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:
Concord Public Library news
Live Music on the Lawn returns – next concert is July 21: These concerts are free and everyone is welcome to attend. Rory Scott Band: July 21, 6 p.m., Eagle Square (rain date: July 28). The Rory Scott Band is a “hard hitting country band with a rock flair.” Nick’s Other Band: August 18, 6 p.m., Library Lawn off of Prince Street (rain date: August 25). Nick’s Other Band is a high energy band playing classic rock and more. These concerts are also listed in the Parks and Rec summer/fall brochure.
Tuesday and Thursday night concerts return
Concord Parks and Rec is hosting a series of free Tuesday and Thursday night concerts in June, July, and August. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Nevers Band plays on Tuesday nights at 7 p.m. at various locations around the city. Nevers’ Band Concerts are an exciting and fun experience for the whole family! Their diverse repertoire includes popular numbers, patriotic music, classic orchestral transcriptions, music from motion pictures and more!
Tuesday night dates: June 22: Riverfront Park (behind Everett Arena); June 29: Concord State House; July 4: Memorial Field (rain date: July 5) 7:45 p.m. start time; July 13: Eagle Square; July 20: Rolfe Park; July 27: Keach Park; August 10: Riverfront Park (behind Everett Arena)
Thursday night concerts are held in Eagle Square beginning at 7 p.m. and feature a variety of musical acts. Visit the Concord Parks and Rec website or their summer/fall brochure (page 8) for more information.
Thursday night dates: Freese Brothers Big Band: June 24; Rebel Collective: July 1; NH Fiddle Ensemble: July 8; Kid Pinky: July 15; Freese Brothers Big Band: July 22; Marc Berger: July 29; Bad Medicine: August 5
Meetings
With Gov. Chris Sununu’s emergency order set to expire at the end of this week, please note the following changes to our City meetings, which are scheduled to be held in person in Council Chambers at 37 Green St.:
City Council meeting: Monday, 5:30 p.m., public hearing on FY22 budget and possible budget adoption.
These meetings will continue to be broadcast on Concord TV, Channel 17, and via the City’s YouTube channel. Visit concordnh.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx for agendas, which are posted prior to the meetings.
New 4-way stop at Horse Hill Road, River Road, Bog Road and Carter Hill Road
New STOP signs with stop bars are scheduled to be installed next week on Bog Road and Horse Hill Road to convert the intersection with Carter Hill Road and River Road to a 4-way stop. Electronic message boards are currently in place to warn motorists of the change and advanced “stop ahead” warning signs will be placed leading up to the intersection. Drivers who regularly use this intersection are asked to approach it mindfully as everyone gets accustomed to the change. An Engineering report and the map below were discussed and unanimously approved by City Council at their May 10 meeting.
Absentee ballots now available for Ward 4 city council special election
Absentee ballots for the July 13 Ward Four Special Election to fill the vacant City Council seat are now available from the City’s Clerk’s Office. Residents who are unable to vote at the polls on Election Day due to absence from town, religious observance, or physical disability may request an absentee ballot from the City Clerk’s Office. You must be registered to vote prior to casting an absentee ballot. July 6 is the last day residents may register to vote prior to Election Day. A sample ballot is available through the elections page at concordnh.gov/elections.
Information submitted by candidates is available through a link on the Elections page: concordnh.gov/elections.
For more information about the upcoming election, contact the City Clerk’s Office at 225-8500 or via email at cityclerk@concordnh.gov. The City Clerk’s Office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended hours until 6 p.m. on Thursdays.
Knowlton Woods Trail – In Progress
Thank you to the NEMBA (New England Mountain Bike Association) trail volunteers who were at Knowlton Forest last weekend clearing the new trail scheduled to open later this month. Stay tuned for a video from Concord TV coming soon!
Storrs Street Legislative Parking Garage work
The State of NH has a contractor team working on rehabilitating the deck of the Storrs Street Legislative Parking Garage; this work will involve lane closures and maintenance of one-way traffic underneath the garage at times, as well as intermittent parking space and sidewalk closures. Work is expected to continue into mid-June.
Washington Street Bridge rehab
The Washington Street Bridge will be closed during the day while the contractor is actively working. This closure began on May 3. The closure can be expected between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but may be shorter each day based on the contractor’s schedule.
At some point in the coming weeks, the bridge will be closed completely until mid- to late-August, and there will be a follow-up advanced notice with more details.
During the closure, traffic traveling southbound on Washington Street will be detoured down Millstream Lane to Borough Road. Traffic traveling northbound on River Road /Washington Street will be detoured down Borough Road to Millstream Lane. Below is a plan showing the detour route, which will be designated with signage along the route.
If there are any questions or concerns, please contact the Engineering Services Division at 225-8520. We thank you for your patience while we complete this important project.
Merrill Pool renovation
Concord General Services’ Public Properties Division has been working with The H.L. Turner Group and South Shore Gunite Pools to fully replace the existing pool structure at Merrill Park to address aging concerns and make improvements for ADA accessibility, increased safety, improved efficiency, and enhanced visual appeal. Construction originally started in September with the pool structure nearly complete except for some finish work. The pool was fully filled last week. Ladders and pool accessories were installed this week, and Public Properties staff received training for the new automated chemical controller. Final inspection and clean-up will take place ahead of the pool opening. Visit concordnh.gov/publicproperties for more information.
Long line road striping
The City’s contractor, K5 Corporation, has completed the long line striping for this spring. They will return in the fall to re-paint the double yellow, white fog and skip lines on our high traffic areas throughout the City.
Use water wisely
As of June 10, drought conditions have worsened in Northern parts of New Hampshire. Currently, 10.41% of the state is not experiencing any drought conditions, 48.7% is experiencing abnormally dry conditions (including Concord), and 40.89% is categorized in a moderate drought.
More precipitation is still needed. The National Weather Service predicts below average precipitation for the region in the next eight to 14 days. More rain is needed to help improve drought conditions.
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) is recommending for outdoor water use restrictions to be implemented for community water systems and municipalities across New Hampshire. At this time, Concord is not implementing watering restrictions as our water supply remains healthy. It is possible restrictions may be implemented if drought conditions continue to worsen and if water consumption gets too high.
Water consumption was much higher than average last summer and consumption continues to trend high again this year. Concord’s Water Treatment Facility has been producing between 5.8MGD and 6.0MGD (millions of gallons per day) of water for the past couple of weeks. This is above average for this time of year, which is typically closer to 5.0MGD. Increased water use is linked with the return of irrigation and outdoor water use, recent temperatures in the 90s, and higher than average volumes due to dry conditions driven by the drought.
We advise everyone to please conserve water use as a proactive measure to manage our water source. Be mindful of your water use, especially outdoors. Simple conservation practices include minimizing irrigation and lawn watering, and inspecting systems for water leaks. Practice watering at night or early morning to minimize evaporation and consider using weather-based irrigation controllers to avoid unnecessary watering if it rains.
Drought conditions will continue to be monitored. Please continue to use water wisely. We thank everyone for their efforts to conserve water. Every drop counts! Find drought updates and water conservation tips online at concordnh.gov/conservation.
