Cliff Lazenby for Portsmouth

10/27/2021

On Tues. Nov. 2 Portsmouth goes to the polls. First of all please vote, the impact of your local government is significant (If you are not registered you can do so at the polls). Secondly, kudos to all the candidates running for the various local positions -- stepping up to run for office is not easy and is itself a service to our community.

We need a 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 that will respect open process, pursue progress rigorously yet with civility and focus transparently on the priorities of our community. With a mix of experience and a diversity of viewpoints, age and other backgrounds, this group would bring much-needed balance to our City Council. I enthusiastically support the following candidates:

Deaglan McEachern City Councilor
Joanna Kelley for City Council
Kate Cook for City Council
Vote4Vince Lombardi
Andrew Bagley for Portsmouth City Council
John Tabor for Portsmouth City Council
Rich Blalock
Josh Denton for City Council
Byron Matto Portsmouth City Council

A few points of emphasis:
* You can read brief descriptions of why I support these candidates here: https://tinyurl.com/PortsmouthVote2021
* I want to amplify the message of Kate Cook as she is newer to running for office (but not to civic leadership) and has immediately exhibited a strong understanding of our issues. She is guided by rock solid ethics and principles of good governance. She has impressed people at every candidate forum, I encourage you to watch this clip: https://www.youtube.com/embed/_eXgSWi_-is?start=4379&end=308
* While the above nine will get my vote, if you have questions on some candidates, consider Beth Moreau and Andrew Samonas for Portsmouth City Council 2021.
*Also give it up to John Tabor for this clever/hilarious song about campaigning - worth your 90 seconds! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFmbIFU7xIg

For 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, I encourage one of your two votes to be for 𝐓𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐭. He has a great background, strong principles and ethics and worked hard serving the community. I honestly have not decided among the other three.

For 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝:
Nancy Novelline Clayburgh
Lisa Rapaport for School Board
Brian French
Kerry Nolte for Portsmouth School Board
Ryann Wolf for Portsmouth School Board

*𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐭.

Information on where to vote, polling hours and how to register:
https://www.cityofportsmouth.com/cityclerk/voting-information

Portsmouth Herald voter guide:
https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/2021/10/25/portsmouth-nh-election-2021-where-when-register-vote-absentee-ballots-candidates-keno/8509120002/

PortsmouthNH.com voter guide:
https://www.portsmouthnh.com/2021-portsmouth-city-council-candidate-questionnaire/

Candidate for State Representative, Rockingham 37

10/06/2021

In less than a month Portsmouth will vote in its next City Council. I have chosen not to seek a third term on the City Council, this Op-Ed in the Portsmouth Herald explains some of why.
https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/opinion/columns/2021/10/04/portsmouth-city-council-member-talks-an-environment-distrust/5989909001/

I take seriously the solemn duty of a democratically-elected representative. In that role, I am obliged to speak up about the very concerning trends put forth by the controlling majority of this City Council -- that majority is all seeking re-election.

The Council has been hostile to transparent and due process, to the City Manager and City Staff, to data and qualified expertise, to other Councilors like myself, even to common sense ethical standards. We have more lawsuits that promise greater taxpayer burden than we did two years ago. I spent far more time these last two years defending against bad faith action than working for progress.

Nonetheless, I am a believer in civic engagement. I have found meaningful interactions with a great range of people in our community -- fellow residents, Councilors, members of Boards/Commissions and certainly with a very knowledgeable and hardworking City staff. I have worked as hard as I know how to help make Portsmouth a better place. In new life chapters ahead, I look forward to other forms of constructive community work.

On November 2, I urge Portsmouth voters to speak up about the direction of our City Council. There are great candidates running who will work openly through transparent, civil discourse towards good faith progress. If you are looking for suggestions, drop me a line. See you around the Seacoast.

Cliff Lazenby says council has been dominated by distrust of qualified expertise and data, and increased hostility towards open, due process.

