In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Media Services Director Mike Gillis about key actions taken by Dover's boards, committees, and commissions during March. The two discuss the City Council's decision to pursue diver-assisted mechanical removal of milfoil in Willand Pond, a state-owned waterbody shared with Somersworth, opting against herbicide treatment despite the state's recommendation. They review the FY27 budget process, noting that public hearings have been held and final deliberations are expected in early April. Parker and Gillis also cover the reprogramming of surplus Capital Improvements Project funds toward the Horne Street reconstruction design and First and Second Street crosswalk enhancements, updated property tax exemptions, and the SchoolCare health insurance assessment issue, for which a joint Council-School Board meeting with the Secretary of State is planned. On the planning front, they highlight conditional approval of a Marriott hotel at the former Burger King site on Central Avenue and ongoing Transfer of Development Rights discussions. They also pay tribute to the late Cliff Blake, a dedicated community volunteer.

Parker then speaks with Deb Clough of Don't Trash Dover about the annual "Power of an Hour" cleanup event on April 25. Clough explains that volunteers check in at their ward locations by 9:15 a.m. and spend an hour picking up litter citywide. The event features a friendly ward-versus-ward competition with handmade "trash trophies," and last year volunteers collected a ton and a half of litter.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Community Services Director John Storer and Recreation Director Kevin Hebert to wrap up the podcast's look at the FY27 municipal operating budget.

Storer opens by walking Parker through the complexity of building Community Services' proposed $38 million budget, the largest departmental budget outside the School Board. He explains that more than half of that figure covers water and sewer enterprise funds, with the general fund portion including streets, snow plowing, facilities, and grounds. Because so many costs are driven by outside forces — electricity, chemicals, road salt, and fuel — Storer describes budgeting as a 365-day process of tracking trends and responding to market conditions. He highlights two notable swings in the wastewater budget: a $140,000 savings from improved biosolids disposal options as the industry adapts to PFAS concerns, offset by a $120,000 increase in curbside recycling tipping fees due to weak demand for recyclable materials. Storer also previews the city's transition from the bag-and-tag pay-as-you-throw program to automated curbside collection, set for July 1, 2027, which is expected to generate roughly $80,000 in first-year savings.

Hebert then discusses Recreation's FY27 priorities, including the expansion of Nebi Park, a new pilot volleyball program that nearly sold out immediately, and upgrades to the Jenny Thompson and Indoor pools. He notes that a proposed pool maintenance specialist position did not make the final budget but remains a priority for future years.

In This Week in Dover History, we look back at Dover's transition from a town to a city in 1856, when Andrew Pierce, a 70-year-old businessman and longtime civic leader, became Dover's first mayor, accepting the city's official seal and records from the outgoing Board of Selectmen. The segment covers how the new city charter enabled Dover to establish a municipal fire department, improve its waterworks and public schools, and replace a fragmented system of 12 separate school districts with unified city governance.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Police Chief David Terlemezian, Fire Chief Brendan Driscoll, Public Library Director Denise LaFrance, and Information Technology Director Annie Dove as part of an ongoing look at the City of Dover's FY 27 municipal operating budget.

Chief Terlemezian, in his first budget as chief, explains that despite the department's $13 million budget, very little is discretionary — the bulk is driven by personnel and operational needs. He highlights two notable increases: a shift to annual payments for body cameras at roughly $90,000 per year, and a growing city match requirement as federal grants for the prevention and social work units become less reliable.

Chief Driscoll describes a collaborative process built around input from officers who oversee specific areas of responsibility. He notes a modest increase in vehicle maintenance costs but credits recent Capital Improvement Program investments in new apparatus for keeping those costs lower than expected.

Library Director LaFrance discusses the department's anticipated move back into its newly renovated building, which required educated guesses on utilities and drove a modest increase in part-time staff hours to prepare for anticipated higher foot traffic. She also notes rising demand for programming and confirms the library will not resume passport services.

DoverNet Director Annie Dove outlines a largely flat budget focused on keeping hardware current and applications supported. She highlights two new cybersecurity investments stemming from Homeland Security assessments and notes that the city has added a paid subscription to the MS-ISAC threat intelligence service after federal funding for the program was discontinued.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Dover School District Superintendent Christine Boston about the district's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget. Boston outlines the budget development process, which begins each September with building-level administrators submitting their needs before she and CFO Michael Limanni compile and refine the numbers through the fall. She emphasizes that this year's budget is closely aligned with the district's five strategic pillars — academic knowledge, well-being, equity and inclusion, continuous improvement, and a team approach — developed through extensive community engagement.

