Mayor tackles downtown topics during Ward 3 town hall meeting

On May 5^th, Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais held his monthly town hall meeting. While it was held at the Bishop O’Neal Center in Ward 9, discussion was centered around topics about the nearby Ward 3. Here’s a recap of what was discussed:

Central Service Business District

Ruais provided an update on the work of the downtown street cleaning team and their cleanup efforts in the Central Service Business District. He was told that since the beginning of 2024, the team has picked up over 92,400 pounds of trash, removed over a thousand stickers affixed to poles and walls, cleaned off 800 different graffiti tags and picked up 200 “bulky items” from alleyways.

The Central Service Business District, also known as the CSBD, is roughly co-terminous with the city’s Central Business District zone and was created to provide additional services for downtown businesses like the cleanup team that are paid for by those downtown businesses.

There have been no fee hikes for CSBD businesses since 2008 and the increased services are expected to cost an additional $600,000. Ruais expressed concerns that such a jump in additional fees would prove to be a shock for downtown businesses; instead the Manchester Board of Mayor and Aldermen approving $200,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to limit the impact of the price hike.

Ruais added that regardless of the cost, larger business owners in the downtown area such as Brady Sullivan are appreciative of the services, as they seek a downtown area that is clean and safe.

Other downtown improvements

Another quality-of-life factor in the downtown mentioned was the move to install more lighting downtown, with the mayor saying he hopes that eventually the area can be “lit up like the Fourth of July” to create a more inviting atmosphere. One person in the audience did request however that any flood lights are pointed downward rather than upward to prevent lights shining directly into any downtown residences, and asked that the city take action against anyone placing upward facing lights that could cause a nuisance.

The recent downtown sidewalk charette was discussed, as the mayor mentioned that $1 million has been earmarked for sidewalk repair in the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 city budget, with sidewalks most in need of repair getting top priority. There was also talk of potential installation of signs showing drivers how fast they are going on some downtown streets in the hope of slowing them down, thus increasing pedestrian safety.

“We want this to be a walkable city, we want people to feel safe when they are walking,” said Ruais.

Affordable housing

People in the audience asked why more affordable housing was not being created in the city. The mayor answered that it is difficult for builders to incorporate affordable housing into projects in a profitable manner. Under U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development guidelines, “affordable housing” is defined as rent costs at 60 percent of Average Median Income in an area divided by three, which in Manchester is about $1100 to $1400 per month.

Ruais said that 191 affordable units currently are in construction or recently have been constructed in the city, with 300 constructed since the beginning of Ruais’ term.

Given the city’s status as one of the hottest housing markets in the country, he said that an increase of overall housing supply fueled by that demand will eventually decrease rent prices, as he hears of some landlord telling him that they are beginning to see rent prices fall.

He also said that the city’s proposed zoning ordinance rewrite, which is expected to help make it easier to build housing, to come across the finish line soon. He agrees that there should be more density in building downtown, but within the character of the area, joking that he does not expect any “50-floor skyscrapers.”

Other

Ruais said that all of the cities in New Hampshire are coping with the uncertainty of funding cuts from the Trump Administration at different scales, with Ruais frequently talking with other mayors to help plan for what comes next. Additionally, he said that the city also regularly meets with local non-profit agencies as well as the city’s state and federal delegations for the purpose of planning for what might come next regarding how federal cuts may affect Manchester moving forward.

Other people in the audience were concerned about street parking during snow storms, as downtown parking becomes difficult when on-street parking is limited in order to facilitate snow removal. Ruais said he understood the frustration and part of the problem came from a series of large snow storms over a 10-day period, which made it difficult to remove snow in a rapid manner during that time frame. He also said that he would consult with the Department of Public Works to see if there are more snow plow agencies that can be utilized in the future to expedite snow removal, but that he would only consider quality snow plow companies.

For earlier Ruais town hall meetings, see below

• February 16, 2024 (Ward 1) – Ruais discusses city issues during Ward 1 meeting
• March 13, 2024 (Ward 11) – Ward 11 Town Hall: Talking the talk with residents on crime, housing, garbage and West High School
• March 23, 2024 (Ward 3) – Mayor hears from downtown residents at latest town hall
• May 17, 2024 (Ward 9) – Ward 9 Town Hall: Mayor fields questions on tax breaks for developers, bail reform, traffic and school safety
• June 19, 2024 (Ward 7) – Ruais tackles questions from Ward 7 residents
• June 20, 2024 (Ward 12) Sparse crowd at Mayor’s Ward 12 Town Hall
• July 24, 2024 (Ward 10) Homelessness, housing, education and more discussed at Ward 10 town hall with the mayor
• August 28, 2024 (Ward 8) Eighth mayoral town hall held in Ward 8
• September 9, 2024 (Ward 6) Ruais holds town hall meeting in Ward 6
• October 9, 2024 (Ward 5) Ward 5 residents talk about litter, fireworks, illegal parking and more with Mayor Ruais
• November 22, 2024 (Ward 4) Schools, homelessness, Sununu Center and other topics discussed at Ward 4 mayoral town hall
• December 6, 2024 (Ward 2) Ruais talks about schools, homelessness, transportation in final neighborhood ward meeting of 2024
• January 15, 2025 (Ward 1) Ruais returns to Ward 1 for first mayoral town hall meeting of 2025
• February 22, 2025 (Ward 11) Ward 11 mayoral town hall covers parking, housing and more
• March 17, 2025 (Ward 12) Mayor talks about school and housing issues in third town hall meeting of 2025
• April 7,2025 (Ward 7) Mayor gets questions on budget, Hallsville School and more at Ward 7 town hall meeting