Planning Board - Regular Meeting

Um, I'll be in ports at the next meeting. So,   thank you for your patience with me doing this  remotely. Um, so let's just do a roll call.   Uh Celeste, why don't we start with you? Celeste  Brooks. Uh Corin Hollow, parks and greenery for   city of Portsouth. Michael Griffin. Peter Splain  Steve Buzzle. Bridgette Brady. Stephanie Cord. So is that we have five there right?  Yes. So that is a majority is it? Yeah   should be okay listen to in person. All  right good. Well let's get going then.   Um so our first item is to approve  the minutes for our February 5th   meeting. Um has everybody had a chance to  review them? Y and um just excuse me for   interrupting the Tara is with us on Zoom.  So Oh, excellent. Hi. Hi. Welcome Tara. Excellent. Um great. So has everybody a chance  to review the minutes. Yes. Motion to accept the   minutes. Second. All in favor? I I Excellent.  Thank you. Uh so we established that project   list that we presented in February and um I don't  know Corin and and Corin's only going to be with  

us for the first 35 minutes. So, um, we might  even get through everything in 35 minutes, but,   um, but so I don't know if there's  any updates to that project list,   um, Corin that you know of. Did we did we  finish the retaining wall in Union? Uh,   retaining wall in Union. Uh, the back that part  that was done with the grant is done. Yeah.   Yeah. Okay. Overall, I mean, that that that was  part of that larger drainage project that's going   to happen when they develop back with the I think  that's still sort of being determined because I as   far as I know, we still don't even know where  the property line is with the road that So,   I think that's still going through the process.  So, I think that until that's figured out and   then that's going to tie back into the other end  of that was my understanding at the time. Yes.   Yeah. Okay. I think that's Suzanne might have  more on that next meeting. I could ask her, but   uh I believe that's all tied up and boundary  still negotiations. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, if you could take a look at that  and just I sent it to you last week and I know you   were out so didn't expect you to um You know, I'm  sure you're getting caught up, but if you could   just take a look at that project. You bet. And  there may be things on there that we have already   done. Okay. Um, there were a couple signs that  we wanted to get. So, I don't know, Stephanie,   if uh we've had any, you know, I was just saying  to Michael that I need get together with him and  

John G and Shagma to get things mapped out. And,  you know, now that there's no longer snow on the   ground, I'm more focused on the signs so that we  can get them in in the spring. and we have a bunch   of other city historical markers that are about  to go to the fabricator. So, it'd be great if   we could get these two, but it's it's not a big  deal if we don't. It's an ongoing relationship,   so I will definitely follow up. Okay, that sounds  really good. Fair enough. All right. And um the   next item is just an update on the point of  graves wall. Um, last we talked about it,   we wanted to kind of get in the design  mode on that mechanic street wall. So,   we uh the city hired Terrence Parker uh with with  Terraarma, landscape architect, and he he's done   some renderings of a few concepts and is getting  uh some pricing on those and we should be able   to present something the next meeting. Um he's  currently looking at numbers at the moment. So   at least we can come with with ideas and costs and  then I think also get together with the donor at   that meeting. So I think the plan is next month  to present that. Excellent. That sounds great.   Y Okay. Um and the next item and I mentioned this  or Stephanie mentioned this in an email. We we had   talked about I think uh Steve had suggested that  we have some kind of a database and keeping track   of what needs to be done and um so we did get on  the click and fix so there's a option for parks  

and um cemeteries you know as like a category if  somebody sees something a headstone that needs   to be repaired um that sort of We can just do it  through click and fix and we'll get notified. You   were talking about I was supposed to look for  um a guy's grave where uh Thomas Ayes Neil's   headstone in North. Yes, I did put that on the um  So, could we do that click and fix on that one so   we could see how it works? Yeah. You know what  I mean? Just to try it out. That's a good idea.   Yeah. Let me let me enter in. So broken piece.  Broken piece. Yeah. And one of the family members   is asking if the city repairs them or replaces  them. And the discussion last time was that it   the other piece of it may be buried. And then at  the time, okay, that could get put in. I mean,   I believe I got two over the winter toothpicks  that I need to get together with you about. Um,   so I believe it was set up. That's right. Yeah,  I heard it was set up. So if you try and So the   second part is the only concern I have with really  long-term things like that is with click and fix,   you know, it's a we have like a certain number  amount of time to respond to things. So I don't   want something that's going to hang out  there for like two years. Yeah. You know,   usually it's something that's like we can respond  to. Yeah. Like a pothole or Yeah. Okay. It can go   on there, but like I think when it comes to  pieces that are broken that we have to find,   I don't think that's the appropriate place.  I think if it's like somebody's walking by   a cemetery, they see a headstone broken in half,  they see the piece laying there. Hey, on my walk   last week that wasn't broken, somebody came by  and kicked it and broke it. Yeah. Just letting  