03/29/2021

Periodically we need to step back and see the forest for the trees. In this Council term, lack of transparency quickly became an albatross for the McIntyre project. A note of caution for future Councils -- the principle of open, good faith governance speaks more loudly than the five votes against the transparency rule last week.
https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2021/03/28/lazenby-ripple-effects-transparency/7037182002/

Some links I included with this opinion piece that were not embedded in the Herald publication:
- Herald article last week, quoting Mayor Becksted, "we don't really have to abide by [the transparency rule]...we can discard it." https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/2021/03/25/portsmouth-nh-councilor-lazebnys-transparency-rule-defeated/6981218002/
- 1/28/20 Special McIntyre Meeting whose ripples are becoming waves https://youtu.be/fINcOPYLMsI?t=393
- 1/28/20 Meeting minuteshttp://files.cityofportsmouth.com/agendas/2020/citycouncil/cc012820smcp.pdf
- Recent Herald article about tensions with developer https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/2021/03/16/redgate-kane-calls-portsmouth-nh-mcintyre-plan-utterly-unrealistic/4715673001/

https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2021/03/28/lazenby-ripple-effects-transparency/7037182002/

I trust that the people of Portsmouth see the fundamental value of transparency for healthy government.

01/18/2021

Today is a solemn day, but Martin Luther King Jr Day is inspiring for so many around the globe. In Portsmouth we have a history that has been challenging to face, and so important to acknowledge honestly, respect actively and revisit with a commitment for reflection and progress. I share this from today's City Manager advisory to our community:

African Burying Ground Memorial in Portsmouth

These life-sized bronze silhouettes, standing at the Court Street end of the Memorial, represent the collective community of greater Portsmouth, gathering resolved to acknowledge, protect, and pay homage to the souls whose remains chose to re-emerge in 2003 and make themselves known. Each figure bears a line from the poem by Memorial sculptor Jerome Meadows, inspired by this sacred place.

I stand for the Ancestors Here and Beyond
I stand for those who feel anger
I stand for those who were treated unjustly
I stand for those who were taken from their loved ones
I stand for those who suffered the middle passage
I stand for those who survived upon these shores
I stand for those who pay homage to this ground
I stand for those who find dignity in these bones

-- Jerome Meadows, artist and sculptor

10/18/2020

"Stopping Global Warming is possible with solutions that exist today." - Project Drawdown
There may be other topics that take the attention of the public or the City Council, but if left unchecked climate change and sea level rise will be catastrophic for Portsmouth and the Seacoast. Please join the Sustainability Committee this Thurs. Oct. 22 for an interactive discussion about "Drawdown Portsmouth".

Working with the tools from Project Drawdown, we will guide attendees through discussions about advancing climate action in our region as quickly, safely and equitably as possible.

Sign up for the Zoom meeting, 10/22 6:30-8pm at:
http://files.cityofportsmouth.com/files/planning/SustainabilityDrawdownPortsmouthPoster10222020.pdf
The Sustainability Committee will do a brief presentation to the City Council on 10/19/20.

More information about Project Drawdown: https://drawdown.org/

09/27/2020

In the name of transparency and in support of the spirit of the NH Right to Know Law, I share that the City Council will have an unexpected meeting tomorrow night that you will not see listed on the City website or with any other public notice. This past Friday 9/25, Council members received this email from the City Manager, "At the request of the Mayor, there will be a non meeting with counsel this coming Monday September 28th at 5 pm. The meeting will take place at City Hall in the School Board Conference Room. Seats will be appropriately spaced and we will wear masks."

What is on the agenda for this non-meeting? Why are we meeting in a manner that avoids advance notice to the public, a posted agenda or minutes and exclusion of attendance by the public?
Good questions, and I have no answer. The Mayor has not shared the agenda for the meeting or the reason for calling it.

You may ask, what on earth is a "non meeting"? Besides being called by a head-scratching term worthy of Orwellian Doublespeak, it stems from the NH Right to Know Law (RSA Chapter 91-A). In practice, it is not the same as holding a "Non Public" meeting -- which requires a vote to go into, is only allowed to discuss certain topics and has minutes recorded.

In the last term of the City Council, Mayor Blalock did not hold any "non meetings", so I have no first-hand experience. While I will seek more input from our City Attorney about the appropriate rules of this "non meeting" structure, there are a number of recent online resources:

Memo and guidance from NH Attorney General Joseph Foster, March 2015: https://www.doj.nh.gov/civil/documents/right-to-know.pdf
On Page 8 you'll see discussion of "Not a Meeting". What seems to apply to tomorrow night's "Not a Meeting" is on Pages 8-9, "Consultation with legal counsel." No actions may be taken by the City Council, and consultation with legal counsel should be limited to legal issues. "Deliberation about the matter on which advice is sought may not occur...The public body must reconvene and conduct deliberation in public session."

