Nashua Ad Hoc Budget Committee Meeting: School & Hydro Updates - June 12, 2026
Nashua Ad Hoc Budget Committee Meeting: School & Hydro Updates - June 12, 2026
The Ad Hoc Budget Committee of the Nashua Board of Aldermen met on June 12, 2026, to receive presentations from the School Department and Community Development Division. The School Department presented capital project needs, including roof replacements, paving, security upgrades, and a facility master plan. Community Development presented on the city's hydroelectric facilities, covering power generation, operating costs, debt service, and required fish passage upgrades. Key discussions centered on the condition of school buildings, the pending Herman Study on potential school closures, the financial viability of the hydro facilities, and the need for further meetings to finalize a capital plan.
School Department Presentation – Sean Smith
Sean Smith, representing the School Department, presented an overview of capital needs. The district manages over 2 million square feet across 382 acres, with approximately 9,700 students and 2,400 staff as of October. He highlighted four schools (Bicentennial, Dr. Crisp, Mount Pleasant, and New Searles) that were renovated at least 30 years ago—the typical interval between major renovations—and are now due for significant work.
Completed Deferred Maintenance (Recent)
- Resurfaced North High School track
- Paved portion of North High School Titan Way
- Conducted roof repairs at various schools
- Replaced PA/bell systems at two high schools
- Resurfaced tennis courts at both high schools
- Paved bus loop and parent pickup/drop-off loop at Soheegan Drive (parking lots not yet touched)
Current Deferred Maintenance Projects
- Replacing fire alarm system at Bice Elementary (original system failed multiple times this winter; bid out, award expected this month, funded from deferred maintenance)
- Replacing HVAC at school administration building (original to 1990; bid out, award expected this month)
- Partial roof replacement at Fairgrounds Elementary (or continuing North High School paving)
Top Three Capital Projects
- Bicentennial Elementary Roof Replacement (estimated $1.9 million, vendor estimate; petroleum prices affect rubber roof cost): Roof leaks occur with heavy rain. Smith noted that existing bond monies ($1.6 million) from closed school projects can be repurposed without impacting the FY27 budget. Design would occur in FY27 (cost ~$200,000), construction in FY28-FY29.
- North High School Paving Completion ($1.4 million remaining): Can be done via deferred maintenance or as a single project.
- District-wide Security System Upgrade ($500,000 per year for two years): Original system installed around 2012; components are obsolete.
Facility Master Plan
- Funded through deferred maintenance, a facility master plan is being developed to project future needs (roofs, mechanical, curriculum, enrollment). Three public forums held; final report expected mid-to-late summer.
- Preliminary data forecasts $24 million over 12 years (~$2 million/year) for ADA, safety/security, and environmental controls (top priorities).
School Closure Study (Herman Study)
- Superintendent Dr. Mauricio Andrade stated recommendations are expected this summer, with community outreach and potential School Board decision by September/October.
- Alderman Kelly raised concern about investing capital in a school that might be closed. Smith replied that the plan may adjust if closures occur.
Community Development Presentation – Hydroelectric Facilities
Community Development Director Matt Sullivan and Sustainability Manager Deb Chisholm presented on the Mine Falls and Jackson Mills hydroelectric facilities. The presentation covered power generation history, expenses, revenues, regulatory requirements, and proposed capital upgrades.
Power Generation Data (Historical)
- Mine Falls (two turbines, built mid-1980s): Average annual generation of just over 11 million kWh (enough for ~1,000 homes). City bought lease in 2016; applied for new 40-year FERC license in 2018 (original license expired 2023, operating under extension pending new license).
- Jackson Mills (one turbine, built mid-1980s): Average ~4.1 million kWh per year (~385 homes). City acquired in 2014. Received FERC amendment to license exemption in 2023; completed turbine/generator/controls replacement in July 2025 ($6.5 million).
Expenses and Revenues (2018-March 2026)
- Operations and maintenance (paid to Essex Hydro) covers ~90% of general fund budget; remainder covers port-a-potty rentals, trash hauling, communications.
- Average annual revenues from power generation and renewable energy credits: ~$1.5 million combined.
- Current debt service payments (on existing bonds) are approximately $889,000 annually; these payments would continue even if hydro operations ceased.
FERC-Required Fish Passage Upgrades
- Jackson Mills: Requires both upstream and downstream fish passage. 30% design complete; combined project expected to cost less than the separate estimates of $4.4 million (upstream) + $3.17 million (downstream) = $7.57 million.
