One of the selling points of the city municipal complex was that while the $43.5 million campus was being built, it would put Manchester residents to work. Pouring concrete, building steel frames and putting up drywall are good jobs. The aldermen hoped that local residents who needed work in these fields would benefit from the project.

Alderman Pat Long told Harvey Construction of Bedford last week that the company hasn't made that happen.

Since the project began in March, Manchester residents have done 20 percent of the work; Greater Manchester workers — those from Derry, Goffstown, Allenstown, Hooksett and Weare — have done 50 percent; and out-of-staters have done 15 percent. The remaining hours have been worked by New Hampshire residents who live outside Greater Manchester. All workers are employees of Harvey Construction or one of its 10 subcontractors.

“I'm not happy with these numbers,” said Long. “For Manchester to be so close to the out-of-state number is unacceptable. This is Manchester taxpayers' dollars.”

The majority of the work done on the municipal complex site has been done by subcontractors, and there is little hope that new subcontractors would be able to make up the difference. Ninety-eight percent of the bids for project subcontracts have already been awarded.

Alderman Dan O'Neil told Harvey that some of these companies should be reminded that hiring Manchester workers is a top priority for the aldermen.

“Reach out to these contractors and say you've got to put Manchester people on this contract,” said O'Neil.

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OWNERS OF A South Willow Street “Internet parlor” told the Committee on Administration on Monday their computers aren't “amusement devices” under city ordinance, even if they have video poker games on them.

The aldermen didn't buy it.

The committee voted unanimously to deny Diamond Internet Parlor its appeal of a $36,000 amusement device fee issued by the City Clerk's Office in the summer. The store's attorney, Donald Kennedy, argued the Internet parlor computers were meant for surfing the Web. He said the many games offered and hosted on an internal network are part of a promotional sweepstakes: Buy $1 worth of Internet time, get 100 chances to win. They are not games of chance but are predetermined, as are the points earned — which can be exchanged for cash, Kennedy said.

All these arguments were moot, the aldermen said. Under city ordinance, any machine that displays a poker hand constitutes as an amusement device, and the owner must pay an annual $2,000 fee to let the public use it.

The average user isn't going to see the difference between this sweepstakes and a video poker machine they've seen elsewhere, said Assistant Police Chief Gary Simmons.

“As a consumer going in, the perception is they are winning and losing hands, and this causes them to win or lose points,” said Simmons. “I don't know how it's not an amusement device.”

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WHAT DOES IT mean to “entertain” a complaint or communication from a parent, teacher or student? Does it mean considering and doing something about the complaint, or does it mean simply hearing it?

The Board of School Committee almost threw out an entire policy intending to outline chain of command for airing employee and public concern on Monday after some members questioned whether the current policy prohibited communication of any kind with their constituents.

“The way this is written,” said Committeeman John Avard, "the Coffee with the School Board events I've been holding are not allowed. The Mayor's Night Out and Mayor's Night In would be a violation of this policy. It doesn't allow us to talk to anybody unless the superintendent or his designee approves it first. It needs to be replaced. That's what the committee talked about and asked to come forward with.”

“If we eliminate this policy,” said Mayor Ted Gatsas, “there will be 15 people trying to run this district, and that's unreasonable.”

The board agreed to go with Committeeman Sarah Ambrogi's suggestion: Rather than throw out the policy and write a new one later, the policy stays while the administration comes up with another.

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THIS POLICY DISCUSSION and others that have come before the board in its lame-duck session have revealed a new, more aggressive side of Committeeman Mike DeBlasi, who lost reelection to a Gatsas-supported candidate. Known as a diplomatic and patient member, DeBlasi no longer veils his frustration with sluggish procedure or his fellow members.

“You and I are different, where I vote based on principles and you vote based on politics,” DeBlasi told Gatsas on Monday.

“I certainly will miss you on the board because you vote on principle,” Gatsas replied sarcastically.

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ONE POSITIVE from the discussion was Avard getting the go-ahead to hold a Coffee with the School Board event on Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. in the West High School cafeteria. Parents, students and school staff are welcome to share any concern with board members.

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Read Beth LaMontagne Hall's daily coverage of Manchester City Hall in the New Hampshire Union Leader. Email her at bhall@unionleader.com.