Hooksett Town Council workshop groups 16 goals; prioritizes budget outreach, water and infrastructure follow‑up

The Hooksett Town Council met in a workshop to review and prioritize 16 goals submitted by councilors and staff, then grouped and assigned those goals to smaller work teams for follow‑up. Councilors placed passage of the municipal budget and public outreach about warrant articles and budget matters at the top of their short‑term priorities and directed staff and council representatives to pursue outreach and information from utilities, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) and local water precincts on water quality and infrastructure issues.

Council members organized the 16 goals into thematic categories — communication/outreach, safety/infrastructure, water resources, grants/financial capacity, open‑space/trails and development — then split the group into two teams (8 goals each) to develop more detailed action plans. Several items identified for near‑term follow up included contacting Eversource about double/abandoned utility poles, coordinating with code enforcement and the planning board on business parking lot striping and safety, and asking DES for renewed water testing and guidance for residents on Farmer Road and Auburn Road.

Why it matters: Councilors said better communication about warrant articles and the budget could increase voter understanding and improve the chances of getting a budget passed. Separately, prior water testing in parts of Hooksett identified elevated uranium and radon readings, so the council flagged coordination…