Executive Council Update 1/18/23 Key issues at Latest Meeting
ADDING HOMELESS SHELTER CAPACITY IN MANCHESTER. Yesterday, the Executive Council approved the use of the state-owned Tirrell House in Manchester as an additional homeless shelter in the city. This was a request by the mayors to the state and I am pleased the Department of Health and Human Services and Council responded to that request quickly. I will continue to work with the local leaders across New Hampshire to ensure the state takes all the action necessary to address the housing and homelessness crisis.
PUC CONTINUING TO UNDERMINE ENERGY EFFICIENCY. The Public Utilities Commission issued a report on Friday that has raised a number of concerns with key stakeholders about whether the PUC is continuing to try and eviscerate our energy efficiency programs. There was an order last year from the PUC that caused major disruption in New Hampshire's energy efficiency efforts. The legislature took action to remedy that and they, once again, may need to take action to keep the PUC from costing Granite Staters even more money on our energy bills.
AVERTING A CRISIS IN HAVERHILL. In my first week serving the communities of District 2, the Town of Haverhill called upon me to help them avert a funding crisis. The town described an issue they were having with the state in getting their tax rate set. This was creating a dire situation where the town would be forced to stop providing essential services — meaning that the town would have to stop police & fire services, halt the plowing of roads, and shut down the schools by the end of February. We needed to get to work right away and I took immediate action interfacing directly with the department, the Attorney General, and the Solicitor General to get a resolution to this problem. I am happy to say that the town's tax rate was set on Tuesday.