We need less about Belichick and more about budget from Portsmouth mayor: Letters

We need less about Belichick and more about budget from Portsmouth mayor

April 28 — To the Editor:

I respectfully ask Deaglan McEachern, mayor of the city of Portsmouth, why he recently devoted his time and this paper’s space to tell a tale of many years ago (2009) of his question he posed to Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

Mayor McEachern, with all due respect, do you not think there are more pressing problems in Portsmouth to devote your time to solving? To listening to the questions of Portsmouth’s residents rather than telling them about your story of your “question.” The entire event sounds traumatic to be sure and to quote you, “ He eviscerated me…” But that was a long time ago. So how does Belichick’s refusal of an answer 13 years ago (different time, different place, and different continent) have any bearing on the job you’ve been elected to do? Please help me out. I’m an avid fan of the New England Patriots and Mr. Belichick as their head coach. But in all honesty, the city of Portsmouth and the financial burden that you and your council will vote to place on her taxpayers is far more important.

Residents from Sagamore Creek were at a meeting last night being told by city staff that they’d be paying on average, $16,000 to hook up to the city’s sewer system. They have no choice once their septic systems fail. The meeting was long and intense. The topic was complicated. The project is a result of mitigation pertaining to the second modification of the consent decree involving the city’s Waste Water Treatment Facility. Where were you Mayor McEachern last night to support the residents of your city? Where were the members of your City Council? None were there.

How about the issues swirling around the McIntyre? You accuse the past mayor of holding an improper meeting, yet you and your council of 9-0 have done exactly the same to get what you want. Portsmouth doesn’t need a Council of 9-0, 9-0, 9-0…Portsmouth needs heroic leaders stepping up to make transparent, hard choices based on fact and in the best interests of the entire city.

The preliminary budget figures have yet to be announced. Taxpayers and residents all over this city have been waiting. They’re still waiting. Isn’t this important? As the current City Council votes more often than not, unanimously, will the budget also be a one and done with a 9-0 rubber stamp? This of course would lead to a very happy city manager and more than ample time for further explanations of a seemingly odd interaction with one of the greatest football coaches ever.

When you get around to the budget, please remember that the new tax rate after the revaluation of residential and commercial real estate this year will matter little by being lowered because Portsmouth has become just that special and popular. What will you do for your residents and tax payers? Tell them the truth? The budget dictates what the taxes will be for your residents who elected you. A large budget and staggering revaluations will simply overwhelm the tax rate. The appearance these days is that Rome burns while Nero and his council fiddle. I know that is not you. Please remember Mr. Mayor that Belichick may have ”eviscerated” you, but he didn’t draw and quarter you. You still live to lead. Now please step up and be the leader that Portsmouth needs and I know you to be.

Paige Trace

Portsmouth

Support residents suing to stop McIntyre settlement with developer

April 28 — To the Editor:

Kudos to the group of Portsmouth residents and property owners who have filed suit (to be heard May 2 in Superior Court) against the latest misdirected action of the city manager and Portsmouth City Council regarding the McIntyre project.

On April 6, the council voted to approve a settlement agreement, which, in order to avoid a threatened meritless lawsuit by Redgate/Kane, required the council to amend the previous development agreement (which provided multiple opt-out provisions to both the city and the developer). This new settlement agreement gives the developer $2 million for a previous unapproved plan which was rejected by the National Park Service (NPS) as being too massive and with too much profit for a “public benefit” project. In fact, the development agreement does not legally bind the city and the developer until a ground lease is executed, the final plan approved by NPS (as well as the General Services Administration), and the transaction is closed. This has not happened.

The simple fact is that the council’s action has left the city defenseless and at a loss of control of the terms and conditions of the eventual ground lease as well as being committed to the same developer for the project in the future (and who has called it “unbuildable.")

This is just another blow to Portsmouth taxpayers, who will be on the hook for unknown costs related to McIntyre and another example of poor legal advice by the city’s legal department.

I urge those concerned to support the efforts of this group of concerned citizens, so that the eventual successful completion of the McIntyre project will meet the needs of the community, not the greed of the developers.

Bill Hamilton

Eliot, Maine

Rye board appointment process is open, transparent and fair

April 28 — To the Editor:

In his letter of April 15, 2022, Shawn Joyce made several inaccurate statements regarding the town of Rye’s policy for appointing residents to non-elective boards and commissions. The rules governing the appointment process are not new, have been in place for over a decade, and were formalized in 2017. The Rye Select Board hasn’t made any attempt to modify the long-standing procedures. Although Mr. Joyce focused exclusively on the Conservation Commission, the policy applies to all non-elective volunteer positions on Rye boards and commissions.

The Rye Conservation Commission (RCC) is not composed of “just long term, homogenous insiders” as Mr. Joyce claims. The RCC has a diverse membership composed of residents with work experience in the fields of engineering, law, real estate, hydrology, forestry, mental health and teaching. Member tenure on the RCC is also diverse with members having served 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 15, 20 and 23 years on the commission. In 2021 there were two advertised vacancies on the RCC to which any Rye resident could have applied.

The appointment process is open, transparent, and fair and has allowed volunteers to join Rye’s many non-elective boards and work on behalf of the town.

Suzanne McFarland, Chair

Rye Conservation Commission

Kudos to the Portsmouth Public Library and a knowledgeable citizenry

April 28 — To the Editor:

Democracies are under attack worldwide, some literally and some figuratively. One of the pillars/weapons that a functioning democracy can use in its defense is a knowledgeable citizenry.

Acknowledging that, I want to praise Portsmouth Public Library for again hosting this year’s Great Decisions course developed by the Foreign Policy Association. This year’s nine topics, conducted one per week and recently concluded, were facilitated by local subject matter experts and were hugely educational and timely. I am already looking forward to next year’s course.

Toward a similar goal, readers may be interested in an extremely timely and relevant in-person/online event conducted by the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire featuring former US Ambassador to NATO and National Security Staff member LTG Douglas Lute, USA (retired) on May 17 in Manchester. Lute is the epitome of a soldier statesman, part of the lineage exemplified by Colin Powell and George Marshall. Details are at www.wacnh.org.

Peter Bowman

Greenland

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth mayor should focus on budget, not coach Belichick: Letters