The NH Municipal Association also provides some guidance on the issue: https://www.nhmunicipal.org/town-city-article/legal-q-and-inside-scoop-nonpublic-sessions

And this interpretation from the "Right to Know NH" advocacy group: https://righttoknownh.wordpress.com/insight/insight-non-meetings/

And of course, anyone who has followed Portsmouth City Council work this past decade knows there have been various struggles about use of the "Non Meeting" construct. Assistant Mayor Splaine can share more extensively about that.

I thought the people of Portsmouth had a right to know your elected public body is not-meeting to discuss your affairs. Beyond that, you will need to demand answers from the members of that elected public body.

New Hampshire’s Right to Know Law, RSA Chapter 91-A, is a critical statute for local officials and employees to understand. One of the more difficult areas to navigate is nonpublic sessions. Recently, we have received an incredible number of legal inquiries about this subject. Here are some of the...

08/30/2020

Just before she officially announced, I was enthused that my friend and former City Council colleague Rebecca Perkins Kwoka was ready to devote her skills to NH Senate District 21. I had seen first-hand how her determination and rigor found paths to progress and solving problems. She had the follow through to navigate a difficult challenge like Affordable Housing -- and in four years made change in Portsmouth that had ripple effects in the State. I knew she would follow in the footsteps of Senator Martha Fuller Clark to work hard for Portsmouth, and was encouraged to see the Senator's passionate endorsement. As lifelong Democrats I knew Rebecca and I shared a wide range of fundamental values, and I have been happy to share my deep respect for her public service ethic. It's great to see strong traction with voters throughout District 21 who want a dedicated and capable Senator in Concord.

I have also seen Deaglan McEachern show good promise in his first term of elected office. Through eight months of a draining and at-times contentious Council term, he has worked hard to fulfill the commitment he took from the election last fall. While I respect his heart and intention to switch focus to Concord, we have sixteen more months of significant challenges and long hours in Portsmouth. We need Deaglan's full commitment in our City, just as all of the towns in District 21 deserve a State Senator fully dedicated to represent them in a job even more demanding with at least as much at stake.

The timing is right for Rebecca Perkins Kwoka to devote her proven skills to follow the strong record of Martha Fuller Clark.
Rebecca (Senate) plus Deaglan (City Council) = stronger public servants for Portsmouth and a Senator focused on also representing Durham, Lee, Madbury, Newfields, Newington and Newmarket. Vote early if you can or on Sep. 8 please join me in selecting Rebecca Perkins Kwoka to represent our whole community.

Aug. 27 – To the Editor:I write to endorse Rebecca Perkins Kwoka for State Senate. In the midst of my second term as a Portsmouth City Councilor, I

08/02/2020

Had an eye-opening, perspective-enriching 90 minutes with the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire Sankofa Walking Tour yesterday in Portsmouth. From now into October they have a great variety of different topics as focus for these tours. Ours yesterday was "Thirst for Freedom: From NH's Slave Trade to Its Civil Rights Movment". We walked and visited while learning a great deal from tour guide Nur Shoop.

Whether seeing the colonial auction site where slaves surviving the harrowing Middle Passage were sold, standing in Market Square envisioning meetings of the K*K in the same building as the Athenaeum (in the 20th century!), or hearing of the final push by locals to force the Wentworth-by-the-Sea to allow black people to dine -- during the 1960's! -- much important history was shared. We have a great deal to face and acknowledge and repair.

Our family is already planning at least one more of the tours this summer. (Masks were required, screening done before, and our group kept our safe distances). I encourage everyone to include engagement with the Black Heritage Trail of NH as part of the work you do to advance racial justice in our community.
http://blackheritagetrailnh.org/sankofa-guided-walking-tours/

07/24/2020

Congratulations to the Pop Up NH group for rallying through challenges to an imminent opening date. From the start, this idea has been innovative in its goals, and as could be expected with a high urgency venture, has taken time for the details to come together. The motives have been pure and desperately needed in an era that threatens the livelihood of so many in the arts, culinary and retail community. Notable credit is due to the many volunteers who continue to go out on a limb, and to the Citizen Response Task Force, City staff and community members for being open-minded and flexible. All involved are trying something different in order to prop up local businesses and give Portsmouth something to root for.

