[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6299934,"mediaKeyId","2494858-8841f09381297c8e7192ce2f65bea82e","parentId",2494858,"title","Council advances zoning change, adopts committee and fee ordinances and approves fee waiver for public seating","audioSeconds",3170,"startMs",3987000,"endMs",7157000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2494858-8841f09381297c8e7192ce2f65bea82e&start=3987&end=7157","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2494858-8841f09381297c8e7192ce2f65bea82e/thumbnail_3987000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6299934/New-Hampshire/Council-advances-zoning-change-adopts-committee-and-fee-ordinances-and-approves-fee-waiver-for-public-seating","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6299934-18a41811f4d3009c499c6cf711ac5558/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200641&Signature=Sk~NeAd0w6CJRAYv-khUAGyJoaj4IZPYi3Bh7m36UBKF~gBAq9EFwJT4Gp5bfmIyHyy63ZskdLdLE6-illBIiw3jt17m4v4uzM41gWf1rU5CEjP0OmIVIFY-p98q4xkw022DrLDT9eznBqBzfhR9gZVpRkQDF6DkHauObvUAa8ZHuh3vVLg9KnQzAXHCaoEdm9v8W~CeEnNe~EEKbiBGZmtLhY5UKJvvT~Bmr6SkC88cGWS3NOqfOHNNcoD9PzM5nug0gM8AtV7Jlt6nYBUt2jjlXalVEvoUBCF48PdxkQg3zWY79Q3lRMXDc2P~JeRdQS19klQCSmcUdZrHAqbhtw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-04T14:51:41Z","article","The Portsmouth City Council on March 3 advanced several land-use and administrative items and approved a set of operational motions that the council said will be reflected in forthcoming fee schedules and housing-trust planning.

Key votes at the meeting (votes and formal actions)

- Historic District overlay: The council voted to pass second reading and scheduled a third and final reading on March 17 to remove 185 Orchard Street (Map 152 Lot 2-1) from the Historic District Overlay. Planning Manager Peter Stiff told the council the lot was subdivided in 2023 and now fronts on Orchard Street; both the Planning Board and the Historic District Commission recommended removal. The council approved the motion to advance the ordinance to third reading.

- Sustainability Committee ordinance: The council approved changes to chapter 1, article 4 (section 1.413) to convert housekeeping language, permit one voting student member (while allowing more students to attend), and allow the committee to have up to two co-chairs. The ordinance passed third and final reading during the meeting.

- Adoption of fees ordinance (administrative code): Council passed third and final reading of an amendment to chapter 1 (article 16) establishing procedures for adoption of fees by budget resolution.

- Sidewalk tables and chairs fee waiver: The council voted to eliminate the $75 table fee and $10 per-chair fee under the sidewalk-obstruction ordinance, effective immediately, provided the furniture is open to general public use (not reserved for patrons of a single business). Roll-call results recorded at the meeting were: Assistant Mayor Kelly — abstain; Councilor Taber — yes; Councilor Cook — yes; Councilor Denton — yes; Council Blaylock — no; Councilor Bagley — yes; Councilor Lombardi — yes; Mayor McEachern — no. The motion carried.

- Gateway Neighborhood payment-in-lieu schedule for affordable units: The council approved a payment-in-lieu fee schedule recommended by the Housing Committee (prepared by consultant RKG) to convert unmet on-site affordable-unit obligations into a fee whose proceeds go to the city’s housing trust fund for creation and preservation of below-market housing. The council directed updates to the table in future years as needed.

- Involuntarily merged lots: The council referred a request to restore an involuntarily merged lot at 25 Sims Avenue (Map 0233-0071) to the Planning Board and the city assessor for further review and a report back to council.

- License extension for construction dumpster at 50 South Street, Unit 3: Council authorized the city manager to grant a license extension through May 2, 2025, to accommodate delays in materials delivery; staff reported all departments with review authority had approved the extension.

- Consent agenda and routine motions: The council adopted the consent agenda and placed email correspondence on file.

Why it matters: The actions set administrative procedures (fee adoption), create a payment option to fund affordable housing, and adjust a small parcel’s historic overlay status after Planning Board and HDC review. The sidewalk-fee waiver aims to encourage public seating downtown while retaining permitting and insurance requirements.

Quotes and inputs

- Planning Manager Peter Stiff explained the Orchard Street parcel’s subdivision and said the property owner requested removal after learning the parcel was included in the HDC while other lots on Orchard are not.

- Councilors debating the sidewalk-fee waiver split on revenue and placemaking: proponents said public seating increases downtown vitality; opponents warned of slowly eroding fee revenue and urged careful monitoring.

Next steps and implementation

- The historic-district removal will return for third and final reading on March 17.

- Fee schedule and payment-in-lieu guidance will be updated on a regular basis and proceeds directed to the city’s housing trust fund for affordable-housing creation and preservation.

- The Planning Board and assessor will report back to the council on the involuntarily merged-lot petition.

Votes at a glance (selected items)

- 185 Orchard St. (historic overlay removal): motion to pass second reading and schedule third reading — approved (no detailed roll call recorded in transcript at time of passage).

- Sustainability committee ordinance (section 1.413): passed third reading — approved unanimous.

- Administrative fees ordinance (article 16): passed third reading — approved.

