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:
City meetings
City meetings are held in person in Council Chambers at 37 Green Street (unless otherwise specified on the City’s calendar). Upcoming meetings include:
Zoning Board of Adjustment: March 2, 7 p.m.
LED streetlight conversion
More than 1,750 lights have been installed to date. Right now the contractor is awaiting a final shipment of lights in order to complete the project. Once the shipment arrives, installation work is expected to take another week. Meanwhile, Unitil is diligently working to address wiring issues for some lights.
Messy roads
Recent weather conditions have been creating quite the mess for road conditions. From snow, to sleet, ice, and rain – with warmer temperatures during the day causing thawing, and colder temperatures at night causing re-freezing – this pattern can create for icy roads and sidewalks, potholes, and iced over catch basins.
Crews have been working to scrape and treat icy areas, patch potholes, and clear drains. Unfortunately, this weather pattern has not been working in our favor and has been causing crews to have to return to areas already cared for. There is a lot of ground to cover and crews are dispatched all across the city to address all of these different concerns, so please continue to have patience as crews work as quickly as possible to efficiently restore conditions.
If you have a specific concern for a drainage issue, a pothole, or icy conditions, please report it at concordnh.gov/seeclickfix or on the MyConcordNH app. Crews will continue to work to improve conditions as possible. We thank the community for their understanding.
National COVID-19 testing in wastewater
The City’s Hall Street wastewater treatment facility recently started participating in the CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System, a network of 400 testing sites spread across 19 states to study COVID-19 detection. Last year, the facility also participated in the wastewater monitoring program with Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center to assist the State of New Hampshire with early detection tracking. Staff at the facility collect wastewater influent samples twice a week and send it to a lab for testing and data analysis for the national program. The CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System data is available online at covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/ #wastewater-surveillance. We anticipate to continue to assist with this program for about a year to provide valuable research information and better insight into the community’s public health.
Everett Arena ice season continues
There are about four weeks left for ice skating before the ice is gone for the season! Feb. 26 will be the last Saturday session, March 6 will be the last Sunday session, and March 17 is the last weekday session and final day of the season.
Ice skating hours at the Douglas N. Everett Arena are Sundays from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is $6 and free for kids ages 3 and under. Skate rentals are available for $5 at the arena’s pro shop.
Adult stick practice (ages 14 and up) hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Admission is $10.00 and free for goalies. Helmet and gloves are required and full equipment is recommended.
Check out the Everett Arena Pro Shop for some hockey tape, skate guards, laces, or even skate sharpening. Skate sharpening is available for $6, or a $50 punch ticket can be purchased for 10 sharpening sessions to save $10. The shop is open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the ice season. Lace-up those skates! Find more information at concordnh.gov/skating.
All members of the public are required to wear a face-covering while inside the Everett Arena. Exceptions include when actively playing in a sport, eating or drinking, or showering in a locker room. While engaged in an activity that does not require a face covering, persons outside of the same household are strongly encouraged to remain three feet apart from others to the greatest extent possible. These rules apply to all individuals over the age of 5, regardless of vaccination status. Find more COVID-19 guidelines and information at concordnh.gov/arena.
Summer staff needed
We are already looking forward to summer! We need to hire 40 lifeguards to open our 7 outdoor pools. Apply online, and do not worry if you’re not certified. If you’re selected for a position, we provide all the training at no cost. Must be 16 years old or over. Apply online.
PD bike auction
The Concord Police Department’s annual bicycle auction is April 23 at 10 a.m. Keep an eye on the department’s Facebook page and the city’s website for more information as the date nears.
