NASHUA — A city resident is on a mission to get the Board of Public Works to hold its monthly meetings in the evenings instead of 2 p.m.

“I believe that publicly elected boards should hold their meetings at a time when citizens can attend. This is a matter of principle for me,” said Robert Sullivan of 12 Stonybrook Road.

The Board of Public Works includes the mayor, two aldermen and four elected members. It often deals with large projects and work that can significantly affect city taxpayers, Sullivan said, using as an example the $2 million downtown improvement project.

But Mayor Donnalee Lozeau, chairman of the board, said Friday that there is ample opportunity for public participation. The board hosts neighborhood gatherings for important revitalization projects, she said.

“There is never going to be a good time for everyone to attend,” said Lozeau. “Congress meets during the day. The state legislature meets during the day.”

Previously, resident Geoff Daly and Alderman-at-Large Barbara Pressly have commented that the meetings should be held at a time convenient to residents. The board used to meet at 5:30 p.m.

“Frankly, not accommodating the citizens and moving the meeting time to 2 p.m. comes across that the BPW does not want or encourage citizen participation,” Sullivan wrote in an email to Lozeau.

In addition to board members, city staff from various departments also attend, including administrators from the Parks and Recreation Department, Wastewater Treatment Division, Streets Department and Solid Waste Department, along with the city engineer and director of public works.

Lozeau said this is the primary reason meetings are held in the afternoon, when staff members are readily available.

“It makes more sense to have them during the workday because of the staff involvement,” she said.

Tracy Pappas, who has been a member of the Board of Public Works since 2008, said she supports moving the meeting time to the evening, preferably at 7 p.m.

“We are talking about a lot of money here. Even if just one person shows up for a meeting in a year, it is still beneficial to have their input,” she said.

But Pappas said if meetings were held in the evening, city workers who attend should be compensated appropriately, with overtime pay or compensatory time.

Sullivan said he plans to attend an upcoming Board of Public Works meeting, at which time he will formally request two hours of compensation reimbursement for the vacation request he has to put in to skip work and attend.

khoughton@newstote.com