- Mine Falls: Requires downstream fish passage only (upstream fish elevator is acceptable). Conceptual design initiated early 2025.
Cost Scenarios (Preliminary Estimates)
| Scenario | Jackson | Mine Falls (downstream + turbine replacement) | Total | |----------|---------|-----------------------------------------------|-------| | 1: Traditional Turbine + Fish Passage | Upstream & downstream fish passage | Downstream fish passage + traditional turbine replacement | ~$33 million | | 2: Fish-Friendly Turbine | Upstream & downstream fish passage (as above) | Fish-friendly turbine replacement (no downstream fish passage needed) | ~$27.5 million (savings of ~$5 million) |
The $3 million and $17 million figures for Mine Falls are placeholders, not engineering estimates. Fish-friendly turbines are new technology (only two installations in the U.S.); five or six New England hydro facilities are evaluating them. If feasible, fish-friendly turbines would eliminate the need for downstream fish passage because fish can swim through safely.
Financial Outlook and Discussion
- Deb Chisholm confirmed that taking on new debt for these upgrades would put the hydro operations in the red (i.e., revenues would not cover total debt service + O&M). Currently, the facilities operate in the black (profit) but that surplus would not support new debt payments.
- Alderman Clee asked for analysis of costs if facilities were closed (debt service would remain, plus potential unknown costs for dam safety and fish passage obligations). Director Sullivan acknowledged the city is exploring all options (closure, sale, continued operation) but stated his preliminary recommendation is to retain and operate the assets due to revenue and green power benefits.
- Alderman Kelly inquired about potential buyers; Chisholm noted that buyers would exist but would inherit fish passage requirements, making sale less attractive.
Key Outcomes & Next Steps
- The School Department will provide updated cost estimates after receiving the final facility master plan report (expected mid-to-late summer) and after the Herman Study recommendations (summer).
- Community Development will continue the fish-friendly turbine feasibility study (results expected by January) and plan to return to the committee on June 18 to discuss other division priorities.
- The committee will meet again on June 18, 2026 (agenda: admin services, financial services, and continuation of community development). A second meeting is tentatively scheduled for the week of June 22, 2026 (likely June 23 or June 25), pending availability.
- The goal is to present an updated capital plan to the Ad Hoc Budget Committee in early July, with a target of presenting to the full Board of Aldermen by July 14, 2026.
- No votes were taken; the meeting was adjourned at 6:59 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. Sometimes it's just phone won't do it. Okay. Apologies. Uh starting over to calling the role. I I have Mayor Donchess recorded as being president. Uh uh President Wilshire, I do not believe is in attendance at the moment just yet. I have uh Alderman Clemens. I don't believe Alderman Clemens is here just yet. Uh Aldwoman Kelly. Uh Alderman Clee. Here. Uh Director Photo is uh sends her regrets, she's absent this evening. Director Sullivan here. And Director Cummings is present. I didn't add the golden rod. I apologize if you put that in the meeting. All right, so we have a quorum. Um and uh we will I'll begin with tonight's presentation, so I'll turn it over first to um uh Mr. Cummings, who I believe is going to bring or believe we're gonna bring uh Mr. Smith forward, right? Uh that the school department. Uh that's correct. Uh uh Mr. Mayor, we have two items that we're gonna hear this evening. We have the school department and we have community development. Um, and I believe community development's uh specifically gonna speak to uh hydro operations. Uh, but if we could start with schools first, I would appreciate it. And we have uh Dr. Andred. Um Mr. Smith and the president of the school board here. So with that being said, Miss Mayor'd like to hand it over to uh Sean Smith to lead us through the discussion. Also school administration buildings. A little over two million square feet, three hundred and eighty-two acres of land. Roman as of October was a little bit over 9,700 students, and approximately 2400 staff. Next slide, please. This may be a little bit hard to read, but these are all the schools. Rather, the year they were built at square footage. I highlighted four schools. Bicentennial, Dr. Crisp, Mount Pleasant, and New Searles. Each of those schools was renovated at least 30 years ago. And you talk to anybody in the industry, 30 years is about as long as a school should go in between major renovations. That happens to be about the time a lot of the major systems start to fail, be they roofs, mechanical systems, pavement outside, that sort of thing. So those uh schools are always on our list moving forward. Next slide, please. Just give you a little bit of history of what we've done very recently with the money that we've allocated through deferred maintenance. We completed resurfacing on the North High School track. We paved a portion of the North High School, starting up where DPW left off on Titan Way.
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