Council ratifies emergency CSX agreement, approves open-space covenant and passes consent and committee measures

The Portsmouth City Council on Jan. 6 ratified a facility encroachment agreement with CSX Transportation to allow emergency waterline work and approved a restrictive covenant protecting a roughly 1.72-acre open-space parcel in Osprey Landing (lot 2-1950). The council also accepted multiple grants and donations, approved routine minutes and committee reports, formed an evaluation committee for the city manager and appointed members to a Municipal Building Blue Ribbon Committee.

City staff said the CSX agreement enabled crews to perform timely waterline improvements while CSX required access for track work; the city brought the signed agreement to council for ratification because of the emergency nature of the work. Senior manager Karen Conard told the council the city’s public works and legal teams reviewed and approved the scope of work before ratification.

Separately, the planning board recommended that the council accept and record a restrictive covenant to protect a 1.72-acre…