- Sidewalk tables/chairs fee waiver (chapter 9, article 5 §504(c)): passed; roll call recorded (Yes: Taber, Cook, Denton, Bagley, Lombardi. No: Blaylock, McEachern. Abstain: Assistant Mayor Kelly).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","3.3.2025 City Council","oneSentenceSummary","At its March 3 meeting the Portsmouth City Council moved a small historic-district boundary change to a final reading, approved changes to the Sustainability Committee, adopted a fees ordinance, authorized payment-in-lieu guidance for affordable housing, and approved a temporary fee waiver for public-use tables and chairs downtown.","taxTitle","Portsmouth City Council, Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire","taxId",68330,"location","New Hampshire","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6299939,"Portsmouth residents, educators oppose council budget cap; mayor withdraws motion to convene special meeting",2426,1591000,4017000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2494858-8841f09381297c8e7192ce2f65bea82e&start=1591&end=4017","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2494858-8841f09381297c8e7192ce2f65bea82e/thumbnail_1591000.jpg","/articles/6299939/New-Hampshire/Portsmouth-residents-educators-oppose-council-budget-cap-mayor-withdraws-motion-to-convene-special-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6299939-771c60b71ecd353214b251a1548185cb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771200641&Signature=ZEgnOUGXMDet63E0zJhJnSzGZgRXmohLG3TEqegzgCuuUpK~wVV6j6ZNfn9CDpwLF~2ZQjEnSribWlXxpVGyARG4bKHYD8Ac4vDqRtP~eZ89XEqyeAWV6S78sy3bm-x530wPM3sDRKQ4xrlFyf6kRAKXd2oZk~OGimQG2s~fZyAAuZ5zGt7i72ikRMk5UEfcMZKzM5p2T0IJEcpSalV-a2~YJZjWQZz4DmAf62P84-99Rc~3jNcm9XPs~QoiSHCMYKPTmI8pOQ2SGph7xeCqltSx0XM1zaFx7TS4iimuHfBB3-0pL~bybcfafFsdsCkEV8f7IuWTWlzppx9X36q22w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of residents, teachers and school board members addressed the Portsmouth City Council on March 3 to oppose a proposed 2.9% cap on the Portsmouth School Department budget and to urge the council to accept the school board’s proposed spending plan.

The city’s mayor, Mayor McEachern, opened the discussion by asking to move a council motion up on the agenda but then withdrew a later request for a separate meeting on the schools; he said the council would proceed through the normal budget process and allow the school board to complete its review. “We’re gonna hear the school board. The school board is gonna vote on their budget and we are going to have a conversation around their budget,” the mayor said during the meeting.

Why it matters: Public commenters said a cap at or near 2.9% would force staffing cuts, reduce services for students with special needs and undercut recent investments the community has made in schools.

Speakers and main points

- Brianna Martin, a lifelong Portsmouth resident and parent, urged the council to reject a cap. “I am deeply dismayed that this is something that you need to be preparing for,” Martin said, arguing capping the budget would force staff layoffs and reduce services students need.

- Erin Bauchum, president of the Association of Portsmouth Teachers, said the timeline and communication about potential staff reductions left teachers and new hires uncertain and urged better alignment between city and school budgeting to avoid forcing teachers to seek jobs elsewhere.

- Byron Maddow, a Portsmouth School Board member, told the council the board has already issued an early-retirement buyout that 11 employees accepted and said, “as it stands, our schools will be weaker next year and our students will have fewer resources, a direct result of guidance from this council.”

- Nancy Kleeberg, chair of the Portsmouth School Board, summarized the district’s fiscal pressures and noted rising special-education costs and COLA pressures; she said administrators were working with city leadership and that a budget presentation would be made to the board the following night.

What the council did or did not decide

- At the meeting’s start, Mayor McEachern asked to suspend the rules to advance a motion under his name. The council approved suspending the rules. Later he said he would not pursue a separate meeting and withdrew the motion to create a special council-level meeting on the school budget, returning the matter to the school board and the normal budget schedule.

- Council members repeatedly emphasized that the school board will prepare its budget and that the council will review it after the board’s vote.

Context and specifics mentioned by commenters

- Multiple speakers warned that special-education placements and transportation are rising, fixed costs that drive school budgets upward and cannot be trimmed easily.

- Commenters said Portsmouth’s per-pupil spending is comparable or lower than nearby towns that still maintain higher staffing levels; one speaker contrasted Portsmouth’s per-pupil figures (cited as roughly $25,000–$28,000 at elementary level in her remarks) with higher per-pupil costs in neighboring communities.

- Several speakers urged improved timing and transparency so school staff would not be notified of employment uncertainty before district budget decisions are final; Erin Bauchum noted contracted deadlines (e.g., April 1 notification obligations) that create hiring and retention risks if decisions are delayed.

Ending: The school board is scheduled to continue its budget work and present a proposed budget back to the council. Councilors and the mayor said they expect to review the board’s voted budget through the usual process rather than by an expedited council meeting.","Dozens of residents, teachers and school board members urged Portsmouth City Council not to impose a 2.9% cap on the school budget. Mayor McEachern withdrew a motion to convene a separate council meeting and directed the process back to the school board.","actionData","errors"]

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Council advances zoning change, adopts committee and fee ordinances and approves fee waiver for public seating

Portsmouth residents, educators oppose council budget cap; mayor withdraws motion to convene special meeting