Dover Download

City of Dover NH

Dover Download is a weekly look at what's happening in the City of Dover, New Hampshire, hosted by Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker. Tune in for a closer look at the city's programs, services, public bodies and projects, as well as a look back each week at Dover's history.

  1. 1D AGO

    Building the Budget: Dover Schools' Strategic Approach to FY27

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Dover School District Superintendent Christine Boston about the district's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget. Boston outlines the budget development process, which begins each September with building-level administrators submitting their needs before she and CFO Michael Limanni compile and refine the numbers through the fall. She emphasizes that this year's budget is closely aligned with the district's five strategic pillars — academic knowledge, well-being, equity and inclusion, continuous improvement, and a team approach — developed through extensive community engagement. In their presentation to the city council, Limanni details the revenue and expense drivers behind the budget's roughly 6.77% increase, highlighting a 6.5% rise in health insurance costs, collective bargaining negotiations, increased transportation and special education expenses, and a decrease in tuition revenue from surrounding districts. Boston explains that over 70% of the budget supports staffing and contracted services. The district is requesting only a few new positions mandated by law or necessitated by funding reductions, including a social studies teacher required by new state curriculum rules, a counselor for Dover Adult Learning Center to offset lost federal funding, and a school psychologist position that would save money by replacing contract services. Boston also discusses efforts to bring special education programming in-house to reduce costs and better serve students. She closes by reinforcing the district's commitment to maintaining class sizes, counseling services, and strategic progress while remaining mindful of taxpayer constraints.

    26 min
  2. MAR 3

    February Recap: The FY2027 Budget, Master Plan Updates, and AI in the Schools

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Media Services Director Mike Gillis about the highlights of February 2026 in Dover city government. The conversation centers on the FY 2027 budget rollout, which dominated the City Council's February agenda across multiple meetings, including workshops, presentations, and a public hearing on the school portion. Parker explains the downtown Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district's success, noting that private development around the parking garage has exceeded projections by roughly $102 million, potentially allowing the city to pay off the garage debt 13 years early and return $3.1 million to the general fund. They also discuss the council's approval of the FY 2027 Community Development Block Grant Action Plan and a Recovery Residence grant on Avon Avenue in partnership with the Dover Housing Authority. On the planning front, the Planning Board adopted a new Land Use chapter of the Master Plan — the first update since 2014 — and reviewed several significant development projects, including a 160-unit LIHTC housing project at 99 Knox Marsh Road and a mixed-use building on Mechanic Street. The School Board began work on a generative AI policy for students and staff, prompting broader discussion about AI's role in education and municipal government. Finally, updates on the Dover High School athletic complex and the waterfront development round out the episode, with Nebi Park's opening tentatively targeted for early July.

    26 min
  3. FEB 24

    Building the Budget: Executive, Finance, Planning, and Welfare in FY2027

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Finance Director Dan Lynch, Planning and Community Development Director Donna Benton, and Public Welfare Director Dave Balian about their respective fiscal year 2027 budget presentations. Parker begins with a brief overview of the Executive Department budget, noting it is largely personnel-driven with no major capital costs. Lynch explains that the Finance Department budget is developed with input from division supervisors across Purchasing, Accounting, the City Clerk/Tax Collector, and Assessing offices. He notes that unlike recent years, which saw the implementation of new voting machines and a computer-aided mass appraisal system, FY2027 has no major capital purchases. Benton discusses the Planning Department budget, highlighting a reduction in the Transportation chapter of the Master Plan line item from $100,000 to $40,000 as the department shifts to the Stewardship chapter. She notes her request for an additional building inspector to handle increasing development activity was not included in the proposed budget. Balian outlines the welfare department's five-point approach to budget development, which considers current and historical spending, economic factors, employment trends, and potential legislative cost shifts. He emphasizes that local welfare is state-mandated but funded entirely through local general funds, and that his department has held its budget flat for several years by investing in better case management and partnerships with outside agencies. Listeners can explore all budget presentations on the city's Budget Revealed page at: https://www.dover.nh.gov/government/open-government/budget-revealed/fy2027-budget/. In This Week in Dover History, we look back at "Dover's Black Day" — the catastrophic flood of March 1, 1896, when a 10-hour rainstorm caused the Cochecho River to rise between six and 10 feet. The flood destroyed five bridges, swept buildings from the Central Avenue Bridge into the river, caused over $300,000 in damages, and effectively ended Dover's shipping industry by filling the river with silt and debris.

    16 min
  4. FEB 17

    City Manager Presents Dover's FY2027 Budget Proposal

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with City Manager J. Michael Joyal, Jr., about the City of Dover's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, which was presented to the City Council on Feb. 11, 2026. Joyal, presenting his 21st budget to the council, provides an overview of the 900-page document, which reflects total spending of $227.4 million across all funds, an overall increase of 8.9%. The general fund, supported by property taxes, is proposed at approximately $183 million. Joyal highlights a notable development: for the first time, revenue from the downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district exceeds the amount needed to cover parking garage debt, allowing excess funds to flow into the general fund and help offset the property tax increase for all taxpayers. The proposed budget exceeds the tax cap by approximately $877,000, meaning adoption would require a two-thirds council vote. For the average residential property valued at $527,000, the overall tax bill increase would be roughly $365. Other significant budget items include school department funding, a COPS grant match for a police officer position, body-worn camera maintenance, increased street and infrastructure funding, the final year of the bag-and-tag program before converting to a toter system, and utility rate adjustments. Joyal outlines the council's budget review schedule through the anticipated April 1st adoption date and encourages residents to stay engaged through public hearings, workshops, and online resources available at the city's Budget Revealed webpage.