In their presentation to the city council, Limanni details the revenue and expense drivers behind the budget's roughly 6.77% increase, highlighting a 6.5% rise in health insurance costs, collective bargaining negotiations, increased transportation and special education expenses, and a decrease in tuition revenue from surrounding districts. Boston explains that over 70% of the budget supports staffing and contracted services. The district is requesting only a few new positions mandated by law or necessitated by funding reductions, including a social studies teacher required by new state curriculum rules, a counselor for Dover Adult Learning Center to offset lost federal funding, and a school psychologist position that would save money by replacing contract services. Boston also discusses efforts to bring special education programming in-house to reduce costs and better serve students. She closes by reinforcing the district's commitment to maintaining class sizes, counseling services, and strategic progress while remaining mindful of taxpayer constraints.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Media Services Director Mike Gillis about the highlights of February 2026 in Dover city government. The conversation centers on the FY 2027 budget rollout, which dominated the City Council's February agenda across multiple meetings, including workshops, presentations, and a public hearing on the school portion. Parker explains the downtown Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district's success, noting that private development around the parking garage has exceeded projections by roughly $102 million, potentially allowing the city to pay off the garage debt 13 years early and return $3.1 million to the general fund. They also discuss the council's approval of the FY 2027 Community Development Block Grant Action Plan and a Recovery Residence grant on Avon Avenue in partnership with the Dover Housing Authority. On the planning front, the Planning Board adopted a new Land Use chapter of the Master Plan — the first update since 2014 — and reviewed several significant development projects, including a 160-unit LIHTC housing project at 99 Knox Marsh Road and a mixed-use building on Mechanic Street. The School Board began work on a generative AI policy for students and staff, prompting broader discussion about AI's role in education and municipal government. Finally, updates on the Dover High School athletic complex and the waterfront development round out the episode, with Nebi Park's opening tentatively targeted for early July.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Finance Director Dan Lynch, Planning and Community Development Director Donna Benton, and Public Welfare Director Dave Balian about their respective fiscal year 2027 budget presentations. Parker begins with a brief overview of the Executive Department budget, noting it is largely personnel-driven with no major capital costs. Lynch explains that the Finance Department budget is developed with input from division supervisors across Purchasing, Accounting, the City Clerk/Tax Collector, and Assessing offices. He notes that unlike recent years, which saw the implementation of new voting machines and a computer-aided mass appraisal system, FY2027 has no major capital purchases.

Benton discusses the Planning Department budget, highlighting a reduction in the Transportation chapter of the Master Plan line item from $100,000 to $40,000 as the department shifts to the Stewardship chapter. She notes her request for an additional building inspector to handle increasing development activity was not included in the proposed budget.

Balian outlines the welfare department's five-point approach to budget development, which considers current and historical spending, economic factors, employment trends, and potential legislative cost shifts. He emphasizes that local welfare is state-mandated but funded entirely through local general funds, and that his department has held its budget flat for several years by investing in better case management and partnerships with outside agencies.

Listeners can explore all budget presentations on the city's Budget Revealed page at: https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/open-government/budget-revealed/fy2027-budget/.

In This Week in Dover History, we look back at "Dover's Black Day" — the catastrophic flood of March 1, 1896, when a 10-hour rainstorm caused the Cochecho River to rise between six and 10 feet. The flood destroyed five bridges, swept buildings from the Central Avenue Bridge into the river, caused over $300,000 in damages, and effectively ended Dover's shipping industry by filling the river with silt and debris.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr., about the City of Dover's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, which was presented to the City Council on Feb. 11, 2026. Joyal, presenting his 21st budget to the council, provides an overview of the 900-page document, which reflects total spending of $227.4 million across all funds, an overall increase of 8.9%. The general fund, supported by property taxes, is proposed at approximately $183 million.

Joyal highlights a notable development: for the first time, revenue from the downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district exceeds the amount needed to cover parking garage debt, allowing excess funds to flow into the general fund and help offset the property tax increase for all taxpayers. The proposed budget exceeds the tax cap by approximately $877,000, meaning adoption would require a two-thirds council vote. For the average residential property valued at $527,000, the overall tax bill increase would be roughly $365. Other significant budget items include school department funding, a COPS grant match for a police officer position, body-worn camera maintenance, increased street and infrastructure funding, the final year of the bag-and-tag program before converting to a toter system, and utility rate adjustments.

Joyal outlines the council's budget review schedule through the anticipated April 1st adoption date and encourages residents to stay engaged through public hearings, workshops, and online resources available at the city's Budget Revealed webpage.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Amy Rich Crane, executive director of Reach for the Top Therapy, a nonprofit organization located in the McConnell Center that provides therapeutic services for children and young adults from birth to age 21. Crane, a dual board-certified pediatric occupational therapist with more than 15,000 hours of clinical experience, took over the organization in 2021 after leading clinics across the country during her husband's military career. She describes Reach for the Top's neuro-affirming, strength-based approach to serving children with a wide range of needs, including autism, ADHD, anxiety, complex feeding disorders, and the effects of trauma and abuse. The organization offers occupational, physical, speech, and, as of October 2025, mental health therapy, along with specialty programs such as hippotherapy, aquatic therapy, and community-based sessions at locations like the Children's Museum of New Hampshire. Since its founding in 2014, Reach for the Top has grown from serving 80 children a year to nearly 500, drawing clients from 48 surrounding towns and cities. Crane discusses how the organization supports families through educational resources, webinars, and community trainings, and she notes that volunteers can help through board service, deep-cleaning events, and donations of supplies and funds. As the outgoing Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce Nonprofit of the Year, Crane encourages community collaboration and says Dover is already leading the way in child development, mental health, and school safety. Listeners can learn more at https://reachftt.org/

In This Week in Dover History, we look back at Abraham Lincoln's 1860 visit to Dover, as remembered by George W. Benn in a 1909 Boston Globe feature that captured firsthand recollections of Lincoln from people who had seen him in person. Benn recalled Lincoln's powerful, plainspoken speech delivered just days after his famous Cooper Union address. Today, Lincoln's Dover connections remain tangible at the Lincoln Building on Locust Street, where he spent the night, and at the Woodman Museum, which holds the original lectern from which Lincoln spoke.