Dover Download

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.

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.

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.

In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Mike Gillis, the city's Director of Media Services, to recap highlights from January's board, committee, and commission activities.

The conversation begins with the Jan. 5 inauguration of the City Council, including four new city councilors and a new mayor, with Lindsey Williams unanimously selected as deputy mayor. The School Board also took the oath of office, retaining Robin Trefethen as chair. The new Council quickly got to work with a workshop and goal-setting session.

The School Board adopted a proposed budget of approximately $102.8 million that will continue existing programs without staff cuts. Parker and Gillis discuss the Planning Board's annual land use meeting, which brought together volunteers from various boards for networking and updates. A significant milestone was the Planning Board's adoption of the new land-use chapter of the Master Plan.

Other key Council actions included approving phase one of the Central Avenue water main replacement project, declining a state grant for milfoil treatment at Willand Pond due to PFAS concerns, and approving additional funding for the permanent 9/11 memorial. The Council also discussed Community Power rate changes and decided to move some city accounts back to the default energy provider.

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.