Portsmouth leaders talk top priorities for 2024: Housing and climate action plan

PORTSMOUTH — Mayor Deaglan McEachern called on the city to address the challenges it faces head-on, particularly the housing crisis and the urgent threat of climate change.

“The dream of affordable housing is at the heart of our vision for a community where every citizen, regardless of their economic background, has a safe and affordable place to call home,” McEachern said during his inauguration speech Tuesday night after being sworn in for his second term as mayor by City Clerk Kelli Barnaby. “It is quite simply the character of Portsmouth, more than any brick or cobblestone could be. Our unwavering commitment to affordable housing will see us partnering with the PHA (Portsmouth Housing Authority), engaging with the business community, and implementing zoning reforms that ensure sustainable, affordable living for all.”

He called the need to address the lack of affordable housing in Portsmouth “not just an economic imperative but a moral one, ensuring that the city of the open door remains a haven of hope and opportunity.”

McEachern received a rousing standing ovation both after he was sworn in and when he finished his speech in City Council Chambers Tuesday night.

The mayor added, “Equally pressing is the challenge of climate change, a reality that endangers the very fabric of our seaside community. Our mission is clear: Portsmouth will not only adapt but lead in environmental stewardship. We will implement a comprehensive climate action plan that champions sustainable practices, reduces our carbon footprint, and safeguards our environment for future generations.

“The actions we take today will define the legacy we leave for tomorrow, and I am committed to ensuring that legacy is one of hope, resilience, and responsible stewardship of our planet,” McEachern added.

The mayor noted voters reelected the entire City Council for another term in November.

“Their wisdom, experience and unwavering commitment to Portsmouth set the stage for another two years of impactful service,” he said about his fellow city councilors.

Officials sworn into office for two-year terms

Barnaby also swore in Assistant Mayor Joanna Kelley during Tuesday’s ceremony, along with City Councilors John Tabor, Kate Cook, Josh Denton, Rich Blalock, Andrew Bagley, Beth Moreau and Vince Lombardi.

Fire Commissioner Michael Hughes, Police Commissioner Francesca Marconi Fernald and School Board members Patricia “Tish” Campbell, Byron Matto and David Leigh Hudson also took their oaths of office during Tuesday’s event.

McEachern was joined during his swearing in by his mother, his wife Lori and his daughters Tiernan and Aurelia.

He thanked his family for their “boundless love and support,” which he said makes “this journey not only possible but deeply meaningful.”

He also praised City Manager Karen Conard “and the unsung heroes of our city staff,” saying their “resilience and dedication” is “nothing short of the heartbeat of Portsmouth.”

He called on city residents to help “build a future where every open door leads to a story of hope, progress, and community.”

Congressional delegation members praise Portsmouth leaders

U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire, praised the city officials sworn in Tuesday, saying they “share a common goal.”

“That’s to make Portsmouth an ever better place to live,” he said. “That’s to be commended and celebrated and your service is very much appreciated and it is absolutely essential for the future.”

U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire, said she was honored to be joining city officials and employees as “we mark the beginning of the next chapter of Portsmouth’s history, a chapter you will all help write together.”

“The people of Portsmouth helped begin our fight for independence, they worked the docks that propelled New Hampshire’s economy forward, they helped build and maintain our Navy and their small businesses continue to help our state’s technology and tourism economy flourish.”

Big focus on affordable housing

During a series of interviews Tuesday before the inauguration and swearing-in ceremony, returning councilors pointed to the need to address the lack of below market rate housing in the city.

Kelley said “number one” for her in terms of council priorities is  “getting some movement on creating some affordable housing.”

The fact that she and the entire council were reelected proves that their efforts to get more affordable housing in Portsmouth “really resonates with residents.”

Kelley believes it’s crucial during this term for the council to at least “show progress on the start of a project. Whether that’s an overall agreement or a path lined up to a project, I think that’s success."

Kelley repeated her desire to continue efforts toward “increasing resident interaction with the council.”

