Capital Improvements Program, Warming Center on Council’s Dec. 10 Agenda

posted on 12/8/2025

The City Council will consider adopting the FY2027-2032 Capital Improvements Program at its Wednesday, Dec. 10 meeting. They will also hold a public hearing and a vote on a FY2026 budget amendment to fund Dover’s share of construction costs of a permanent emergency cold weather warming center on Strafford County grounds.

The FY26 budget amendment would appropriate $1,698,878 for the warming center that the Strafford County Commissioners propose to build at the former humane society site near the county jail. The county would supply the land at no cost, and the tri-cities of Dover, Rochester and Somersworth would divide the estimated $3.5 million project cost in proportion to each city’s portion of the combined equalized assessed property value, with Rochester’s share $1,316,593, and Somersworth’s share at $484,593. Dover’s portion would be partly offset by the planned sale of the current warming center at 30 Willand Drive in Somersworth after the conclusion of the winter season, as well as the proceeds from a recent sale of city-owned property in Rollinsford.

The vote on the FY27-32 CIP consists of three votes. One is on adopting the long-term planning document itself, which does not authorize or appropriate funding. The second will be authorizing and appropriating $4.6 million for FY27 non-debt finance projects. The third resolution would authorize bonding for debt-financed projects. The original resolution had planned for $37 million for debt-financed projects; however, at the Council’s Dec. 3 workshop, City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr., recommended reducing the debt-financing portion to $15 million. City Manager Joyal also recommended other changes to the six-year CIP planning document.

The City Council will also consider resolutions authorizing:

• $138,428 for the City of Dover’s annual contribution to the Municipal Alliance for Adaptive Management as part of the EPA’s Nitrogen General Permit, which includes monitoring water quality and tracking reductions and additions of total nitrogen in the Great Bay Estuary.
• The purchase of six Ford pickup trucks for various Community Service divisions for $370,666.
• $135,400 for design and pre-construction services from Martini Northern for the renovation of the existing public works facility and the addition to the Inspection Services Building.

The meeting begins with proclamations to Cliff Blake, Dover Junior Football, and Dover High School Field Hockey and Soccer teams.

The complete agenda is available online. 

This is the last meeting for the 2024-2025 City Council, including for Mayor Robert Carrier, who has served on the City Council since 2008 when he was first elected in a Ward 1 special election. It is also the last meeting for the following City Councilors who did not run for reelection: Robert Warch, representing Ward 2; Debra Hackett, representing Ward 4; and Linnea Nemeth, representing the city in the at-large position.

The City Council meeting will be held in City Hall's Council Chambers and televised on DoverTV and online, where it will be available on demand.