What's New

The City of Portsmouth Department of Public Works is preparing to commence seasonal construction on the Islington Street Corridor Project, Phase 1B. This work will continue sewer-water line separation between Albany Street and Dover Street. Work is expected to take most of the construction season and be completed in October.

On Wednesday, March 31 at 6:30 pm the Citywide Neighborhood Committee hosts a panel of City of Portsmouth staff via Zoom to discuss projects and issues specific to the Ward 1 neighborhood. The Zoom meeting is open to residents of Ward 1 as well as to the public at large.To participate, please register in advance with this Zoom link.

The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the City of Portsmouth for the fifteenth consecutive year, the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the Fiscal Year 2021 budget document.

The City has taken several steps to reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure at City Hall. Starting Monday, January 25, the City is requesting residents with City Hall business to please make appointments in advance.

​CAPTION: The Clipper Strong Fund Committee presented a $1000 check to Deb Anthony, executive director of Gather, the largest hunger relief agency serving the Seacoast, including local business employees hard hit by the pandemic.

Mayor Rick Becksted has announced the formation of a Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee on Arts and Nonprofits, designed to respond to the needs of arts and culture nonprofits during the reopening and recovery phases ahead.

As part of the Sagamore Avenue Sewer Extension Project, borings are needed to collect data about the soils and bedrock in the project area. The first phase of borings was completed in the spring of 2020; and this work will complete the boring data collection.

Taking another significant step in its effort to protect the City of Portsmouth’s surface water supply by conserving lands surrounding the Bellamy Reservoir, the City’s Department of Public Works Water Division has partnered with Southeast Land Trust (SELT) to purchase a conservation easement on approximately 107 acres owned by Mary Ellen Duffy, adjacent to the Reservoir.

The Portsmouth community can now access the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) and the Popular Annual Financial Report (PAFR) for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20) on the City of Portsmouth website. The City of Portsmouth prepares the CAFR and PAFR following the close of each fiscal year under the guidance of Director of Finance and Administration Judie Belanger.

A panel of judges aged 21-months to 18 years old has reviewed all 76 Holiday Lights Contest participants and selected three winners of the $500 gift cards donated by Ricci Lumber, Lowe’s and Home Depot:  Al Bailey, Jane Sprague and Nicole Beyer.