CIP committee must be open to public scrutiny

To the editor:

What is that stench in downtown Rochester? It's not Turnkey Landfill.

Reviewing the video of the November 20, 2023, planning board meeting and cross referencing the agenda and there is missing data that could be useful to the citizens. Now they are not in violation of any NH Laws but it is still missing information that the public would like to know about. What might you ask is being left out of these agendas?

The Meeting agenda for Nov. 20 lists an agenda item of CIP Committee - 3 PB Members needed. Director of Planning Shauna Saunders states on the video that she has passed out documents listed as Rochester Capital Improvements Committee "this is not a memo" which overviews the program that the city staff has created. They go on to discuss the program and its intended processes.

Shauna Saunders discusses that the departments of the City of Rochester will come forward to this committee to pitch their ideas and then this committee will rate them in accordance with the master plan and the 9 criteria listed and present them to the City Council later. What happens if they review CIP items and rate them at the lower end of the scale will the City Council have an opportunity to bump them up or fund them? Who are these members on this committee, will they be the members assigned by the mayor from the City Council or city manager who has a representative on the planning board to theoretically have a committee to which all members are from the City Council? Will there be alternate members from the planning board? Who will be the chair and vice chair of said committee?

This lack of transparency from our government makes me wonder a few things: Are they providing all comprehensive information and guaranteeing that meeting agendas include all such relevant information on each agenda item? Are they providing relevant background information, supporting documents and links to additional resources for residents seeking more context on the items listed in the agenda?

Some additional questions I have related to this endeavor is Who authorized this committee to be formed, under what RSA, City Ordinance or Charter? Will the meetings be accessible to the public and televised? My fear and suspicions are that they will be holding these meetings in a location where it can't be remotely viewed by the public but will be open, so if someone can't attend, they can't hear all the information being presented. Will there be a public hearing or listening session after each department reports to this committee to weigh input from the citizens? What about CIP Projects that are not related to the Planning department i.e. Police Cruisers, Fire Trucks, DPW Trucks etc., they don't meet any criteria in the master plan so will this committee bump those items up or down on the list depending on how they feel about the department and relating them to the so called 9 criteria which we as the public haven't seen unless you do a 91-a request to see it.

This proposal comes to light as we are turning over more and more control to the administration and letting them run our government. I believe it's time that we stand up and hold our leaders accountable for their actions. The stench of a shadow government from this proposal is greater than Turnkey landfill on a hot summer day.

- Chis Rice,

Rochester