[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-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",[32,76],{"_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":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6064415,"mediaKeyId","3253375-9b97a72c89aa85d48ef1a6ef9c0a03c2","parentId",3253375,"title","Rochester officials outline plan to acquire parcels around 161 South Main; residents press for transparency and fiscal caution","audioSeconds",5041,"startMs",395000,"endMs",5436000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3253375-9b97a72c89aa85d48ef1a6ef9c0a03c2&start=395&end=5436","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3253375-9b97a72c89aa85d48ef1a6ef9c0a03c2/thumbnail_395000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6064415/New-Hampshire/Rochester-officials-outline-plan-to-acquire-parcels-around-161-South-Main-residents-press-for-transparency-and-fiscal-caution","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6064415-32212d41f502562e287168eb5420f0ad/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148798&Signature=Z692YUgIAfzJUSYinxGR0vZG3l~4XQlsj5kyX-9CAQmxGRem12xqIaryJXkYcNmSE0sRwBo9JaHsVaqgxK59IVTwXgb1nyJVd4SyKpCgfIo-cAfz6DvXyLT7tgxVeRudj4kz8SeEleLfU1ZlOeu4WelHaQ-Gn6YiAMJCkzl4Z59ogi8il3RBM71hvxEvkDTwOUiv3dbbiKIBBpGvnx9VuvO2idqvnr7x3G~SsensuH5Ct73s3F5iX~OZUDxR0tj5nsQaWCMZ~Io1uoBM~czi~oqW4cQxEBicwTO2GjmHcbr-paONaWc9KqpRc4EnH7OPsT5bCoOx0i4Yd2Xb-c2aww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Rochester, NH","date","2025-04-15T00:00:00Z","article","Rochester’s economic development director presented a plan April 15 to acquire five parcels around 161 South Main Street — the former Care Pharmacy site — and assemble them with city‑owned land to create a larger redevelopment parcel aimed at mixed‑use housing and street‑front commercial space.

The presentation, delivered by Mr. Scowler, director of economic development, said the city would combine privately owned lots and nearby city acreage to make a saleable downtown development site. “Rochester still has a 1% or below vacancy rate when it should be 4%,” Mr. Scowler told the council, arguing that municipal involvement and tax‑exemption tools have helped draw private investment downtown.

The plan proposes using municipal tools such as the 79‑E property tax program and direct acquisition to influence what is built on the site. Mark Sullivan, the city’s director of finance, told the council the request would be the single largest use of the unassigned fund balance for an economic development project in recent years and described the city’s current balances and constraints: the city reported a FY24 unassigned fund balance of about $29,000,000, an audit hold of roughly $5,000,000 related to water and sewer cash deficits, and an estimated available balance of about $24,000,000 after accounting for the hold; the FY25 budget already commits roughly $7,900,000 from reserves.

Why it matters: council goals and policy tools

Mr. Scowler framed the acquisition as consistent with council goals to attract housing and encourage downtown mixed‑use development. He cited prior municipal interventions — including the Scenic Salinger and Hoffman projects and the city’s purchase and cleanup of other downtown properties — as precedents for public investment to unlock private development. He called the state 79‑E program “one of the most important tools” the city can offer developers, noting it helped stimulate about $26,000,000 in local investment, according to slides shown during the presentation.

Council and staff cautioned that nothing is final and that any major development on the site will require conventional due diligence. Planning and Development Director Seth Creighton said the Brook behind the parcels sits in a FEMA flood zone designated as Zone A, meaning there are limits and building standards for structures in that area and that federal sign‑off is part of the process for certain flood‑plain development.

Public concern: reserve funds, transparency and displacement

Dozens of residents turned out to the public hearing and most speakers urged caution or opposed using reserve funds to buy the land. State Representative Tom Kosinski told the council the proposal represented “Soviet style central planning” and criticized the use of reserves instead of leaving the market to set prices. Susan Rice, a longtime critic of nonpublic city real‑estate discussions, called the acquisition and related transfers a “Callahan Shuffle,” urging more transparency and asking the council to “bring the phantom Rochester Realty Trust into the light.”

