Council to consider administrative code changes, Community Power, and housing needs study

posted on 5/22/2023

The City Council will hold a public hearing followed by a second reading and possible vote on an ordinance that would update multiple sections of the city’s administrative code at its meeting this Wednesday, May 24. It will also hold two other public hearings on pending resolutions to accept and expend grants. One is the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Cybersecurity Implementation grant; the second is a Mass General Brigham Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Community Benefit grant.

The purpose of the proposed ordinance change to the administrative code is to update various sections of the city’s purchasing code to provide city staff increased flexibility as operational needs dictate; clarify the purchasing code and ensure consistency; reorganize and relocate certain provisions; and ensure the public interest and the city’s governmental interests are protected, and that city procurements obtain the best possible terms of purchase. The list of changes is included in the meeting’s agenda materials.

Also on the agenda:

The Council will again take up a resolution to authorize a Dover Community Power program with the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire. It would allow the city to prepare for the program’s launch and begin public outreach. The same resolution was brought forward to the Council’s May 10 meeting, where it was amended to launch the program this year; however, the resolution failed after not receiving a majority vote. The resolution on the May 24 agenda is the original one brought forward on May 10.
Authorize emergency sewer replacement for Court Street. A section of sewer pipe on Court Street was found to have areas of collapse and is beyond repair. The city went out to bid for the project and recommends the City Council contract with D&C Construction to complete the work for a cost not to exceed $202,100.
Create an ad hoc committee to address community housing needs. This committee’s charge would be to investigate, study, identify, and make commendations to the City Council to better meet the housing needs of the city and its residents.

Click here for the complete agenda.

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