Nashua Finance Committee Meeting – September 2, 2026
Nashua Finance Committee Meeting – September 2, 2026
The Nashua Finance Committee met on September 2, 2026, to consider a series of purchasing and contract approvals, a public comment period, and a non-public session. All votes were unanimous unless noted. The meeting was chaired by Mayor Donchus.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Lori Ortolano delivered a pointed criticism of city administration, alleging a pattern of forced resignations, terminations, and departures of key employees. She named several individuals: Kathy Forner, Janet Grazio, Nancy Trass (forced to resign), Joanna Pennick (gone), Johnny Ill (forced into early retirement), Michael Coley (fired from HR Benefits), Ms. Liddy (fired over a HUD conference), and David Sullivan (resigning). She questioned the competence of HR Benefits and Community Development leadership, particularly Director Cummings, and asked the committee to investigate how grant money is allocated in the lead program. She concluded that employees are leaving due to leadership, not isolated incidents. No committee members responded.
Discussion Items
- Special Events Permitting Software – Emily Marticello, Director of Emergency Management, presented a three-year agreement with a specialized vendor for $39,000/year to streamline permitting across 15+ departments. Alderman Clee expressed support, noting the current process is cumbersome. Motion passed unanimously.
- Ford Transit Van for Fire Rescue – Item: Purchase of one all-wheel drive Ford Transit van (12-passenger) to replace an F-150 for the training division. Amount: $77,277.28. Funding: Fire Rescue Fund. Vote: Unanimous.
- Ford F-250 for Fire Rescue – Item: Replacement of deputy fire chief’s vehicle with a Ford F-250, including utility box, graphics, and emergency lighting. Amount: $98,630.88. Funding: Fire Rescue Fund. Vote: Unanimous.
- Infrastructure for PFAS Pilot Test at Four Hills Landfill – Item: Contract with Stearns, Conrad & Schmidt for leachate infrastructure to support a PFOS destruction pilot. Amount: $400,143 (100% state grant). Details: Alderman Clee confirmed no matching funds required. Vote: Unanimous.
- Landfill Gas Telemetry Monitoring – Item: Contract with Sanborn Head for telemetry monitoring of landfill gas (FY27–29). Amount: $87,750. Funding: Solid Waste Fund. Vote: Unanimous.
- Landfill Gas Collection System Design – Item: Engineering services for 2026 gas collection modifications. Amount: $74,000. Funding: Solid Waste Bond. Vote: Unanimous.
- Temporary Cap Design for Phase 3 Landfill – Item: Engineering for a temporary cap on the Phase 3 landfill. Amount: $46,500. Funding: Solid Waste Bond. Vote: Unanimous. During discussion, Alderman Sullivan asked why three separate contracts with Sanborn Head were presented; Jeff LaFleur explained different funding sources required separate contracts.
- Recycling and Trash Carts – Item: Annual purchase of carts and lids from Toter Inc. Amount: $145,000. Funding: Solid Waste Fund. Jeff LaFleur noted carts are 23 years old and up to 1,500 of each type kept in stock. Alderman Clee asked about inventory; Alderman Sullivan asked about smaller recycling bins. Vote: Unanimous.
- Signs and Pavement Paint – Item: Sole source purchase from Permaline of New England. Amount: $38,000. Funding: Streets General Fund (corrected to Department 161). Vote: Unanimous.
- Asphalt and Aggregates – Item: Sole source purchase from Brox Industries and Continental Paving. Amount: $147,000. Funding: Streets General Fund. Alderman Sullivan appreciated clear communication that this is not part of the paving program. Vote: Unanimous.
- Flow Monitoring Amendment – Item: Amendment with ADS Environmental Services for real-time CSO discharge notifications to subscribers. Amount: $46,500 total ($28,700 in FY27; $8,900 each in FY28 and FY29). Funding: Wastewater Fund. Dave Boucher explained this meets a new EPA permit requirement. Alderman Clee asked about public access; real-time texts/emails will be available. Vote: Unanimous.
