The city manager’s office sent out the City Manager’s Newsletter last Friday. The full newsletter can be found by going to concordnh.gov and clicking the “Newsletter” button. Here are some highlights:
Outdoor concerts
The Shana Stack Band will perform July 9 at 7 p.m. at Eagle Square sponsored by the Walker Lecture Fund and the Concord Parks & Recreation Department. Please maintain social distancing of six feet or more. Face masks are recommended. There is no indoor rain location for these concerts; please check the Parks & Rec Facebook page after 5:30 p.m. if the weather is questionable.
Terrill Park Update
Merrill Construction continues to make great progress. The first coat of pavement is down and the parking lot is taking shape. Next week, work will begin on the new dog park fencing and planting begins. The project is on track for a grand reopening in August.
Roller skating canceled
Unfortunately roller skating at the Douglas N. Everett Arena has been canceled for the 2020 summer season since this activity is not currently in accordance with state re-opening guidelines. The Everett Arena hopes to bring roller skating back next summer. Please view their 2020 Summer Event Schedule to see upcoming events that are currently planned to still take place this summer (check back for possible updates).
Drought conditions
Concord has received some much needed rain this week, but drought conditions continue. As of July 2, Concord is still experiencing moderate drought conditions. Precipitation for Concord is still below average for this time of year by about 4.28 inches (gaining over an inch from last week).
The City’s Water Treatment Facility continues to see record pumpage, pushing 6.8 millions of gallons per day last week. For this time of year, the typical amount is 5.5 MGD. While it was still hot and dry on Sunday the facility was averaging over 6.4 MGD (and Sunday usage is typically the lowest of the week). Based on stable water flow at the wastewater treatment facilities, Concord’s high water use indicates demand is coming from increased irrigation and outdoor water use driven by drought conditions.
Rain started Sunday night and continued into Monday and decreased pumpage to 4.9 MGD, confirming that increased water usage is due to dry conditions driving demand for irrigation. Currently there are no water restrictions in place for Concord since water supply levels at Penacook Lake remain decent while supplementing from the Contoocook River. However, it is possible that restrictions could be instituted if the high demand continues. The Water Treatment Facility has been operating at historical highs and has never run for extended periods of time as it has been lately.
Water conservation is strongly advised, especially in regards to irrigation and outdoor use. Please use water wisely. Water customers should conserve water as a proactive measure to maintain our water resource. Simple measures to take when conserving water include minimizing irrigation, lawn watering, and inspecting systems for water leaks. If watering is needed, please water at night or early morning to minimize evaporation and consider using weather-based irrigation controllers to avoid unnecessary watering. Thank you for doing your part to conserve water.
Visit concordnh.gov/conservation for drought updates and water conservation tips.
Collections update
The City of Concord Collections Office is experiencing a high volume of transactions. All requests via phone and email are being returned in the order they are received.
Please note motor vehicle transactions are currently taking approximately 7 business days to process.
Staff appreciates your patience as they work to fulfill all requests and are doing their absolute best to get back to you as soon as possible.
Ways to communicate with the Collections Office:
Email: collection@concordnh.gov (preferred format)
Phone: 225-8540 (Please leave a detailed message and your call will be returned in the order it was received)
Utilize online services: concordnh.gov/1111/Online-Bill-Pay (Renewal of motor vehicle/motorcycle/trailer registrations, property tax payments)
More information is available on the Collection Office’s web page at concordnh.gov/453/Treasury-Collections.
CPL offers Bookopoly
Get in some summer reading with Concord Public Library’s Bookopoly. There’s a game for teens and adults and two children’s book bingo options (one for ages 0-6 and the other for ages 5-12). Lots of fun to be had and prizes to be won! Patrons can register for summer reading during curbside hours or they can register online here and a staff member will email them their game boards. More information: concordnh.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2943.
Absentee ballot information
Residents wishing to vote in New Hampshire who are concerned about participating in-person due to COVID-19 may register to vote, and vote, by absentee for the 2020 elections. Find more information on the State of New Hampshire’s website. Please contact the City Clerk’s Office at 225-8500 or via email at cityclerk@concordnh.gov with any questions.