Good faith process is of vital importance in any context, but certainly as it relates to government and community. It is important in how the Task Force and Pop Up group conduct themselves, and in how the City Council and others navigate from here. As part of that process, a formal Ethics Complaint was filed on July 23 against a City Councilor. Subsequently the City Attorney has advised via email that all Councilors “maintain objectivity and neutrality on the issues being raised in the complaint until such time as either the issues are resolved or the matter comes to the Council in its formal capacity.”

To that end, I want to offer an example of a professional and respectful process involving the Task Force and Pop Up project that was available to me as an elected official. When I had concerns about neighborhood impact of the initial Foundry proposal, I voiced them openly to the Task Force leadership at a public City Council meeting and then followed up with Subcommittee Chair Russ Grazier. I also contacted the City Manager and of course the neighbors.. All parties -- including the Pop Up team themselves -- responded swiftly to hear concerns and factor in feedback on how the project could better proceed.

Since the issues arose about the complaint, dozens of community members have demanded answers and significant action from the City Council. I start first by saying whatever paths we take should openly follow due process and be appropriately fair. And as much as our community has many urgent priorities, and our Council meetings do not need to be longer, choosing to not address this would reflect poorly on the City Council and Portsmouth.

What processes exist and what are our options to move forward?

Removal of a duly elected official is a prescription of very high intensity in any democracy, and appropriately our City laws also set a high bar for such a step. The City Attorney confirmed to me that the City Council cannot consider ‘removal’ without first having a finding from the Board of Ethics that the office-holder has “engaged in any act prohibited by [the Code of Ethics] ordinance or failed to make a mandated disclosure”. As the Complaint progresses through, it is essential that I and other Councilors await with impartiality for the findings of the Ethics review process.

City Charter section 3.14 (“Code of Ethics”) states that “The City Council shall have the power to remove, censure, suspend or reprimand any member of the Council...who has been found... to have violated any provisions of a municipal Code of Ethics.” Chapter 1, Article VIII of our City Ordinance defines the Code of Ethics and due process for how complaints are addressed, as well as who serves on the Board of Ethics and how violations are enforced.

On July 23, a complaint was filed regarding Councilor Kennedy’s actions. As outlined in Section 1.804 (C), the crucial first step of the process, required to occur within 30 days of filing, is determined by the Mayor and City Attorney. If they determine “the complaint is of substance, then the Mayor shall refer the matter to the Board” (of Ethics). To proceed with a good and legitimate process, our current Mayor should recuse himself from this vital “gatekeeping” step. Because of the long-standing personal relationship between Mayor Becksted and Councilor Kennedy, Assistant Mayor Splaine should instead work with the City Attorney to determine whether the complaint is referred to the Ethics Board.

The Ethics Board who would review the complaint is composed of the City Attorney as well as one representative each from the City Council, School Board, Police and Fire Commissions. (Councilor Tabor was selected by lot at the beginning of our term). If the complaint is referred to them, they have 30 days within which to conduct investigations and prepare a report of their findings.

I also confirmed with the City Attorney, and as is supported by Robert’s Rules of Order which guides our proceedings, that the City Council can consider a motion of censure regardless of a complaint being reviewed by the Ethics Board, or regardless if its review identifies a violation. If the complaint is not referred to the Board of Ethics, that may be an option the City Council needs to consider at an upcoming meeting. However, if the complaint is referred to the Board of Ethics, we should likely await their findings before considering other action.

None of these options will be enjoyable but moving through them in good faith is necessary to move swiftly towards healing and working together for the good of Portsmouth. I hope you will join me in rooting for Pop Up NH, and in rooting for new General Manager Tristan Law and all the volunteers sweating to make something happen. We are all rooting for Portsmouth, but the processes we take to get there -- including making amends for missteps -- are of critical importance to how well we succeed.