- Biosolids Feasibility Study – Item: Contract with Hazen and Sawyer to evaluate long-term biosolids management and disposal at Four Hills Landfill. Amount: $116,462.73. Funding: Wastewater Fund. Dave Boucher noted rising costs and new regulations; using biosolids as landfill cover could save money. Vote: Unanimous.
- Resource Center Design Study – Item: Amendment with Icon Architecture for a limited design study and cost estimate for a resource center (including warming station, transitional housing). Amount: $40,000. Funding: City Buildings Fund. Tim Cummings said work could start in September. Alderman Solomon asked about an earlier $4.9 million CIP request; Director Bagley clarified that the original request included shelter beds removed due to funding constraints. Vote: Unanimous.
Key Outcomes
- All 13 purchasing/contract motions were approved unanimously.
- The committee voted unanimously to go into non-public session (roll call vote: all present voted yes) under RSA 91-A:3, II(d) for consideration of real or personal property acquisition/sale/lease. The meeting adjourned at 7:38 PM.
- The record of expenditures for August 14–27, 2026, was approved unanimously.
Meeting Transcript
So the first issue is public comment returning union. I think all of these are anyone else that want to make public. All right, communication is the first meeting for the major purchasing manager or something. I think we're good. We're good. Good. Back in action. Um I should have mentioned earlier that Alderman uh Alder Woman Will Share could not make the meeting tonight because of a family issue. Um and she contacted me as such, so just want to make sure we have that. Mr. Mayor. Alderman Clements have reached out to me as well that he was unable to make it. Okay. Anyway, Ms. Marticello. Yeah, um, so good afternoon, everyone. Emily Martisella, I'm the director of emergency management here in the city. Uh speaking on the special events permitting software, I'll just keep it really simple. We have fifteen plus departments that sign off on special events, and our current procedures through a series of many, many emails, uh, which is ownerous both for all the departments, but especially for anyone trying to plan a special event, um, and having to sift through um sometimes, you know, dozens of emails um from all of us. So for the past several years, the special events group has been looking at specialty software. We evaluated all the stuff we currently have, um, and it it didn't it didn't meet any of the requirements from both the departments and what a user would like. And uh we settled on a company that specializes in municipal special events permitting. That is what they do. Uh they're they're really really good at it. They have a lot of expertise and and they exclusively work with municipalities. Uh so they've been really, really great to work with. Uh we have a uh looking to do a three-year agreement with them for 39,000 a year, which gets us um the special events permitting software, uh, which can allow us to do different types of permitting, but we're gonna start with special events. Um, and all of the departments have signed off on it meeting their needs and requirements, which is also I think a great um nod that the software is gonna work because everybody agreed this this was gonna be good for what they needed because each department has their own statutory sign-off requirements. But I'm happy to answer any specific questions about it. Alderwoman Cleve. Uh thank you. Uh, I'm glad to see this as a person in I know um Alderman Lopez has that had done some of these events. It it is arduous for us to track okay who has not responded yet in trying to chase down the the okay's before it finally gets to the city clerk and and so on to get that final approval in that permit. So I'm glad to see that this is I've sifted through a lot of emails before, so thank you for this. Daniel like Alderman Clee that as a user you can clone your last application so you don't have to start over. Oh no. So when Alderman Lopez is does his block party each year, he can just copy it from the previous year and update a few things and then submit it. So it's gonna be really great for both ends of the process. And hopefully, you know, we're trying to have more events and just make it easier for people to do that and for the departments to sign off accordingly. I think we'll be. Thank you. All right, all those in favor of the motion say aye. Aye. Opposed motion passes. Thank you. Next communication from Amy Giroud purchasing manager, Alderman Sullivan. Like to make a motion to accept place on file and approve the purchase of one all-wheel drive Ford transit van with seating for 12 to replace the F 150 super crew cab pickup truck for Nashua Fire Rescue from Gropony Ford and Global Public Safety. And the amount not to it not to exceed 77,277.28 cents. Funding will be through Department 152 Fire Rescue Fund, SURF 81 Capital Outlay Improvements. Good evening, Adam Pulliot Assistant Fire Chief.
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