[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6460932,"mediaKeyId","5826155-fd326172a2fd8af22f7ec820c00c7806","parentId",5826155,"title","Portsmouth groups form nonprofit to create shared archives center; council hears update","audioSeconds",356,"startMs",959000,"endMs",1315000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5826155-fd326172a2fd8af22f7ec820c00c7806&start=959&end=1315","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5826155-fd326172a2fd8af22f7ec820c00c7806/thumbnail_959000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6460932/New-Hampshire/Portsmouth-groups-form-nonprofit-to-create-shared-archives-center-council-hears-update","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6460932-cc87eed465789146d943199c5699ac28/orig.mp4?Expires=1770949223&Signature=h1C5MLpne1GRf2TpBV1Hve6LgyvCIomR3pIqiePdI9S4S-2o4nVEJ~EiBszyV8GbxB8Z04pnhUo9Tafujdd~YA5cLwzwJrP~9qLvxLL8jC0p8Cd3bix7LTTNrVG5ap2Pb0RqXnZ6aVhbt43o15Us0ZhXh39wa9ZMcIxkIxlpHx~ged9nq2pL4~fn18ffbBO0-eUE7s3uKBzROQTS74-vnQ-9ijtddteHdCPkmy-iIHqOqCGuR52vTkLMvju7clz1gYytjDTNyubeK7jAVSxIOCqGk9655kus1gv~9V3Xh5-GexsfHdlCAKFx4WPq~5r5ccyp6DAoR-baTFWDKlCQPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","https://www.youtube.com/@CityofPortsmouth","date","2025-09-25T03:19:34.017Z","article","Portsmouth cultural groups told the City Council on Sept. 24 that they have formalized a joint nonprofit to build a shared archives facility and are moving toward fundraising and federal tax-exempt status.

The plan, presented by members of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Portsmouth History Archives and participating organizations, would consolidate collections now held separately by the Portsmouth Atheneum, Strawberry Bank Museum, Portsmouth Historical Society and the City of Portsmouth into a single center operated by a new nonprofit, Portsmouth Archive Center Inc., organizers said.

“The city of Portsmouth brings unique responsibilities to this project,” a presenter said, noting that some municipal records “are required by law to be preserved permanently” and that conservation assessments will guide how to meet statutory and privacy obligations. Tom Hardeman, keeper and executive director of the Portsmouth Atheneum, said the collaboration would be a model for other communities. “Watch and learn,” he said, speaking to colleagues and volunteers.

Organizers said the task force formed in 2022 to evaluate shared storage as a cost-saving approach, then broadened the idea to build a research and outreach resource. The presenters said federal grant opportunities for archives have declined, making private foundation and individual fundraising more important. The group has completed or is completing conservation assessments describing collection types, environmental needs and space requirements.

City legal staff worked with the task force to create a corporate structure, presenters said. The group has reserved the name Portsmouth Archive Center Inc. with the New Hampshire Secretary of State and will file for recognition as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit once state filings are finalized.

Councilors opened the meeting to public comment for the presentation; several institutional leaders described the project as a long-sought collaborative effort and emphasized research and public outreach benefits. No formal council action or funding request was made at the Sept. 24 meeting.

The presenters asked the council for continued support and said the task force will return with fundraising and implementation milestones as they pursue grant applications and private support.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","9.24.2025 City Council","oneSentenceSummary","Four Portsmouth cultural institutions and the city have formed a nonprofit to create a shared archival facility; staff and partners told the City Council the nonprofit incorporation is filed and a 501(c)(3) application will follow.","taxTitle","Portsmouth City Council, Portsmouth, Rockingham County, New Hampshire","taxId",68330,"location","New Hampshire","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6460917,"Council sends three election questions to voters: social districts, keno and casino-style games of chance",1925,3483000,5408000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5826155-fd326172a2fd8af22f7ec820c00c7806&start=3483&end=5408","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5826155-fd326172a2fd8af22f7ec820c00c7806/thumbnail_3483000.jpg","/articles/6460917/New-Hampshire/Council-sends-three-election-questions-to-voters-social-districts-keno-and-casino-style-games-of-chance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6460917-bfc38b69512186f83642d19b140b7a8d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770949223&Signature=nt9k~BzzcRzzNWbeTL04xeY0Ceg390pt~jc1cEIlKJo8LzTw-zsynkbbK5O1QCj2pDG43inW~YWdM9utrBXL8uNgeZajRr89IKOEQom~eRUy~8-2UOSg18Nn0LP9CLnj4ofZgH9jmPY3kTdgiez0NctPKChduKqWSYV7RjB7SzkSwmMQmZMF771cfN9A1~UPRMCaRrexCJ6ya97f-EsOW6GmkZLXLYOlaPbWE0Cy8KwjNC1adhg-j43nqEBXeniXGP9SYEBnSexwjNj9i0AhFm2s7b-wtgUcamK6fF9JzQ-l6yMmfXSJWAxmGJLoqTS-2qsx~yJYSZjvk2V1JKopBg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council voted on Sept. 24 to place three separate charter questions before Portsmouth voters in the Nov. 4 municipal election: whether to allow social districts, whether to prohibit keno, and whether to prohibit casino-style games of chance.