    29 min
  5. FEB 10

    Reaching for the Top: How One Dover Nonprofit Is Changing Lives for Children and Families

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Amy Rich Crane, executive director of Reach for the Top Therapy, a nonprofit organization located in the McConnell Center that provides therapeutic services for children and young adults from birth to age 21. Crane, a dual board-certified pediatric occupational therapist with more than 15,000 hours of clinical experience, took over the organization in 2021 after leading clinics across the country during her husband's military career. She describes Reach for the Top's neuro-affirming, strength-based approach to serving children with a wide range of needs, including autism, ADHD, anxiety, complex feeding disorders, and the effects of trauma and abuse. The organization offers occupational, physical, speech, and, as of October 2025, mental health therapy, along with specialty programs such as hippotherapy, aquatic therapy, and community-based sessions at locations like the Children's Museum of New Hampshire. Since its founding in 2014, Reach for the Top has grown from serving 80 children a year to nearly 500, drawing clients from 48 surrounding towns and cities. Crane discusses how the organization supports families through educational resources, webinars, and community trainings, and she notes that volunteers can help through board service, deep-cleaning events, and donations of supplies and funds. As the outgoing Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce Nonprofit of the Year, Crane encourages community collaboration and says Dover is already leading the way in child development, mental health, and school safety. Listeners can learn more at https://reachftt.org/ In This Week in Dover History, we look back at Abraham Lincoln's 1860 visit to Dover, as remembered by George W. Benn in a 1909 Boston Globe feature that captured firsthand recollections of Lincoln from people who had seen him in person. Benn recalled Lincoln's powerful, plainspoken speech delivered just days after his famous Cooper Union address. Today, Lincoln's Dover connections remain tangible at the Lincoln Building on Locust Street, where he spent the night, and at the Woodman Museum, which holds the original lectern from which Lincoln spoke.

    23 min
  6. JAN 27

    Community Power in Dover: An Update with Jackson Kaspari

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Jackson Kaspari, Director of Member Services for the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire. Kaspari, who previously served as Dover's resilience manager and helped launch the city's Community Power program, reflects on the coalition's growth since Dover became a founding member in October 2021. The organization has expanded to 68 member communities with 50 operating programs, serving approximately 175,000 customers statewide. The conversation covers how community power works, including the opt-out structure, product tiers offering varying levels of renewable energy, and the ease of switching between options. Kaspari explains that about 60% of Dover customers currently participate in Community Power. He discusses the upcoming Feb. 1 rate of $0.14 per kilowatt hour, which will be higher than Eversource's rate, attributing the differential to changes in how utilities now purchase power and the coalition's decision to build community reserves. About two cents per kilowatt hour goes toward these reserves, which Kaspari says will enable more competitive rates and local energy projects in the future. He highlights Dover's participation in the state's largest solar array in Warner, New Hampshire, which will benefit the municipality in the long term. In This Week in Dover History, we look back at the devastating Cocheco Manufacturing Company mill fire of Jan. 26, 1907. The blaze at Mill No. 1 claimed six lives after a malfunctioning sprinkler head was shut off for repairs just minutes before workers spotted smoke. The fire spread rapidly through the five-story brick building as below-freezing temperatures froze hoses and equipment. After two days of firefighting, the upper floors collapsed, causing $1 million in damage. The mill was rebuilt and reopened by October 1908 with improved safety measures.

    27 min
  7. JAN 20

    Inside Strafford County's Warming Center, and a Look at the Future

    In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Melanie Haney of East Coast Evolution Leadership and Strafford County Commission Chair George Maglaras about the Strafford County Warming Center's current operations and future expansion. Haney explains how her company evolved from Thrive Outdoors' leadership development work to operating emergency shelters across New Hampshire. East Coast Evolution now staffs the warming center, focusing on providing safety and security while connecting guests with community resources. The low-barrier facility welcomes individuals as they are, though no substance use is permitted on-site. Guests sign agreements, secure their belongings, and receive dinner, coffee, snacks and access to bunks or cots. The center, located on Willand Drive in Somersworth, operates when temperatures drop below 32 degrees or during inclement weather, with capacity for 26 beds and additional floor space. For more information about East Coast Evolution Leadership, visit https://www.eastcoastevolutionleadership.com/ Maglaras outlines plans to transform the warming center into a year-round homeless services facility at the county complex. The new 5,000-square-foot building, targeted for November opening, will offer extended stays and wraparound services including medical care, substance abuse treatment, mental health support and job placement. By leveraging existing county resources like the jail's kitchen and pursuing federal grants, Maglaras aims to address root causes of homelessness while minimizing taxpayer costs. Currently funded through $75,000 contributions from Dover and Rochester, plus Somersworth's in-kind services, the initiative represents a regional approach to providing sustainable solutions beyond temporary shelter.

    35 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

Dover Download is a weekly look at what's happening in the City of Dover, New Hampshire, hosted by Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker. Tune in for a closer look at the city's programs, services, public bodies and projects, as well as a look back each week at Dover's history.

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