you know it's broken, then that's something  we can get together fixed. If it's something   that's like there's a broken headstone, don't  know where the piece is, might be in the area.   We're going to have to do some excavation, digging  around. I can't close that out. That could that   could stay open for forever, five years, 10  years, you know. So, that's okay. I think,   you know, see click fix is really for things  that that are um more uh what's the word? Um fix. It's broken. Can you put That's more pro  That's more of a project than a than a reporting.   Graffiti on a headstone. Huh. Like graffiti on  a headstone. Yeah. Exactly. Okay. Yeah. Can you   close it out just noting that you know you see  it you've taken it off or do you have usually   Yeah. You we usually leave it open but there  hasn't been resolved. Okay. So that's not a   good thing to it's it's really not the place for  it. Yeah. See clickbes. Yeah. For reporting you   said and sometimes if like if it ends up being a  capital improvement project thing then then they   might take it off but that doesn't really fall  into that category either. But I could not find   his headstone in the database at the library. So,  okay. I can't find it. So, Sue was gonna try to   help me look for it. Yeah, because it's on Find  a Grave. Um Yeah, the the descendant that text,   you know, that emailed us on it had a link to  find a grave. Um, but we don't even know if it   really looks like that because there was too  much snow on the ground for me to find it. Um,   so yeah, but we I put that on the project list  anyway that Thomas Neil has stone at North. Um,   all right. So that's interesting. So we can't use  click and fix for things and then close it out.  

when we put it on the project list. 500 headstones  needed repair or strengthening in North Cemetery.   I mean, we we could try I can and then I could  close out and say, "Yeah, this is something   we've put on our long-term project list." Let's  let's try it. Yeah. And see if that Okay, that's   that's acceptable for Okay. Yeah. Well, it's  just a way to connect with the community, too,   you know. Yeah. And then I can respond back. Yeah.  We're going to need to That's a That's a more   long-term project. We We'll put it on the list.  Okay. Y can do that. That sounds good. Um All   right. The next item, we are all set to um welcome  12 volunteers from Liberty Mutual on each day,   May 8th and and May 15th. Suzanne has put together  something to put in front of the city council on   uh Monday to approve it. I I don't expect there to  be any problems, but um but I don't know, Corin,   maybe you and I can meet at North and Union  sometime late next week or um and and just,   you know, talk about the approach. I think we just  want to do what we did last year with, you know,   a couple gallons of the black paint and um the  suits. Keep going, maybe put second coat on some   of that and then first coat some more. Right.  Yep. Right. And as it gets closer, you know,   I'll start looking at the the weather report and  if um if it's going to be dreary or raining and,   you know, not allow the paint enough time to dry,  then um we'll do headstone cleaning instead. Okay.   So, yeah, I think we need at least 50 degrees  for that paint so it doesn't stay tacky for  

hours. Yeah. So, Do we do a press release after  these or does Liberty Mutual do a press release,   take pictures? We're working and Yeah, we have  gotten pictures before. Liberty Mutual absolutely   gets pictures because they track it internally,  but it would be helpful to have pictures and to   we could put it on Facebook. We could put in the  city news. I would always put it on the unofficial   page. That would be awesome. Yeah. Pictures. Yeah,  it's a good idea. Do we still have a sign? Um,   you know, one of those, uh, what do they call  those? Apron signs, whatever. 10 signs. Um,   that work is underway here. We still have two res  I think it said like it says se restoration work   under in progress. It has the cemetery committee  on there. Yeah, we have two of those that we   use for the headstone cleaning. We can pull  those out when Liberty's there. Great. Yeah,   that'd be good. Okay. All right. Anything else  on that, Corin? That's pretty straight. I just   think it's weather dependent, you know. Yeah, it  is. The tape and the gloves and that's a serious   pain. I mean, even if it was outdoors and that  you could smell it for like a 20 hours in there,   it's you can still no joke. I know. Serious.  Yep. All right. Uh, rack card update. I will   show you a picture. Oh, wait. Oh, boy.  I need to do this in the right order.

