What's New

In December 2019, the Portsmouth City Council approved the recommendations of the Trustees of the Trust Funds to consolidate several underfunded accounts into five, newly-created Portsmouth Community Scholarship Funds that combined accounts with fund balances too small to generate enough investment interest to make annual awards.

The Portsmouth Planning Department and Planning Board are welcoming public input on the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for Fiscal Years 2023 to 2028 (July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2028). Residents are asked to submit projects for consideration in the next CIP by October 15th. The CIP sets forth a 6-year schedule and financing strategy to accomplish necessary public improvements and meet infrastructure needs.

Portsmouth City Manager Karen Conard and the City Emergency Management Team announce that, due to poor weather forecast for Oct 30,  Portsmouth children and families will be able to enjoy Halloween trick- or-treating on Sunday, October 31, 2021, from 3 to 6 pm. The addition of daylight hours was popular last year and is being repeated.

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works is planning to dig three five-foot, by five-foot, by five-foot “test pits” at Prescott Park this week, as part of the investigatory engineering required to implement the Prescott Park Master Plan. The work will be conducted in conjunction with a soils scientist designated by the project consultant Weston and Sampson Engineers and an archaeologist. The work will start at 9 am (weather-permitting) and the pits will be dug and filled in one work day.

Portsmouth City Manager Karen Conard announced October 20, 2021 that the City has selected Shanti Wolph as Chief Building Inspector to fill the post served by Acting Interim Chief Building Inspector Paul Garand for the past three months.

In preparation for the refinancing of callable bonds, Standard & Poor’s (S&P), the national rating agency, completed another municipal bond credit rating review last week. As a result of that review, Standard & Poor’s issued the tenth consecutive affirmation of the City’s AAA rating.

City Clerk Kelli Barnaby has confirmed the polling hours for the City’s Municipal Elections on Tuesday, November 2, 2021. The polls will be open from 8 am to 7 pm.

Over a year ago, the City of Portsmouth closed the Indoor Pool in light of precautions against the spread of COVID-19. During that time, the City also took the opportunity of the closure to explore necessary repairs and maintenance. With that work completed, the Recreation Department plans to reopen the Indoor Pool in the first week of November.

The Portsmouth City Council will conduct an onsite review and then hold a public hearing in City Hall Council Chambers on Thursday, October 14, 2021 for the purpose of receiving evidence and hearing public comment relative to the layout of the Peverly Hill Road Improvement Project and the property acquisitions (permanent and temporary easements) to make that project successful.

The Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Sustainable Practices, in collaboration with the Seacoast Renewable Energy Initiative (SEAREI).