Laurie Ortolano, Author at Granite Grok

Nashua’s Affordable Housing Act and the Mohawk Tannery Project

September 21, 2026January 27, 2023 Laurie Ortolano

In December 2021, the City passed an Inclusionary Zoning ordinance (O-21-073) to require all new developments to provide a specified number of affordable housing units within the development. In January 2023, The Board of Alderman held a special meeting to discuss the development of the EPA Superfund Mohawk Tannery property. The City, in conjunction with … Read more

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Racing to Uninformed Decisions

January 25, 2023 Laurie Ortolano

Nashua officials selling projects to the elected leaders have mastered the art of the ambush. All too often, City officials are presenting information to Boards and requesting immediate approval for the project.

Nashua City Attorney Steve Bolton Nashua Legal Dept

The Police Records of Attorney Bolton

December 18, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

I put in a Right To Know demand for the police records for Attorney Bolton and I received 86 pages of documents going back to 2000. Frankly, these records are stunning. They depict a very angry, hostile,out-of-controll man who lacks self-awareness and self-control.

The Nashua Spending Cap has its Day in Court

December 15, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

On December 7, 2022, Fred Teeboom, a former alderman and self-represented, took the City of Nashua to NH Superior Court for violating Nashua’s spending cap. I had the pleasure of attending part of the hearing.

No One Likes A Bigger Tax Bill

December 6, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

The two largest Cities in New Hampshire, Manchester, and Nashua, both have experienced democratic leaders. Nashua elected Mayor Jim Donchess and Manchester elected Mayor Joyce Craig.

Mayor Donchess’ Defunct Nashua Ethics Committee

November 28, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

The Nashua City Charter serves as our local constitution for city government, and the ordinances serve as the laws. It works best when we follow the rules. But in the last four years, the rules no longer matter.

Three People Nashua Voters Should Not Consider on November 8th

November 4, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

There are three people Nashua voters should not consider for the November 8th state election as none of these people are fulfilling their current city-elected duties.

The Colossal Stupidity of the Nashua Legal Office

August 27, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

The Nashua Legal office is in need of a major overhaul. Like the Assessing Office, the Mayor has promoted incompetent leadership and lawyers who disregard citizens’ rights and ignore their professional conduct codes. Who are the major offenders? Attorney Bolton and Attorney Leonard.

How Much Are Nashuans Willing to Pay For Secrecy?

July 28, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

Citizen participation in their local government depends on the goodwill of those serving. Laws exist that permit citizens access to meetings and records, but without the goodwill of those serving to provide access and records, it all falls apart.

The Last Man Standing (in the Nashua Assessing Office)– Greg Turgiss

July 25, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

Some of you may remember the story of the Private Investigator (PI) hired to track a Nashua Assessor, Greg Turgiss, whereabouts while performing assessing work. The result of this investigation showed that the assessor was sleeping at a rail trail head and in a parking lot behind a hotel, all while signing out on an Assessing Department whiteboard that he was doing fieldwork.

Director Cummings – A Right to Know Repeat Offender

July 16, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

I attended the Infrastructure Committee meeting on July 13, 2022 which featured Mr. Cummings as the guest presenter reviewing two bonded projects to redesign West Pearl Street and the Downtown Riverfront Project. The Riverfront Project was rushed through last December, a holiday shopping spree, with a board-approved $2O million bond. Mr. Cummings reviewed with the … Read more

More Big Projects in Nashua’s Future

July 13, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

I attended a Human Affairs committee meeting on July 11, 2022 as they reviewed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), relief funding that flowed out of the Pandemic. The City has about $16 million to spend. Unsurprisingly, the City is planning more studies and projects for Downtown Nashua. One of these studies, “enhancements” to Main Street and … Read more

Mayor Donchess No Longer Supports the Vision Property Assessment Revaluation

June 26, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

On June 21, 2022, The City held the public hearing for the 2023 Budget. Of course, the Mayor opened the meeting with a discussion on the budget and some significant tax impact issues facing the City. Once such topic covered the August release of the new property assessments coming to property owners’ mailboxes and hitting … Read more

What’s going on between His Honor and Nashua’s Corporation Counsel?

May 24, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

The Mayor announced at the May 16th Budget Review Committee Meeting that a Right to Know (RTK) paralegal position was added to the Administrative Services budget. In December 2020, the legal office hired an RTK Attorney to manage requests. Attorney Neumann spent eight months in Nashua; his work resulted in four costly lawsuits. Aldermen John … Read more

Silencing the Public at the Nashua Budget Meetings – Right To Know

May 18, 2022 Laurie Ortolano

The City of Nashua has just begun the Budget Review Committee meeting for the 2023 budget. The City will hold 6-7 budget meetings over the next month. Per the City’s NRO 5-14, any committee of the Board shall have public comment at the beginning and the end of the meeting. Alderman Dowd, a seasoned politician, chairs this board. This year, Alderman Richard Dowd decided to cancel public comment and change the name of the meeting to a “working session”. Nowhere is “working session” defined in the charter, NRO’s or policy.

Laurie Ortolano