Portsmouth port commission adopts budget, raises community grant to $50,000 after 3–2 vote

The Portsmouth Port Industrial Commission voted May 26 to adopt its fiscal budget as amended, increasing a community grant line item from $10,000 to $50,000.

Treasurer Miss McWain moved to raise the line, saying, “I move that we raise it from 10 to 50,000” to allow the Commission to support Starbase and other local organizations. Commissioners discussed the line’s purpose and process; staff said grant requests would be routed through the Commission’s staff for review and would return to the Commission for approval of specific awards.

The board held a roll-call vote: Mr. Foster voted yes, Mr. Hansen and Mr. Peterman voted no, and Miss McWain and Mr. Rice voted yes. The motion passed 3–2 and the budget was adopted as amended.

Commissioners clarified that the community grant line (listed as a distinct line from courthouse-specific grants and referenced in materials as line 559082) is intended to support community organizations whose activities align with the port and the city’s industrial aims. Members cited previous donations to Starbase and discussed other community programs as potential recipients; one commissioner mentioned the Dolly Parton Imagination Library as an example of a community program that might be appropriate for support.

Because the action created only the budget line, the Commission emphasized it must approve any individual grant requests that are later submitted. Staff instructed potential applicants to submit requests through staff for review and formal Commission consideration.

The Commission’s next steps include processing grant applications through staff and bringing individual proposals back to the Commission for a vote.