City Seeks Public Input for Capital Improvement Plan for Fiscal Years 2027 - 2032
July 29, 2025The Portsmouth City Council, Planning Board and Planning & Sustainability Department invite the public to provide input on the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for Fiscal Years 2027 to 2032 (July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2032). Residents are invited to submit projects for consideration in the next CIP by September 19, 2025.
City Installs Public Artwork, “Spiraling Serenity” on Peirce Island
July 28, 2025In March 2024 the City of Portsmouth Public Art Review Committee (PARC) established the request for proposals (RFP) criteria for a public work of art, funded by the City’s percent-for-art ordinance, to be placed near the new Peirce Island Wastewater Treatment Facility. The percent-for-art ordinance stipulates that all new City facilities include provisions for public art, with the maximum allocation capped by City Council action at $150,000.
Municipal Election Filing Period Opens September 2, 2025
July 17, 2025Kelli Barnaby, City Clerk for the City of Portsmouth NH, has announced the filing period for candidates interested in running for office in the Municipal Election on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. The Municipal Election filing period opens Tuesday, September 2, 2025, and ends on Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
Non-Partisan Offices
The following non-partisan offices will be filled by the Municipal Election on Tuesday, November 4, 2025:
Parks & Greenery Department Offers Free Public Prescott Park Garden Tours on Fridays
July 9, 2025The seasonal gardens of Prescott Park are in their prime, following weeks of planting, weeding, and cultivation. The City of Portsmouth Parks & Greenery Department is inviting the public to join members of the gardening team for free weekly tours of the formal gardens.
Community Power Coalition of NH Announces Increase in Portsmouth Community Power Rates, Effective August 1, 2025
July 8, 2025The Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire (CPCNH) has advised its member municipalities, including Portsmouth Community Power, that the electricity supply rates for the rate period August 1, 2025 through January 31, 2026 will increase, as are all electric rates from utilities across the state. Eversource, the default utility in Portsmouth, has announced an increase to 11.196 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
DPW Hosts Vaughan Mall Project Design Public Meeting on July 7, 2025
July 1, 2025The City of Portsmouth NH will start urgent work in Vaughan Mall to replace the heavily deteriorated sewer and water lines. While the Mall is under construction, the City will also be upsizing the stormwater system to accommodate the additional flows that will be generated during future phases of the Fleet Street Reconstruction Project.
Construction on Vaughan Mall is scheduled to begin on September 1, 2025, and will continue through early December. To ensure accessibility during the winter months, the site is expected to be temporarily surfaced with asphalt.
City Announces Carl Weber as Deputy City Manager
June 30, 2025With the planned transition of Deputy City Manager and Regulatory Counsel Suzanne Woodland at the end of the current fiscal year, City Manager Karen S. Conard is pleased to announce the appointment of Carl Weber as the City’s next Deputy City Manager, effective June 30, 2025.
City Plans Independence Day Fireworks for July 3, 2025
June 27, 2025The City of Portsmouth presents the annual fireworks display on Thursday, July 3, 2025 at South Mill Pond with a rain date of Saturday, July 5. This celebration is an alcohol-free, family-friendly event. The City has not allocated funds for fireworks in next year’s budget. Unless a private donor steps forward to sponsor the event, this year’s celebration will mark the final Independence Day fireworks display.
City Hosts Public Meeting on Workforce Housing Incentives
June 26, 2025The City's Planning & Sustainability Department and the Housing Blue Ribbon Committee invited community members to a public meeting on Thursday, July 10. The meeting featured a presentation by RKG Associates on their findings related to the City’s workforce housing incentives policy.
DPW Parks & Greenery Program to Control Canada Geese in Place
June 25, 2025The Department of Public Works Parks & Greenery Group continues to apply a variety of measures intended to control the impact Canada Geese are having at Four Tree Island, Prescott Park, and Bohenko Gateway Park.