Elect Laurie Ortolano for the Board of Public Works

I have been a Nashua Resident since 2014 when my husband and I moved from Litchfield. My husband grew up in Nashua. We both went to College at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and received degrees in Mechanical Engineering. I practiced engineering for 10 years and worked in the Defense Electronics Industry. We homeschooled and raised two sons in New Hampshire, both are grown. One lives in Serbia and the other in South Carolina.

I am no stranger to elected office. In my early 30’s to early 40’s, I served consecutive terms as a school Board and budget committee member in Litchfield. While serving on the Board, the town passed a bond on the first attempt to build a high school in Litchfield which opened in 2000. I was selected by my board to serve as the Board lead for teacher contract negotiations which were successfully completed with the interests of both sides in mind. I served as a member of the Nashua Center for the Arts when it was located at 14 Court St.

I did not anticipate serving in an elected capacity later in life, but here I am. I am a no nonsense, straightforward thinker and communicator who will bring the time and commitment to do the work for this Board. I was not tapped by elected insiders to serve; My commitment to serve is a personal choice driven by my desire to improve local government and my capability, within this position, to do so. My engineering background will be beneficial in understanding and reviewing contracts and understanding mechanical systems operating within the department. I have a strong commitment to understanding and controlling spending.

Here is a summary of my views I would bring to the table if elected:

[1] Better Control of spending

[2] Re-evaluate the need for a new DPW facility

[3] Get moving on critical Bridge Repairs

[4] Review of Job Functions and Description within the Department

[5] Improve Project Planning

[6] Improve Communication

[7] Board Role and Function

[1] Better Control of spending: Next year the City will produce new assessments for all properties as part of a city-wide revaluation. There will most likely be a shift in tax burden to residential, condo and rental property owners. This situation is created by the high demand, low inventory housing market that has dramatically increased values coupled with the loss in value of the commercial and industrial properties because of the Pandemic. Spending must be controlled to reduce the impact of these tax increases.

Some of you know that I have been actively involved in improving the assessing department and created equitable, transparent and fair assessments for everyone. This year, I assisted over 80 property owners with abatement applications. Over 95% of these applications were approved and will save property owners over $150,000 in taxes. The release of the new assessments by Vision in 2022 will tell us if data quality and assessment equity has improved. The City can improve assessment equity with more frequent updates, better data management, and staff training.

I will devote the time and energy to work for you. I understand that we all work hard for our money and it is important that those elected to serve you carefully reflect on how your money is spent and eliminate wasteful spending.

[2] Re-evaluate the need for a new DPW facility: In December 2019, the Alderman prematurely approved a $6 million bond to build a new DPW office facility on West Hollis Street. The total project cost was $10 million and was dependent on the sale of 141 Burke St that was purchased by the City in 2016. Burke Street was purchased to become the next DPW facility, but the cost to retrofit and upgrade the building was prohibitively high. So, the City put the property on the market in 2019 and it sold it in July 2021. The city lost about $600,000 on this sale and the taxpayers are carrying a bond on this purchase. Now, two years later, the project cost is $15 million. This project should be reconsidered as no unnecessary new spending should be undertaken at this time.

[3] Get moving on critical Bridge Repairs: Additionally, the Board should explore obtaining infrastructure grant money allocated by the federal government to address two critical bridge sites that were rated poorly in a City Report. These bridges were identified 6 years ago in serious deterioration and given the increase in traffic due to development and the safety concerns, these bridges should be scheduled for repair.

[4] Review of Job Functions and Description within the Department: The Board should address the engineering needs with the DPW department and verify that positions meet the technical qualification for the job description. Policy and procedures regarding job descriptions should be reviewed to ascertain how jobs are being performed now. The Board should be periodically briefed on employee turnover to understand the impact and costs associated with turnover and address issues and develop solutions to improve employee stability.

[5] Improve Project Planning: Project planning needs to have detailed costing of all elements of the project before approval is granted. Piecemeal project approval creates uncontrolled, unanticipated costs with no sure means for tracking spending. With the seating of a new Board, the Department should review or establish short and long term planning requirements to identify and prioritize projects.

[6] Improve Communication: Customer Service and communications strategies should be reviewed to be sure the department is responsive to the residents. Strong intradepartmental communication and public communication are key to a well-run organization.

[7] Board Role and Function: Of course, the role, function, and authority of the Board should be clear to all. Every Board member should have access to the same information to ensure each member is an equitable stakeholder in the process and to be prepared to make informed decisions.

Should you need additional information or wish to communicate, please email me at laurieortolano@gmail.com. Please visit www.good-gov.com for local government articles, abatement videos and my link to my candidate’s page. I ask for your vote on November 2nd.