Other residents raised questions about who would benefit, whether long‑running downtown small businesses would be displaced and whether the city had fully explored alternatives for the money. Councilor Fontenot noted the presence of an operating business, Golic’s ice cream, on one of the parcels; Mr. Scowler said the ice‑cream business would become the city’s tenant if the city purchased the property and that the city would work to find space for the operator if plans required relocation.

Financial and procedural questions

Finance Director Mark Sullivan urged careful vetting of any developer partner and recommended a rigorous RFP and due‑diligence process. Sullivan described the city’s usual practice of investing unassigned fund balance in safe securities to generate budgetary income and reiterated that the city uses reserves every year to stabilize taxes. He said the proposed use would be sizeable but potentially justified if the project realizes new assessed value: Mr. Scowler suggested the assembled site could eventually yield “$30,000,000 in assessed value” and said that, depending on final development, the city could see increased tax receipts over time.

Multiple speakers asked for specific cost estimates (purchase price, demolition or remediation, and the cost of any required flood‑plain mitigation) and for the council to require stronger contingencies in any purchase and sale agreement. Commenters also demanded a clear public accounting of any transfers to the Rochester Economic Development Fund and asked the council to consider the tax‑cap and timing relative to the city’s FY26 budget calendar.

Next steps and council action

After public comment, Mayor Paul Callahan closed the hearing; no council vote on acquisition was taken at the meeting. City staff said any major development would require traffic, water and sewer studies and other standard third‑party reviews submitted by a developer as part of permitting. Sullivan recommended, and staff repeated, that the city use a competitive solicitation and a development agreement to protect municipal objectives and, if awarded, to include robust reporting / reimbursement conditions before dispersing substantial municipal funds.

Community context and remaining questions

Speakers emphasized several themes for the council to address before any acquisition is finalized: a full cost estimate for purchase, cleanup and any flood‑plain work; explicit assurances about Golic’s and other existing businesses; clear financial contingencies and reporting if reserves are used; and a public timeline for developer selection and due diligence. Residents asked the council to consider alternatives for the unassigned fund balance, including capital projects and school needs, and several asked for the city to return some reserve dollars to taxpayers.

The record: the council closed the public hearing on the Care Pharmacy parcels; staff said proposals, due diligence and formal council action would follow before any property transfer or funding occurs.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Rochester NH, City Council - 4/15/25","oneSentenceSummary","Rochester’s economic development director presented a plan April 15 to acquire five parcels around 161 South Main Street — the former Care Pharmacy site — and assemble them with city‑owned land to create a larger redevelopment parcel aimed at mixed‑use housing and street‑front commercial space.","taxTitle","Rochester City Council, Rochester City , Strafford County, New Hampshire","taxId",76000,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6064410,"Council committee recommends splitting $330,000 in opioid‑abatement funds among four local providers; attorney‑general reporting and reimbursement emphasized",1445,4599000,6044000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3253375-9b97a72c89aa85d48ef1a6ef9c0a03c2&start=4599&end=6044","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3253375-9b97a72c89aa85d48ef1a6ef9c0a03c2/thumbnail_4599000.jpg","/articles/6064410/New-Hampshire/Council-committee-recommends-splitting-330000-in-opioidabatement-funds-among-four-local-providers-attorneygeneral-reporting-and-reimbursement-emphasized","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6064410-5832ccfcadf604feb26280b85cc79e21/orig.mp4?Expires=1771148798&Signature=EiLbjDchsRL91VBUdmvKwkvKjcpblvfB5jvfzVRSu0tZgy5Etwp11CXAssGvGKZa5ub1m5DM9TjNLDd5YMy4eZCOX4UBhzlXCIxadu1tnnA5f4WSVV1oTgK6-HtFbdGN~BtbIa8NfFfYmSRmaJlQtIkmtyBxgVcNLURykQvBTEPUlUmSOgWyoenqT3kKvrtnZPYTu-zu0c4RUgbXmiB2IGWwTdqFa6dlURChtyIWS0o-1ZPzj8OMjjJhgP-gU9eXLl4qnRqJN8fcFtC8O3AsMdPsvEZQbrPhY0PKgR22swhJS~hjtyhfAn7sRUCTOUpXRE3yfQSTennHp1Ik5nOGMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A city ad‑hoc committee and staff briefed the Rochester City Council April 15 on recommended uses of roughly $330,000 in opioid‑abatement settlement funds and on how the city plans to manage reporting requirements tied to the Attorney General’s settlement guidelines.