So we basically had the design but um there  was this there was the needed suggestion that   um D can you see that? Yeah. Okay. So the only  thing that changed so this is the front of it and the thing that changed was on the back right which  is we had the list the QR code works and the map   was cut off because the line was originally  across the bottom of these two points. So now   we have the whole thing showing. So I think  it's ready to go with your recommendations. Yeah, looks good. And then we'll have them in  time for spring so that we can get them in the   visitor center and here at city hall library and  community campus and all that good stuff. I think   it looks good. Um, so do we need a formal vote  on this? Just a uh sorry before we go into voting   um are we do we want to have it um in that how do  I say this? if we turned it the other way like are   we set on it have being looking like this so that  you know Maine is up at the top because if we just   turned it we can cut that a little bit smaller  and show more streets so people who are actually   looking at this can get more reference streets to  what where it is because you have three or four   streets on there turning I mean I because there's  so much extra you have there that like all the but  

I'm not sure that turning it because of this the  amount of space on the rack card turning the map   is going to change the dimensions for the rack  card what it might let me do as I'm saying cut   it and then turn it yeah if if I cut it and turn  it and move the QR code so it will be essentially   it will go here vertically I could move the QR  code over here and what we'll do is accomplish   getting more street names on there. Sounds  good. Messing up the whole thing. So, yeah,   that's a good idea because I agree with you that  we've got a lot of real estate that's just not   very helpful. Use Yeah. And if if you know the  intended audience for this picks it up, says,   "Oh, I'm I think I'm close to this, but I'm not  sure what street this is." you know, if they're   if they are nearby, wherever they're picking it  up, if they had a couple more reference treats,   they might actually travel over to that spot. And  even though we do have the link to a bigger map,   you're still working with your phone. And I  still am always in favor of putting as much   information in your hand without making  you click through to something else. So,   if you had like, you know, a little star,  this is the public library because people   might be picking it up there. You know, this  is city hall. Yeah, I could do that. Also,   has it been proof read or do we need to  proofread it before we send it to print? Uh,   never hurts to have another set of eyes. Can we  get it emailed to all of us? Yes. Yes. I will I'll   make that map change and move the QR code and then  share it with everybody. Excellent. Thank you, T.

Excellent. Thank you. All right. Next item is  um the Woodbury Langden plaque. Um and this is   something that we've been talking about for a  few meetings, but uh we do have the plaque or   Corin has the plaque and um it needs to be  installed by June 10th according to D. Um,   and I need to verify with the family and D if it's  okay for us to just install it and then figure out   later when we're going to have a ceremony to  unveil it. I don't know. How does that sound?   Does it have to be installed by then? What's that?  Why why do we have a deadline on it? Why are they   imposing a deadline? because D has a process um  to come up with these the you know to sponsor a   plaque and it needs it has like a deadline of when  it needs to be installed by um that's about the   the minimum that I know about it. I'm I'm you know  not involved with D so I'm not exactly sure but um you know it's it's been you know we need to work  with them to try to get a date uh and I've been   trying to do that and um and I will continue  to try to do that because they they do want to   have an unveiling um but I you know so my to-do  do um in the next few days is to get back with   uh the descendant and D and make sure it's okay  for us to install it to abide by the deadline.