“That’s always high on my list,” Kelley added, stressing the need to work to get “different residents involved” with city government.

“I think it’s paramount to make sure people are involved,” she said.

In particular, Kelley pointed to the need to encourage more involvement from residents in their “20s, 30s and 40s.”

“We have a changing demographic. We’re the next generation that’s going to be raising families here,” she said.

Tabor stated that he’d like to see the council “make progress on work-force housing.”

“If we do nothing the amount of housing that people on middle incomes can afford will shrink and shrink,” Tabor said. “Then the local economy won’t work.”

He said creating below market rate housing in Portsmouth is “very important” and believes the council has “a political mandate from voters” to act.

“I think the support is out there,” said Tabor, who was sworn in for his third term.

He agrees with the city’s Land Use Committee’s recommendation that the best city-owned site for housing is the former Sherburne School.

“I hope we move on that, but I also think that’s got to be done with some kind of give and take with the neighborhood,” he said in reference to residents of the nearby Pannaway Manor neighborhood who opposed an initial plan for the site.

Reducing police station costs

Asked about the potential new city police station project, Tabor said the working group he serves on is “looking at ways to reuse the existing station that would reduce the overall cost a lot.”

Ideally the aim is to get the cost for a new station “close to the number in the capital improvement budget,” he said.

Many officials and residents appeared to be shocked when the police station working group in November revealed cost estimates for a new station that came in $20 million to $30 million higher than expected.

The cost approved in the CIP came at $42.2 million.

The lowest estimate for a new station came in at $61.9 million at the lower City Hall parking lot site. The highest came in at $72.6 million to renovate and put additions on the existing station.

Picking a housing site called critical next step

Bagley pointed to “moving the needle on affordable housing” when he was asked what he’d like to see the council accomplish during its new two-year term.

That should be done, he said Tuesday, “in conjunction with the 10-year master plan.”

He believes that early in the council’s new term they need to identify a city-owned site that “is feasible and would have community support.”

“And then get shovels in the ground,” he added.

He too believes the Sherburne School site is the “best site,” but acknowledged “there’s plenty of people who disagree with that, including some on the council.”

“We have to figure out is that the site, and if it’s the site, what can we do that has the least impact. We need work-force housing desperately,” Bagley said.

He also hopes to see the council look at ways to deal with the burden taxpayers are facing.

“Especially in light of numbers that came back for the police station,” Bagley said.

“It certainly needs a lot of changes from what was proposed,” he said when asked about the police station project moving forward.

“We can’t afford …to spend that much on one project in my opinion,” Bagley said. “Portsmouth has a lot of competing interests for taxpayers’ dollars.”

A call to invest in climate plan

Denton wants the council’s top accomplishment to be “passing the climate action plan, and then making sure it’s funded.”

The council could vote on the final proposed climate plan in as soon as a month, but he stressed how important it is to at least begin funding some of its proposed initiatives.

The proposed costs have not been finalized, Denton said, but said they represent “a spectrum with options.”

But he added, “my goal is to fund all of it.”

The costs can vary greatly depending on the initiative, he said, and pointed to the success of the recent Portsmouth Community Power initiative, without large costs.

But “replacing our school bus fleet with electric buses will be costly,” Denton said.

He also pointed to the need to create affordable housing in Portsmouth.

“We have yet to decide if we’re going to deed property over to the Portsmouth Housing Authority (for the project) and if so, what property,” he said.

“The largest increase in affordable housing since I’ve been involved with the city has come from the Portsmouth Housing Authority’s Ruth Griffin Place project,” he said.

He acknowledged that all the zoning incentives created in the city have not led to much in terms of affordable housing.

“It would be great if they led to more affordable housing, but experience has shown me that the best approach is the Portsmouth Housing Authority building on land we give them,” he said.

Asked what city-owned land represents the best site, Denton said, “I still think the lower lot at City Hall makes the most sense.”

But he understands that location is being looked at for a new police station.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth mayor, elected officials: Housing top priority in 2024