On the first question, the council approved a motion to place the following question on the ballot: “Shall we allow the operation of social districts within the City of Portsmouth?” Attorney Jane Farini briefed the council on the new state enabling law, which permits municipalities to designate outdoor areas where alcoholic beverages sold by licensed establishments may be consumed if the municipality establishes a plan and obtains New Hampshire Liquor Commission approval. Farini said administrative rules from the Liquor Commission were not yet available and that a local management and maintenance plan would be required if voters approve social districts.

The council also approved a motion to schedule a public hearing on the social-district ballot question for Oct. 6, so voters would have a public forum between 15 and 30 days before the election as required by state law.

On keno, the council voted to put a question asking whether the city should prohibit keno games on the ballot. The council amended the question language during the meeting to use the word “prohibit” for clarity and approved scheduling a public hearing on Oct. 6.

On games of chance — the lottery commission’s statutory category for certain table games such as blackjack, poker, roulette and money wheel — the council approved a ballot question that would prohibit those games if voters approve the question. City staff said that if voters approve a prohibition, the New Hampshire Lottery Commission could not issue a license for a games-of-chance facility in the city; if voters reject the prohibition, licensing remains possible subject to state rules and any necessary local approvals.

Councilors and members of the public debated the social-district question at length. Supporters said the ballot question gives voters an opportunity to choose whether the city should be able to permit outdoor drinking areas; opponents — including public-health presenters and residents — warned about potential impacts on youth, enforcement burdens for police and public-works staff, insurance liability and the lack of administrative rules. Attorney Farini and others noted the Liquor Commission must approve district plans and participating businesses would require specific license amendments. The council’s motions to place the three questions on the ballot passed; each question also was set for a required public hearing on Oct. 6.

Councilors and staff said that, should voters approve social districts, the council and city staff would still have to adopt a local plan, license participants and work with the Liquor Commission on signage, beverage containers and management requirements. If voters do not approve the social-district question, municipalities cannot create social districts under the current law.","After public hearings, the council voted to place three separate charter questions on the Nov. 4 municipal ballot: whether to allow social districts, whether to prohibit keno, and whether to prohibit games of chance (casino-style table games). Each measure will have a public hearing Oct. 6 before ballots are finalized.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6460922,"Council rejects second-reading zoning change to ease downtown building-footprint limits after public concern",1967,3097000,5064000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5826155-fd326172a2fd8af22f7ec820c00c7806&start=3097&end=5064","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5826155-fd326172a2fd8af22f7ec820c00c7806/thumbnail_3097000.jpg","/articles/6460922/New-Hampshire/Council-rejects-second-reading-zoning-change-to-ease-downtown-building-footprint-limits-after-public-concern","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6460922-215b140599dac4f151ec0c8e7b3a484e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770949223&Signature=TdhP8YerX8t54SU5t2r2CaSHFsdj0M5AP3-sHoVwfUnC5lGoeAzrp30mvu8wAU2LgSQnSptFW9KtuXYXTMTZW4rTfUJ1wHQ35PH~ogKjQrOtCDGFR7EUlkFLc2KIV1Fcn2uyAK8pZb57cUyoKEJU9FjCFi20OsWobt88h-Oat9-NGGqDWNDhRuouXE74otxHnseiet42UHM4Js~oHx2PF5mKo0oPLDYrdpCnJUbpgJyKYGX7Gmy7iDIzEedvGMKE-k865OBJNE-qv42ko9TMdRCwP8zOXelcWlGKdBTrz6s0V6t~~v1Z9ntI3njkKPEWMPC1Cz8maWQphHbrRTJy9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Council on Sept. 24 declined to advance zoning amendments intended to ease what staff described as a mismatch between existing contiguous downtown building patterns and the city’s current building-footprint definition.

Peter Stith, Portsmouth planning manager, presented proposed amendments that would allow up to 10,000 square feet of addition to existing building footprints in Character District 4 (CD‑4) and Character District 5 (CD‑5) without requiring a conditional-use permit (CUP), provided additions met entrance-spacing and façade-modulation standards and avoided privately owned public spaces. Stith told the council staff had identified roughly 28 contiguous “footprints” affecting about 112 parcels that could fall under the change.

Planning staff briefed councilors on earlier changes to the footprint definition (adopted in 2016) and said the draft language had evolved after planning-board review and legal review. The planning board recommended deleting a separate paragraph in the building-footprint definition that addressed uncovered community space; legal review suggested striking a requirement that the amendment apply only inside the downtown overlay and made edits to the demolition section.