Any questions on that or we can look at that next  week as well, right? When we meet that exactly.   I've asked D to to meet Tylen who's from D to  meet her at North to find out exactly where on   the tomb they want it installed. Um and she  hasn't gotten back to me on that, but I'm at   least going to go down and take a picture of the  tomb um and send it to them to say, you know,   where you want it. We'll get it installed  because you have epoxy or something that can   I'll I'll schedule it in. Just I'll just need  to know a few weeks ahead just Right. So we   have plenty of time to get it put on and  right where they want it. Yeah, exactly. All right. Um so there aren't any questions on that. We can  move on to other business. Anything? I have one   thing. Um, I ran into my old English teacher  from Portsouth High School and I asked if,   you know, he has students that are looking  for volunteer opportunities and he said that   I can't remember the name of the program, but  whatever it is that organizes volunteers with   the high school for credits and stuff. He  said he would pass that on. I give him my   email and so if there's anyone coming from  the high school looking for volunteer work,   I'll I'll have a a first line on that. So yeah,  that's excellent. I would say two or three years   ago, we had a group that came up with the  cotton. I think that's before your time,   six or eight kids. and they actually  did as they were told and productive. Um, do you know do they have to work during school  hours or it would be after I'm assuming? Yeah.  

Okay. Or, you know, like if we if we can get  after school, they can leave the high school   and you know, walk to the cemetery from there and  Right. Yeah. It doesn't have to be on a Saturday,   you know. That's Yeah. which we should start  thinking about that as as some designated days   for headstone cleaning. I mean, it's been a  couple years since all of them were done. Um,   so I'm sure they all, you know, could  use a a cleaning. I'll hold it up. Okay. Michael, when you did that, did you I mean,  I'm sure you do your briefing about the   historic nature of many of the stones the  way you do for the wreaths day because it   strikes me that there's an educational  component, a historical component as   well as just the cleaning the stones that  you're so good at that part of when we're   scheduling stuff. Yeah, I've accumulated  that information as it pertains to the   grave sites that we honored the Revolutionary  War participants and the Congressional Medal   of Honor people. It's very meaningful when you  give that readout to an elk member that doesn't   have any idea who this person is, what they  did, it it it has more significance than just   going out the window. Okay, I've just gathered  them all. All have been removed. That's great. Michael, is Thomas Neil on that list in North  Cemetery or Sue? You would know. She's researching   it right now. I think you found him. Yeah, I  found him. Um, the correct spelling of his last  

name on my book is just Neil without the E at  the end. And this is the write up that appears   on this listing which happened several decades  ago. Is made of slate broken parts lost. So it's   um it has been broken for some time. It could  be that the other pieces are on the ground,   but it's been it's been there for a while and  it should be it should be easy to find as you   going into the cemetery. So, the second  row of uh headstones. Okay. Yeah. Because   um the picture on Find Excuse me. pollen is  awful down here. Um, it's getting all kind   of here too because I can feel it. Yeah.  Uh, yeah. Even the photo on Find a Graves,   it's a broken headstone. So So it's been like that  for a while. We can try to find it underground,   but we're lucky. Maybe it's there. Yeah.  You think we would have stumbled upon it?   probably going to be more lasting than marble.  So, yeah, exactly. Did he do of any significance?   Scale number uh it doesn't say anything in here.  Thomas doesn't say anything. Epitap number two,   which I have a list of all kinds of epitaps, but  that's that's home. So I will try I will look it   up and see if there's any anything written about  him. Okay. Say captain so or rank more than likely  

he wasn't um but anybody that died at 57 56 died  in um 18 1810 was is the right age to have been   involved in the revolutionary war. Right. Right.  Right. Um, yeah. I just thought it was interesting   because his name wasn't one of the six people that  were honored. Um, so when was that? In September   that there Yeah. six people were uh those  who participated on the raid of the fort. Oh,   true. You're right. Okay. It says his It says  his birth was in 1763 and his death is 1819. Okay. So 1763 18 I have it here as death 1810.  Let's see. Point of graves. Point of graves is   where I'm looking right now. And it says  8 February 20. Well, I see two actually.   February 21st, 1819 and February 23rd, 1819.  I do see a marriage record for 1810. If you   if you're looking at point of graves, yes,  then this is the the wrong person because   the one that they are talking about  is in the North Cemetery, right? Yes.   This is I'm looking at that. All right. So,  it's a different person on Point of Graves.   Thomas Ayers's Neil with a headstone  that's that's diagonally broken. Is all   I says here is Thomas Neil and he's buried  next to uh his wife. His wife died in 1821.

