at the top of Library Hill.

7:05

We'll leave from the soldiers and sailors monument area, down Amher Street to Holman Stadium, and then in what we call Don Newcomway to the stadium.

7:19

And at the stadium, the National Downtown Association will be hosting the festival that will go on for a number of hours.

7:37

Tickets will also be available at the entrance, but it's better to reserve in advance just to make sure that things aren't filled up.

7:58

Given by Vices Inc.

7:59

at 7.30 p.m.

8:02

A couple other things, Madam President.

8:04

There is the Taste of Downtown is coming up on June 17th.

8:09

That's from 5.30 to 7:30 p.m.

8:13

Tickets are available are at 45 and they're now available on the downtown Nashua Association website.

8:21

And finally, we are having a community blood drive on Tuesday, June 23rd, from 9.30 to 5.30 here in City Hall up in the auditorium.

8:32

This is being sponsored by the city's employment employee wellness program.

8:38

Everybody is welcome.

8:40

And appointments can be scheduled through the city website for anybody who wishes to uh donate blood.

8:46

And those who do that uh will each receive a $15 gift certificate and the chance to win a $7500 prize.

8:56

So anybody who's interested should uh sign up.

9:00

And uh that's all I have, Madam President.

9:02

Thank you.

9:03

Response to Mark Mayor.

9:05

Alderman Keeble.

9:06

Thank you, Madam President.

9:07

Um I don't often praise the mayor because I'll get in trouble and people say I'm a bobblehead for Mayor Donchus, but uh I do want to say that you did a good job handling uh the the long meeting last night um and also the department heads who came up and spoke.

9:21

I thought they did a really nice job of answering the questions that were posed.

9:25

Um the one thing I'll say is is is it's still in this day and age to see people come up and speak about anti-trans and racist language and anti special education students.

9:37

I think is just awful.

9:39

Um to have to hear that last night is just it it really was a bad thing for the people for people to say those things.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Homelessness████████████████████████24%
Public Safety███████████████15%
Procedural██████████████14%
Public Engagement█████████9%
Procurement Processes█████████9%
Cannabis Regulation█████████9%
Community Engagement██████6%
Personnel Matters████4%
Technology and Innovation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Nashua Board of Aldermen Meeting - June 10, 2026

The Nashua Board of Aldermen convened on June 10, 2026, with 13 members present and two absent. The meeting covered a range of topics including a budget public hearing recap, flag ordinances, a secondhand dealer regulation amendment, homelessness and camping ban concerns, and approval of several contracts and grants. The board also addressed public comments on anti-trans rhetoric and community events.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved a $1 million change order (No. 7) for the 2025 sewer replacement project (Crisp Contracting) for manhole construction and emergency repairs (unanimous, 14-0).
  • Adopted Resolution R-26-033 authorizing transit service contracts with the Sohegan Valley Transportation Collaborative, Nashua Community College, Rivier University, and the towns of Hudson and Merrimack (unanimous).
  • Adopted Resolution R-26-036 adopting the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy and Resilience (C-PACER) program (unanimous).
  • Adopted Resolution R-26-037 authorizing deed waivers for certain properties, as amended (9-4).
  • Adopted Ordinance O-26-007 amending unaffiliated employee personnel policies to add a medical insurance opt-out stipend (13-1).
  • Adopted Ordinance O-26-009 regarding flags on city hall grounds, as amended, including the Betsy Ross flag (unanimous).
  • Approved Resolution R-26-042 accepting $762,788 in grant funds from the NH Department of Health and Human Services for public health and community service grant activities, after suspending the rules (unanimous).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Ben Heaney (Nashua) criticized the board for failing to address homelessness and called for repeal of the camping ban, expansion of shelter, and exemption of nonprofits from commercial kitchen licensing.
  • Captain Clark Gephardt (Nashua Police Department) opposed amendments to the secondhand dealer ordinance (O-26-012), stating the current reporting and holding requirements are essential tools for recovering stolen property. He urged modernization rather than exemption.
  • Chris Hayes (Nashua) spoke in favor of a resource center but urged repeal of the camping ban, calling it inhumane.
  • Kenneth Duset (Nashua, unhoused) pleaded with the board to rescind the camping ban, noting his own uncertain housing situation.
  • Matt Du Bois (Nashua, Southern NH DSA/NH Mutual Relief Fund) criticized aldermen who voted for the camping ban, argued it criminalizes poverty, and called for funding the resource center and repealing the ban.
  • Cameron Schofield (Nashua) denounced the camping ban as modern-day slavery, citing the 13th Amendment.
  • Rolf Van Bieber (former Nashua resident) shared his experience sleeping in a car and argued that fining the homeless is punitive.
  • Bob Keating (Nashua) discussed homelessness, noting the 22nd anniversary of the city's homeless fund, and urged the board to allocate significant funding for permanent housing.
  • Stephen Scarf (Nashua) made anti-trans statements, challenging board members on gender ideology and criticizing the Pride Festival.

