Council to consider milfoil grant, waterfront developer agreement

posted on 4/22/2024

The City Council will hold a public hearing before considering whether to accept and expend a $14,140 state grant for milfoil treatments at Willand Pond. The grant would require a 50% match from the city, bringing the project total to $28,280.

Milfoils are rooted, submerged aquatic plants in water bodies. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, which is offering the grant to Dover, prepared a variable milfoil management plan in March, which calls for eradicating variable milfoil in Willand Pond. NHDES recommends an herbicide treatment as part of the plan. The Conservation Commission unanimously endorsed accepting the grant and supported “the milfoil treatment effort with the understanding that untreated milfoil would have a more adverse impact on Willand Pond that the herbicide application and that a long-term integrated pest management plan be developed for the Pond,” according to the background materials.

Waterfront

The City Council will consider two waterfront-related resolutions in preparation for the City of Dover selling two parcels to private developer Cathartes, targeted for next month.

One would authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute the Tax Year 2024 Consent to Taxation and Payment In Lieu of Tax Agreement with the private developers of the city’s waterfront site. The taxation agreement will allow the city to collect payment equal to the property tax for Tax Year 2024 for the parcels the city plans to convey to Cathartes. The agreement is necessary as the sale closing date will occur after April 1, the beginning of the tax year in New Hampshire.

The City Council will also be asked to authorize the City Manager to enter into an agreement with the developer regarding the required Phase I public improvements the city is to complete as part of the Land Disposition Agreement between the city and Cathartes. As not all Phase 1 public improvements to the pad sites are complete, the agreement would allow the city to complete the pad site requirements after the parcel sale to Cathartes. If Cathartes decides to complete the public improvements, it will receive credit from the city for the work. The agreement would also indemnify the developer against liabilities and damages if the city defaults on its agreement obligations and holds up the construction of the private development.

Click here for the complete agenda.

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