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Council advances broad ordinance consolidation package and approves routine appointments, valet renewals and committee actions
Summary
Council approved first readings for a package of ordinance changes consolidating and deleting sections across chapters 6–11, approved routine appointments and valet license renewals, and set an energy-advisory committee ordinance for second reading.
Portsmouth — The City Council on Oct. 20 advanced a package of municipal-code changes on first reading intended to consolidate and streamline chapters governing licenses, parades and public-way obstructions, parking-meter construction permits, encumbrances and planning referrals. Councilors credited months of work by the governance committee and municipal attorneys in preparing the omnibus revisions.
Multiple first-reading motions were made to amend Chapter 6 (licenses and encumbrances), delete Article 10 (theatricals, parades, open-air meetings), remove a parking-meter construction permit in Chapter 7, delete select encumbrance and street-obstruction provisions in Chapter 8, delete sections of Chapter 9 on public-way obstructions and registries, and adjust Chapter 11 referrals to the planning board. Each motion passed as a first reading and was scheduled for public hearings and second readings at the Nov. 17 council meeting.
Councilors repeatedly thanked Attorney Ferini and the governance committee for months of consolidation work and said the goal was to simplify regulation and reduce unnecessary duplication in the code. Councilor Rob asked whether insurance and hold-harmless language remained covered; staff and legal confirmed insurance requirements are enforced through the permitting process, not necessarily in the ordinance text itself.
The council also handled several routine items and committee matters: it reappointed Patricia Bagley to the Trees and Public Greenery Committee, accepted parking, traffic and safety meeting minutes and approved annual valet-license renewals for Hampton Inn & Suites and other properties. City manager items included approving Deputy City Manager Nathan's (name as recorded in packet) designation as the city's representative to the Education Coalition Communities 2 New Hampshire; council approved that authorization.
The council scheduled the energy-advisory committee ordinance for second reading and public hearing on Nov. 17 after members described the committee’s technical work on municipal solar, energy efficiency programs and National Laboratory evaluations.