Discussion Items

  • Secondhand Dealer Ordinance (O-26-012): The board debated a proposal to exempt collectibles dealers (e.g., sports memorabilia, comic books) from the 30-day holding period and reporting requirements. Supporters argued the law is outdated and harms brick-and-mortar businesses, while opponents (including the police department) said it would hinder theft investigations. A motion to re-refer to the Personnel and Administrative Affairs Committee passed 8-6 after a failed 7-7 tie vote to re-refer earlier. The ordinance will be reconsidered in committee.
  • Virtual Meeting Participation Ordinance (O-26-011): Proponents argued for transparency requiring video presence, while opponents cited bandwidth issues and practical concerns. The ordinance was indefinitely postponed (13-1).
  • Alderman Compensation Ordinance (O-26-014): Debated tying stipends to attendance. Several aldermen argued it was a personal attack and that attendance policies are unnecessary. The ordinance was indefinitely postponed (13-1).

Key Outcomes

  • O-26-012 (secondhand dealer definition) re-referred to committee (8-6).
  • O-26-008 (traffic calming on Middle Dunstable Road) indefinitely postponed (unanimous).
  • O-26-010 (electronic devices at meetings) indefinitely postponed (13-1).
  • O-26-011 (virtual meeting participation) indefinitely postponed (13-1).
  • O-26-014 (alderman compensation) indefinitely postponed (13-1).
  • Joint convention with Edgewood Cemetery Board elected trustees Kyle Andre and Tom Mappy (unanimous).
  • Board of Health appointment of Christian Jimenez confirmed (sworn in).
  • Reappointment of Stephanie Ballantine to the Greeley Park Advisory Committee confirmed.
  • First readings assigned for new business: R-26-041 (teachers union contract), R-26-043 (cell tower lease), R-26-044 (budget), R-26-045 (lease agreement), O-26-015 (no parking on Selena Avenue), O-26-016 (stop sign on Pinebrook Road).
  • Public hearing scheduled for June 18, 2026, on the budget.
  • Remarks by members included acknowledgments of the upcoming Pride Festival (June 20), a community blood drive (June 23), and the Tree Streets Block Party rescheduled to July 11. Several aldermen expressed commitment to addressing homelessness and supporting the resource center.

Meeting Transcript

We'll always be for the betterment and greater happiness of all our fellow citizens. So help us go on. Yes, I am present. I'm attending remotely. I'm at home. My wife is in the room with me, and the reason I'm uh here is because I am taking care of my wife who is out. Alderman Johnson. Present. Alderwoman Kelly. Here. Alderman Morgan. I am here. I am attending remotely due to child care, and I can see and hear everyone, and I am alone. Alderman Lopez. Here. I actually. Aldman Wilshire. Here. 13 present, two absent. Thank you. Also joining us this evening is Mayor Jim Donchis and Corporation Council Steve Bolton. Mayor, did you wish to address the board this evening? Yes, madam President. Thank you. Well, we had our public hearing last night on the fiscal 27 city budget. I wanted to thank all of the residents who came out to speak about the budget or ask about it from various points of view. And of course, the all of the department heads and division directors who came and were available for what turned out to be a pretty long meeting, like till about 11 o'clock. But I think overall the room went well. Alderman Senate did a well, did very well leading the meeting, and we missed Rick Dowd, but overall I thought it went pretty well. Next, Madam President, I wanted to mention just briefly uh 26009. That has to do with the designating which flags can fly in front of City Hall. The amendment which we asked for would include also the Betsy Ross flag, which we want to fly on July 4th, the 250th anniversary of the of the country, and I want to thank the infrastructure committee for making that amendment. Madam President, we have the Pride Parade and Pride Festival coming up on Saturday, June 20th. The parade begins at 1.30 p.m. at the top of Library Hill. We'll leave from the soldiers and sailors monument area, down Amher Street to Holman Stadium, and then in what we call Don Newcomway to the stadium. And at the stadium, the National Downtown Association will be hosting the festival that will go on for a number of hours. Tickets will also be available at the entrance, but it's better to reserve in advance just to make sure that things aren't filled up. Given by Vices Inc. at 7.30 p.m. A couple other things, Madam President. There is the Taste of Downtown is coming up on June 17th. That's from 5.30 to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available are at 45 and they're now available on the downtown Nashua Association website. And finally, we are having a community blood drive on Tuesday, June 23rd, from 9.30 to 5.30 here in City Hall up in the auditorium. This is being sponsored by the city's employment employee wellness program. Everybody is welcome. And appointments can be scheduled through the city website for anybody who wishes to uh donate blood. And those who do that uh will each receive a $15 gift certificate and the chance to win a $7500 prize. So anybody who's interested should uh sign up.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com