Rochester: $1.4 million for child care and 5 more key takeaways from State of City event

ROCHESTER — City officials delivered their first State of the City addresses since the start of the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday, and they emphasized the positive.

The breakfast event, coordinated by the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce, was held at Frisbie Memorial Hospital's Community Education and Conference Center.

The city was declared healthy, in terms of a declining crime rate and due to ongoing development. Tim Jones, CEO of the hospital, stated Frisbie is a community hospital, here to stay and ready to provide quality services.

Here's a look at the six key takeaways from the event:

Mayor announces $1 million-plus for child care from federal funds

A year into his first term as mayor, Paul Callaghan said the city is working on a child care resource for city employees and Rochester residents.

"We need to support our great workforce," said Callaghan. "I am announcing $1 million from the federal recovery fund will be invested by the city in child care."

City Manager Blaine Cox said the city's plan, still in development, calls for the use of $1.4 million from the federal  American Rescue Plan Act. The city's child care plan was discussed in a City Council meeting in April. The federal act signed by President Joe Biden in March 2021 included $350 billion in emergency funding for state, local, territorial and tribal governments, known as the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.

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"At this point, we are in a general information gathering process and gearing up for a feasibility study process," Cox said.

The mayor expressed optimism and touted his record.

"When I ran, it was on a platform of four things, see the downtown revitalization continue, encourage economic development, offer the best services and keep taxes low," Callaghan said.  "We are doing all of that. A big part of the reason is our city staff. They are top notch and they all want the best for our residents. We are a city ready to take off."

Callaghan also praised developments like the Scenic Theater/Salinger Block and Hoffman building projects that are part of the city's long-term revitalization efforts downtown, adding residential and commercial space. He lauded the arts taking place, through the Rochester Museum of Fine Art, Main Street and other groups. He praised city police and fire, calling the departments the "best in the state."

Sweet music from recreation director

The person who stole the show was Lauren Krans, the city's new recreation director. Her speech brought laughter and resounding applause, and she got the guests to join her in singing "Sweet Caroline" as fans do at Fenway Park during Boston Red Sox games.

Krans' musical experiment led into her talking about connectivity, the role she sees for the recreation department. She sang the song, the audience amiably provided the "bum, bum, bum" chorus and she made her point.

"Connectivity makes us a community; come play with us," she said. 'We had 19,000 program touches last year because we offer many programs for people to come and connect with."

Krans said her department is determined to find a way to connect to each resident. She talked about programs, invited people to volunteer, or to bring their expertise to the city.

"We brought back the Lilac City Fun Fest this year, and it was such a success," said Krans. "We have programs for all ages. We have beautiful parks. Let us help you find your connection point."

City's financial health touted

City Manager Blaine Cox, and Deputy City Manager Katie Ambrose said the city's finances are in excellent shape.

"Our budget was $2.1 million under the tax cap," Cox said. 'We are financially responsible and we not only survived, but thrived during the pandemic."

Deputy City Manager Ambrose added details.

"Rochester is strong and growing," she said. "We have strong bond ratings from both Moody's and Standard & Poor's. We have a healthy unassigned fund balance because we have much revenue not from property tax. We have $531 million in assets to maintain and a large amount of infrastructure. We are handling all responsibly. Our future is bright."

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A call to get involved in Rochester

The city now offers two podcasts and The Rochester Post as ways to keep residents informed and to encourage citizen involvement, said Matt Wyatt, public information and community engagement manager.

"Our website (rochesternh.gov/) is a one-stop shop for people to learn what is going on in the city, and to find ways to express themselves," said Wyatt. "Rochester Main Street is back bigger than ever. They and the (Museum of Fine Arts) are making our city a beautiful place to live, to visit."

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How is Rochester growing?

City Planner Shanna Saunders and Economic Development Director Michael Scala outlined many projects completed, under construction and coming in the future.

Scala said when he came to the city three years ago, his mandate was to revitalize the downtown. He said it is happening and he is excited to watch the city revenues grow as the new face of the city emerges.

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Saunders talked about land use boards, which fall under her department's umbrella, the updates happening to the city's master plan, and new zoning changes.

"We made electric car charging stations an allowed use," she said. "We will soon have a new EV charging station on Route11."

SAU 54, the city schools

Superintendent Kyle Repucci provided information on the school's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

"We have 11 schools," he said "Each are focused on providing personalized education throughout the grades. By the time our students graduate, we want to know what is their plan, whether it's college, the military or trades."

Repucci also highlighted the new SAU 54 app. On it he said parents can find whatever they need including new online, more private ways to apply for reduced lunch services.

Presentations also came from police, fire, library, and public works. All were positive about the future of the city.

Previous story: Rochester sees steady drop in crime over past five years

This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Rochester NH State of City: $1.4 million for child care