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Council ratifies emergency CSX agreement, approves open-space covenant and passes consent and committee measures
Summary
At its Jan. 6 meeting the Portsmouth City Council ratified an emergency encroachment agreement with CSX to allow timely waterline repairs, accepted a restrictive covenant protecting a 1.72-acre open-space parcel in Osprey Landing, approved several grants and donations, and appointed members to a Municipal Building Blue Ribbon Committee.
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 parcel between Shearwater and Sanderling in Osprey Landing as open space. The council approved that recommendation; staff noted a map of the parcel was added to the meeting packet as a late inclusion.
Councilors also moved and approved a package of routine consent items and appointments, including referral of a request to hold the Seacoast Walk in Alzheimer’s to the city manager with authority to act, placement of several letters on file, the formation of a city manager evaluation committee, and adoption of a volunteer training, standards of conduct and ethics policy and handbook for boards and volunteers.
Votes at a glance
- Move to accept and approve execution and recording of a restrictive covenant for Osprey Landing (lot 2-1950, ~1.72 acres): Approved (voice vote: “Aye”).
- Ratify city manager’s execution of a facility encroachment agreement with CSX Transportation, Inc. (emergency waterline work): Approved (voice vote: “Aye”).
- Accept FEMA Public Assistance Disaster Grant for Fire and Public Works, $9,703.48: Approved (voice vote: “Aye”).
- Accept donation to Fire Department from Paul Gormley and Kimi Iguchi, $1,000: Approved (voice vote: “Aye”).
- Refer Seacoast Walk in Alzheimer’s (Oct. 26, 2025) to city manager with authority to act: Referred/approved (voice vote: “Aye”).
- Place correspondence and policy letters on file (including outdoor dining/chair-fee correspondence): Placed on file (voice vote: “Aye”).
- Form City Manager Evaluation Committee (assistant mayor Kelly Adams, Councilor Blaylock, Councilor Bagley): Approved (voice vote: “Aye”).
- Appoint Municipal Building Blue Ribbon Committee (list of members included in packet): Approved (voice vote: “Aye”).
- Adopt Volunteer Training and Standards of Conduct/Ethics policy and board handbook for volunteers: Approved (voice vote: “Aye”).
- Accept Parking, Traffic & Safety Committee action sheets and minutes (Dec. 5, 2024): Approved (voice vote: “Aye”).
What the council said and noted
City staff described the CSX work as an emergency opportunity to perform waterline improvements that otherwise would have required a separate, costly street closure. City staff credited project manager Dave DeFosse and the public works team with coordinating expedited work so downtown access could be maintained while CSX performed its operations.
On the restrictive covenant, staff noted the planning board’s recommendation and that the covenant adds the parcel to the city’s open-space inventory. Councilors who spoke in favor described the action as stewardship of publicly accessible open space adjacent to recreational amenities.
What’s next
Staff said maps and documentation for the Osprey Landing parcel will be included in the public record. The Blue Ribbon Committee is a time-limited body (the packet indicated the committee can operate for the remainder of the year) and the city manager said staff would aim to return recommended information in time to inform next year’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) adoption.
