City hall, garage work underway

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 St. (unless otherwise specified on the City’s calendar). Upcoming meetings include:

Zoning Board of Adjustment: April 6, 7 p.m.

City Council: April 11, 7 p.m.

Planning Board: April 20, 7 p.m.

Fiber optic crews in the city

You have probably noticed lots of contractors in bucket trucks all over the City stringing new fiber optic cable to utility poles every which way. This work is being conducted by Breezeline, formerly known as Atlantic Broadband, and Fidium Fiber, which is a subsidiary of Consolidated Communications. The purpose of the project is to provide Concord residents with new options for high-speed internet and cable television. Some of the fiber cable installation is being performed directly by these two companies, but they have also hired a variety of subcontractors to perform various aspects of the work. Some concerns have been received from residents who have had trees limbed without permission and also damage to private property. If you happen to witness any instances of property damage, illicit tree trimming, etc. by contractors working on the City streets, please make note of their license plate number and call the Engineering Services Division at (603) 225-8520 to speak with a representative or leave a detailed message with the address of the concern, what you witnessed, description of the truck/crew, and a call back number.

State St. garage

On March 14 the City Council appropriated $200,000 to complete much needed repairs at the State Street Garage. Knowles Industrial Services, Inc. of Gorham, Maine has been engaged to complete the work.

The work began on March 21and will be completed in mid to late June. The work includes installation of temporary shoring in both stair towers, partial replacement of an expansion joint, removal of loose overhead concrete, as well as miscellaneous repairs of select concrete beams, columns, and slabs; all as recommended by a February 2022 structural assessment of the facility.

These repairs are intended to be a stopgap measure pending future decisions by the City Council concerning large scale repairs and renovations, or potential replacement of the facility, as discussed in the February 2022 Needs Assessment.

City Hall work

Beginning this week and continuing for the next several weeks, some City Hall parking in the Prince Street lot will be affected during ongoing work. Handicapped parking spaces are relocated to the second row of parking. Barricades will limit vehicular traffic, but pedestrians should be aware that there will be equipment in the vicinity.

Outdoor dining in Concord

During the March City Council meeting, the City established a permanent outdoor dining policy in the City of Concord. This new program is an effort by the City to establish a uniform application and standards, as well as have a vibrant outdoor dining presence for local restaurants for the future. The 2022 season will run from April 15 through Nov. 15.

The outdoor dining program provides for the issuance of permits for restaurants in the downtown to use areas of the public sidewalk, squares, City properties, and public parking spaces near their businesses to accommodate customers’ tables and chairs.

Restaurants interested in participating should apply for an outdoor dining permit available at concordnh.gov/outdoordining.

For questions related to this program, contact Health & Licensing Officer Gwen Williams in the Code Administration Office at 225-8580 or at gwilliams@concordnh.gov.

Annual list for tax exempt properties deadline

Per RSA 72:23-c, every religious, educational, and charitable organization that wishes to claim property tax exemption shall annually, on or before April 15, file BTLA form A-9 “List of Real Estate and Personal Property on which Exemption is claimed” with the Assessing Office.

The properties must be owned, used, and occupied by the organization directly for which they are established, provided that none of the income thereof is used for any other purpose than the purpose for which they are established.

In addition, every charitable organization or society must also annually file a BTLA form A-12 “Charitable Organization Financial Statement” along with financial documents by June 1.

If you are unsure whether your organization would qualify for an exemption, please review RSA 72:23.

Failure to file the documents in a timely manner may result in property taxation for the 2022 tax year.

Personal Exemption Reminders

Property owners are reminded that the applications for the elderly, blind, and solar exemptions, as well as veteran credits, are due April 15. Information may be found in the Assessing Office, on the City website at http://www.concordnh.gov/assessing. Or, you may call (603) 225-8550 or email assessing@concordnh.gov and request that the application/s be emailed or mailed to you. The most important issue at this time is getting the application in the mail with an April 15 postmark or submitted in person by April 15. We encourage you to provide any and all documentation on or before the deadline; if you haven’t received a specific document, it can be provided after the deadline. If we need additional information; we will reach out to you via a letter.

On March 14, City Council met and approved changes to the elderly exemption for the 2022 tax year.

Changes are as follows:

The net income for single applicants of not more than $37,300.

The net income for married applicants of not more than $53,300.

The asset limit, not including your residential home if it is a single family, of not more than $98,000 for both single and married applicants

Increase to the elderly exemption amounts: ages 65-74, $80,000; ages 75-79, $131,000; and ages 80 and older, $223,000.

Neighborhood paving program

The City’s Neighborhood Street Paving Program began this week with Continental Paving, Inc. as the City’s paving contractor for this year. Work began Monday, March 28 on Foster Street, Granite Avenue, Curtice Avenue, and Prospect Street. All catch basin and manhole covers will be lowered, curbing will be removed, and pavement reclamation and grading will follow with base pavement applied tentatively by the end of the week if possible.

Work is weather permitting. Streets may be reduced to one lane or closed to through traffic. Parking will be prohibited on these streets between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. Residents will have road access to their homes.

Summer jobs

The department has almost 60 positions open: cemetery and park laborers, summer camp counselors, and lifeguards. If you do not have the required certifications, do not worry we will take care of the cost. For more information, please visit governmentjobs.com/careers/concordnh.

City accepting outdoor sculptures for exhibit

The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce invite sculptors to submit entries for Art on Main, a public art exhibit in the city’s historic downtown. Accepted entries will be on display from June through May 2023, and enhance the city’s award-winning Main Street.

Concord’s Fifth Annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition is open to professional sculptors 18 years or older, preferably from New England. This initiative is a partnership between the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Creative Concord Committee and the City of Concord. The Creative Concord Committee is made up of dedicated volunteers who work to enhance the creative economy in the Capital Region. New Hampshire’s state capital features a destination downtown full of local shops, restaurants and cultural venues that attract a high volume of visitors throughout the year. Art on Main enhances these attractions by creating an open-air gallery that is free for all to enjoy.

Artists may submit up to two works for consideration; each must be the property of the artist. All accepted artists will receive a $500 stipend. Accepted artworks must be properly secured upon installation for the safety of visitors and the artwork itself. The City of Concord takes a 30% commission for any sculptures sold to promote the visual arts. The deadline for entries is April 29.

Author: Insider Staff

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