1839 she died. 1839 there's two wives. 1839  is Elizabeth Ayes Neil. They married in 1810 and that was common. Yeah. Yeah. It's um the  the information that I have in here from the   north cemetery has a different you have a cap  a captain Joshua Neil and he died in 1831. So   he was 64 years old. So that date doesn't  fit. No, we're talking about Thomas, too,   not Joshua. The Thomas that I have here. Um,  there is one that died on 1810 and there's a   one that says that part of it is broken and  there is another captain Thomas Neil that   died in 1850. That would probably be Yeah.  Um, so the Thomas Neil that died in 1810,   when was he born? It doesn't say. It just said  when he died. Okay. And it doesn't give an age.   Age 56. You can calculate it. Okay. Age 5.  He would he would be of the age. Yeah. Yeah.   And the part of the um grave that's still  visible in the ground according to the photo   um just says Mr. Tom who died Feb aged 56.  So we missed all the important information. So yeah, he would have been  born in 1754, right? Yeah.

So yeah, he would have been revolutionary war  age. But anyway, yeah, good thing for us to do   a little more research on. Speaking of which,  I don't know, are there Sue? Are you or Michael   um anybody uh aware of any other any  events under around the 250th that's   going to take place in North or Union  or uh not on the on the north cemetery. I talked to the people the the sons of the  American Revolution some of the leaders and   they can they're going to be busy this year  but they can do a ceremony in that cemetery   but you know we don't have the city hasn't  really gotten any kind of motivation for   historical societies and other groups  to line up with the goal of the 250.   So the one thing that has finally been confirmed  is that the city's reviving the Memorial Day   parade which as a commemoration in keeping with  the 250th Memorial Day is not the 4th of July. Um   so the messaging is interesting but it will stop  in North Cemetery. Iron and the the proprietors   cotton the whatever we're calling your cemetery  Michael. Um so that that is that's an official   city 250th commemoration whether there's  something it's stopping for a salute and   placing a wreath at the Logan's orders monument.  Okay. But not north or union just at Cotton.

Where are they going? Are they going to um  you know the South? Yeah. Street Cemeteries,   but not North and Union. And we can we can sponsor  several activities and they have the birthday the   New Hampshire birthday June 21st. That was John  Landon that made that is associated with that.   He was a governor at the time and he was also the  one that moved to um ratify the US Constitution.   I think right a Saturday the 21st I was say that  Saturday is Portsmouth pride also. I know. So,   yeah, it should be a Sunday. I know the 14th is  a Sunday, so the 21st must be. So, that we can   do on the 21st or let's see what else. Obviously,  the Declaration of Independence with Whipple. Um,   we can do something on Memorial Day for that  particular location or around that date. What else? Because a lot of a lot of the people  there were involved in a lot of different types   of events militar militarily and otherwise. Okay.  We we can we have a flexibility of what dates we   choose to highlight. Thanks Corin. Bye. Uh so  is there anybody in the city that is kind of  

coordinating? So the Society and Strawberry Bank  are partnering on a series of programs called   and exhibits called Portsouth and the Revolution.  Um, okay. The Association of Historical Societies   of New Hampshire is collaborating with the  two of those institutions to do a Ken Burns   American Revolution Big Watch program for Flag  Day in conjunction with Strawberry Bank's Flag   Day on June 14th. Um, so it's it's basically  continuing things with the historical society   in Strawberry Bank because Strawberry Bank  has so many stories of the Revolutionary   era people who live there. Um, okay. But  that's that. And then the Memorial Day parade and I also Will Cox is again sponsoring the  fireworks on July 3rd and they are positioning   that as a salute to the 250th. Will Okay. I'll try  to get in contact with somebody at Strawberry Bank   and the Historical Society to see if they need  our involvement, you know, or we could just um you   know somehow highlight u you know the historical  figures that are are laid to rest at North and and   other cemeteries. So it was historical society  that was doing the the tour last fall. Right.   Right. Right. Maybe they name that woman. Um  Emma Stratton is the executive director. Okay.

All right, put that on the to-do.  Um, any other other business? All right. Um, so we have next  item is public comment. John,   I saw you joined. Um, anything in  particular you want to bring up? Okay. All right. Um, so do I have a motion  to adjurnn? Thanks. Thanks for asking. I'm   just listening. Okay, sounds good. Um, our  next meeting is going to be May 7th. Uh,   so details to come later on that.  Um any motion to adjurnn? Motion   to adjurnn. Second. Second. Third.  All in favor? I. Thank you guys.