Public commenters and several councilors said the proposed change was too broad and could permit large additions adjacent to small single-family homes. Elizabeth Grama, a property owner, said the change could let a building already over 20,000 square feet expand by another 10,000 square feet and reduce open space; she urged retaining CUP review so neighbors and the planning board could evaluate impacts. Kate Waldwick and Robin Husslage urged returning the proposal to the master-plan process for a broader look at downtown rules.

Councilors debated whether the proposal should be narrowed or sent back to the planning board. Several councilors expressed concern that the 10,000-square-foot threshold was arbitrary and that the change could affect properties outside the downtown overlay if the downtown-overlay requirement was struck. After discussion and procedural motions to give the planning board time to rework language, the council ultimately voted on a motion to pass second reading (as proposed) and hold the third reading; that motion did not pass. The council therefore did not advance the amendments at second reading and asked staff and the planning board to revisit the proposal with clearer options and analysis.

The record shows the city is wrestling with how to reconcile an older, contiguous downtown building pattern with footprint and community-space rules adopted in recent years. Staff said they can reframe options (smaller addition thresholds, narrower geographic scope, or preservation of CUP review) and return with a revised proposal for council consideration.","City Council did not pass the second reading of proposed zoning amendments that would have allowed 10,000 sq. ft. additions to existing building footprints in CD‑4/CD‑5 without conditional-use review; councilors and public raised concerns about scale, neighborhood impacts and the number of parcels affected.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6460927,"Portsmouth youth coalition outlines grant-supported mental-health and substance-use efforts",683,1531000,2214000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5826155-fd326172a2fd8af22f7ec820c00c7806&start=1531&end=2214","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5826155-fd326172a2fd8af22f7ec820c00c7806/thumbnail_1531000.jpg","/articles/6460927/New-Hampshire/Portsmouth-youth-coalition-outlines-grant-supported-mental-health-and-substance-use-efforts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6460927-c04d4a6fb70cd3a1a926e15b1ced13a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770949223&Signature=c4G65156ttaOyKS7Z5GdHVa9-Xm5FARQLbLh9qAKFuHRYsDJKVFBri9AU~tfFv76KnTLl4KUVY48R0cl3MSnr7zfx7SKm8IohBhfri35Sa4sIdvp3I9sykopXmD75UNQycJ313T~mpSC31pdRVgI4~rZ-hmMuNmGNlMFmCn9gZSyXV7bhmpPCAHJgzj~UYzoNtImrHsNkE5gnBp2sSgq0xsLE23xMYOzpq9jDAEj3YWzfhFAeid2r752laDX111~CE8j11vJIIqo7JzZ3aHcP7vAmL3urXkPkXR74GtWeglBHdlmZnL0fT-2d1qPkmzX7c8XyBCcDbedDvYd6Qlkug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Greater Portsmouth Youth Wellness Coalition reported to the City Council on Sept. 24 on recent grants and local initiatives aimed at preventing youth substance use and expanding mental-health supports.

Coalition leaders described a funding and program history that began with a 2019 City Council $4,000 matching grant and grew through matching city support and outside foundations into a multi-year effort that produced a Drug-Free Communities (DFC) grant and other funding streams, presenters said. The DFC grant is a 10-year federal grant that can be renewed for a second five-year period.

“By addressing youth substance use now, we're making a vital investment in our children's future,” Amy Michaels, director of the Greater Portsmouth Youth Wellness Coalition, told councilors, summarizing the coalition’s public-health rationale. Michaels and coalition partners listed local successes including a middle-school PSA about safe medication storage, distribution of free medicine lock boxes at community events, teacher and staff training in Youth Mental Health First Aid at LFTR Academy and peer-delivered teen mental health first aid for students.

Presenters credited early City Council matching funds for catalyzing the coalition’s ability to secure larger outside grants. A coalition speaker said subsequent local and foundation support topped “over $600,000” and enabled program expansion in youth education, prevention and community outreach. The coalition also reported compliance checks with the State Liquor Commission and the Portsmouth Police Department and physical safety improvements at local basketball courts.

Councilors thanked coalition leaders and noted the programs align with prior small-city investments the council made to seed community-based public-health efforts. No additional council funding requests were made at the Sept. 24 meeting; presenters said more outreach and volunteer participation will support planned events, including a parent workshop scheduled Oct. 6.","The Greater Portsmouth Youth Wellness Coalition summarized results from a decade of coalition work — including a Drug-Free Communities grant, STOP grant and local matching funds — and described school and community programs to prevent youth substance use.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Portsmouth groups form nonprofit to create shared archives center; council hears update

Council sends three election questions to voters: social districts, keno and casino-style games of chance

Council rejects second-reading zoning change to ease downtown building-footprint limits after public concern

Portsmouth youth coalition outlines grant-supported mental-health and substance-use efforts