Councilor Tim Fontenot, chair of the mayor’s opioid‑abatement committee, described a process that began with a posted request for proposals in December and yielded about a dozen submissions from eight organizations by a January deadline. Committee members used a scoring matrix — weighting agency capacity, fit with core abatement strategies, reporting plans, reach/impact (30% weight) and sustainability — to rank proposals and identify finalists.

The committee’s recommendation is to distribute available funds among four organizations that presented at the council meeting: Hope on Haven Hill, Dismas House, Infinity Peer Support and SOS Recovery (the committee proposed fully funding three finalists and partially funding a fourth). Committee members explained their aim was to spread funds across populations and service types — higher‑intensity residential services for justice‑involved women, peer support and outreach, and youth/family prevention and education — rather than concentrate the entire allocation on a single provider.

Requested amounts vs. city availability

Committee members said the proposals requested nearly $1,000,000 in total (the committee cited a total requested amount of about $997,028) while the city had approximately $330,000 available. The organizations’ proposals included a range of requests discussed during presentations: Hope on Haven Hill requested $100,000; Dismas House requested about $300,000 for a Rochester residential expansion; Infinity Peer Support requested $50,000 to expand peer‑facilitated services and van support; and SOS Recovery proposed a $25,000 prevention/education pilot. Committee members said these figures reflect applicants’ asks; final awards remain subject to council approval and to meeting reporting and compliance terms.

Attorney‑general reporting and reimbursement guidance

Finance Director Mark Sullivan said the Attorney General’s office requires strict reporting that demonstrates funds were used for opioid abatement and that the city will have to attest to those expenditures when it reports upward. “There has to be an opioid component to it and they have to demonstrate that,” Sullivan said. He recommended execution of municipal funding agreements, strong initial reporting and either a reimbursement approach or milestone‑based disbursements rather than a single large upfront payment, because incorrectly documented expenditures could be returned by the DOJ and difficult for the city to recover.

City staff added that agencies chosen to receive funds would be required to submit auditing‑quality reports and to accept municipal oversight clauses. Mr. Solomon (city counsel’s office) said the city has to be prepared to review agencies’ documentation and that “the reporting back is probably going to be tough for us to interpret,” underscoring the need for clear billing, documentation and an initial reimbursement or seed‑funding model.

Providers’ presentations

Representatives from the four finalist organizations described their proposals and existing capacities. Cheryl Andrews of Dismas House said the Manchester‑based program serves justice‑involved women with substance‑use disorders and wants to open a Rochester facility to expand from 8 to 22 beds. Maggie Padgett of SOS Recovery proposed an evidence‑based family prevention program (Collaborative & Proactive Solutions) and told the council SOS already manages roughly $200,000 in opioid‑abatement funds for criminal‑justice work and has existing monthly/quarterly data reporting. Jim Ricker of Infinity Peer Support said the agency serves about 560 members county‑wide and that roughly 387 of its members are Rochester residents; Infinity asked for funds to add peer facilitators/van support and to build opioid‑focused peer groups. Carrie Norton of Hope on Haven Hill described residential and outpatient services for pregnant and parenting women, recovery housing and existing clinical supports; she asked for $100,000 to expand medical and outpatient capacity in Rochester.

What the council faces next

The committee forwarded its recommendations to the finance committee and the council with a request that the council adopt the allocations and funding approach. Several councilors and staff urged awarding funds only after the city establishes municipal funding agreements with measurable reporting and suggested partial upfront seed funding tied to specific milestones or a reimbursement model to limit the city’s fiscal risk and ensure DOJ reporting compliance.

No final appropriation vote was recorded at the April 15 meeting; council action will be scheduled for a later meeting after final paperwork and recommended award amounts are prepared.","A mayoral ad‑hoc committee and the finance director described a months‑long RFP process that produced recommendations to distribute available opioid‑abatement settlement funds across four local organizations. Staff and the city attorney’s office advised robust reporting and reimbursement or milestone disbursement tied to DOJ requirements.","actionData","errors"]

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Rochester officials outline plan to acquire parcels around 161 South Main; residents press for transparency and fiscal caution

Council committee recommends splitting $330,000 in opioid‑abatement funds among four local providers; attorney‑general reporting and reimbursement emphasized