Opinion

Mayoral Notes: On the move: Auction, conference, ribbon cutting and senator visit

By CHARLENE LOVETT
By Charlene Lovett

The pace of events in Claremont serves as a reminder that much is happening in our community. In less than a week we held a ribbon cutting in the city center, received a visit from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, hosted an auction of tax-deeded property and presented at the Nashua Conference for the Prevention of Childhood Lead Poisoning. Here is brief overview of each event:

Goddard Block ribbon cutting

Held on Sept. 25, it was my first opportunity to see the inside of the building since its complete renovation. The transformation was significant. Previously condemned for fire and safety code violations, the building now houses 36 new apartment units and commercial space on the ground floor. All the apartments are occupied or soon to be occupied, and there is a waiting list. The majority of the commercial area is under contract and negotiations are underway for the remainder. Such demand signifies not only the success of this project, but the need for more. The developer, Mr. LaCasse of New England Family Housing, thanked all the participants who made the more than $10 million investment possible. Among those he thanked were New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority for providing the tax credits made possible by the Northern New England Housing Investment Fund, Sullivan County for the Community Development Block Grant funding, the city council for its approval of the 79E tax relief application and the federal government for the issuance of historic tax credits.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s visit

Right after the ribbon cutting and tour of the Goddard Block, City Manager Ed Morris, Police Chief Mark Chase, and I attended a visit from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen at Ready, Set, Grow, a local childcare provider. The purpose of the senator’s visit was to hear how COVID-19 has impacted the ability of childcare providers to operate. In preparation for the senator’s visit, I contacted several of the licensed childcare providers in Claremont who would not be meeting with the senator and got their input. This I shared with the senator during the visit. It soon became apparent that there were common themes. Although the reasons varied, enrollment was down which meant a loss in revenue. Operational costs were up due to additional requirements resulting from COVID-19. Such themes mirrored the experiences shared by many providers across the country. Nationwide, it is estimated that 30% of childcare providers have closed their doors since March and, if nothing is done to reverse this trend, the percentage of closures may increase to 50%. Given the need for childcare surpasses availability, both locally and nationally, these closures are of great concern. Shaheen’s efforts to address this issue was well received by those who spoke with her.

Auction of tax-deeded properties

On Sept. 26, the city held a public auction for the sale of eight tax-deeded properties. It took place in the large meeting room of the Claremont Savings Bank Community Center and was well attended. The winning bids totaled $140,000. If a property is sold for more than the taxes owed, the remaining amount will be given to the original owner. If a property sold for less than the taxes owed, the amount of the winning bid will go to the city. Since I have served on the council, this is the third auction I have observed and I believe it to have been the most successful. The auction was well advertised and attended, and all of the properties sold. As a result, the city has recovered lost tax revenue and the properties are back on the tax roll. The inclusion of a reverter clause in the deed ensures that the properties will not remain as is or continue to degrade. Instead, the new owners will have to take steps to bring these properties into compliance with local ordinances and maintenance codes.

Nashua Conference on the Prevention of Childhood Lead Poisoning

On Sept. 30, Nashua hosted a virtual conference on the prevention of childhood lead poisoning. I was asked to speak at the conference about Claremont’s success in addressing this issue. I was joined by members of the Claremont Lead Action Team: Steve Coombs, Don Derrick and Victor St. Pierre. Not only were we able to share our community approach and the many accomplishments that we have achieved over the last four years, but we were also able to announce the recent award of a Housing and Urban Development grant to Sullivan County in the amount of $1.7 million. This grant will be used for lead abatement in homes throughout the county and provides us the greatest opportunity to date to prevent childhood lead poisoning.

Charlene Lovett is the mayor of Claremont and a 22-year Army veteran. She welcomes your feedback. Please email questions, comments or concerns to her at [email protected].

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