City Council begins funding process for DHS athletic project; vote to occur June 25

posted on 5/26/2025

The City Council meets for its second regular meeting of the month on Wednesday, May 28, where two funding resolutions are expected to be introduced as part of the Dover High School Athletic Complex project. No action would be taken until at least June 25, following recommendations from the School Board and a public hearing.

Earlier this week on May 21, the City Council, School Board, and its Joint Building Committee met to receive the JBC's report and recommendations for the field project at the high school, which the JBC has been investigating since the committee was created in January 2024. The JBC’s report, which includes a history of the fields and why action is needed, provides two base options for the School Board and City Council to consider, with numerous options to increase or decrease the scope of work and cost of either base option. 

Base Option A is estimated to cost $11,614,000. This would replace Dunaway Field, track, grandstands, lights, and concession shacks.

Base Option B, recommended by the JBC, includes all of Base Option A, plus shifting Dunaway Field. This allows the rotation and expansion of the baseball field to create a second lighted multi-sport field. The JBC also recommends converting both fields to synthetic turf to accommodate current and future athletic demands. The JBC estimates this option to cost $20,037,000.

Click here to watch the video recording of the meeting. The May 21 meeting agenda materials include the JBC's final report and recommendations.

City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr., at the joint meeting, explained that the City Council would introduce a Capital Improvements Program debt-authorization resolution for the full cost of rehabilitating both fields for $20,037,000 at its May 28 meeting, which can be reduced based on the School Board and City Council’s final recommendations. But the amount can’t be increased without restarting the debt authorization requirements. Joyal said authorizing debt requires three meetings: one meeting (May 28) to introduce the resolution, a second (June 11) for a public hearing, and a third (June 25) to vote on the debt authorization.

Joyal said this will provide ample time for the School Board to meet, deliberate, and make their recommendations to the City Council for the project. The JBC's goal is to have a final decision by June 25 to begin preparing final construction documents based on what the School Board and City Council decide. Construction would occur in calendar year 2026, being ready for play in the fall of 2026.

The City Council would also introduce an accompanying FY26 School Department budget amendment to accommodate the debt service for the project, as the fields are on school grounds and maintained by the school district.

Also on the agenda are public hearings and accompanying resolutions for:

• The dissolution of prior years' capital project funds into the General Fund
• FY25 General Fund unassigned fund balance transfer to special revenue and capital project funds to address fund deficits
• Acceptance of the FY26-30 Community Development Block Grant Consolidated Plan and the FY26 action plan and expenditures for FY26 CDBG entitlement funds.

There are also resolutions to authorize:

• Replacing parking meters
• Amending welfare guidelines
• Downtown lighting improvements
• Beginning the process to regulate parking in the waterfront development site ahead of the building's opening to the public later this year

Click here for the complete agenda. 

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers. It will be televised on Channel 22 and online at https://dovernh.viebit.com, where it will also be available on-demand.