Meeting times, records rankle Nashua residents

NASHUA – It’s not just the Board of Public Works’ meeting time that needs a change, residents declared Monday; its meeting minutes do, too. At a public hearing Monday, seven Nashuans spoke in favor of putting the board’s 2 p.m. meeting time on the next city ballot as a charter amendment, which, if supported, would force the board to meet no earlier than 6 p.m., unless an emergency arises. The aldermanic Personnel/Administrative Affairs Committee, which held the hearing Monday, ultimately tabled the legislation, along with several tweaks Alderman-at-Large Jim Donchess offered that would have forced all at-large elected boards – the Board of Aldermen, the Board of Public Works, the Board of Fire Commissioners and the Board of Education – to meet no earlier than 5:30 weeknights. “I really want to warn us against taking shotguns to flies,” board President Brian McCarthy said, comparing the multiple charter amendments to a Bugs Bunny cartoon in which Elmer Fudd blows up a house when he was only trying to kill flies. “This is a big thing to do. I don’t think it’s necessary.” Lozeau, who chairs the Board of Public Works according to charter, said Monday that the public works board will take up its meeting time at its next session in March. But residents who spoke out at the public hearing Monday had more problems with the public works board than simply its afternoon start time. Dan Richardson, a former alderman and regular critic in the chambers, took aim at the Board of Public Works’ record keeping Monday, claiming Lozeau is not as transparent as she says she is, and once read only half a letter he wrote to the board. “The story’s even more twisted,” Richardson said, using the scenario to challenge her previous comments about the board’s accessibility through residents’ letters.