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March 10. 2013 11:23PM

Gate City Musings: Mayor gave police chief a very hot pepper

Editor's note: Gate City Musings, a column on City Hall happenings and other Nashua items, is published every other Monday. It is written by a veteran political observer whose identity is known to the editors but who wishes to remain anonymous, and breathing.

You don't want to invite Mayor Lozeau and Nashua Police Chief John Seusing to the same lawn party this summer.

Madame Mayor's remarks at the recent Chamber of Commerce's State of the City in which she chided the chief and the Nashua Police Commission for their union negotiating, or lack of, rubbed a few folks the wrong way.

Five of the police contracts have been successfully negotiated while one is still pending. Mrs. Mayor was upset that the chief and police commission union did not follow her budget edict. This has caused ill will, to say the least.

Instead of handing out lollipops during her speech, she gave the police chief a very hot pepper. Not a good way to begin bargaining with the other unions when their contracts come up.

Overheard at the city's gas pumps last week was this comment, "If she thinks that taking on this particular police union in the manner is going to get positive results, then she should mend a few fences and not tear down the remaining one."

Speaking about mending fences, Mrs. Mayor should sit down with Public Works commissioner Tracy Pappas and urge her to calm down a bit. It wasn't but a few years ago when Ms. Pappas was all over the city's Public Works employees for "partying it up at all hours of the night" on Greeley Park's bandstand and in the city's Public Works offices off Concord Street.

Thousands of taxpayer dollars were then spent on 24-hour security including television, electronic and personal monitoring only to prove that there was no such nonsense going on. Apparently it was a figment of someone's imagination.

The mayor should point out to this commissioner that in her quest to have evening meetings, ostensibly because she feels the public is being shut out of commission deliberations, she hasn't drawn support from the Public Works Board of Commissioners and the rank-and-file employees.

Many public works employees are still miffed at her because their credibility was challenged. This issue may come back to haunt the commissioner when she is up for re-election.

Overheard during lunch in Martha's the other day were two prominent Main Street business folks critiquing the Mayor's Chamber of Commerce State of the City address.

"Less self-patting on the back sentiments and more what it's costing taxpayers to beautify City Hall, the mayoral office and adding more trees to Main Street should have been discussed," they said.

A female shopper chimed in with, "What about the concerns of our downtown shoppers who have had it tucked to them in the form of higher parking fees?"

On the aldermanic front, another controversial appointment to the City of Nashua-Pennichuck Company's board of directors is in the hands of the Board of Aldermen. The mayor nominated Nashua attorney Martha O'Neil to be a member of the water company's board of directors.

Interesting questions the aldermen should pose to the nominee:

Wasn't attorney O'Neil a member of the board during the time that the Pennichuck board sold off hundreds of acres of prime land to a local developer? And didn't that developer and Pennichuck make millions developing the property?

Musings wonders if the aldermen are concerned about this potential conflict. Especially since the city has spent more than $3 million acquiring the company ostensibly because the then-board of directors were not good stewards of the company's landholdings.

With all the discussion on meeting hours by city boards and commissions, isn't it time for the Police Commission to hold evening meetings also?

The Police Commission holds meetings in the mornings with the public not invited. Musings wonders why.

Happy birthday to one of the hardest working and dedicated public officials. City Treasurer David Fredette literally works seven days week and runs an excellent ship. The next time you are in City Hall, wish him well.

Remember ... if you have a subject, complaint or praise about what our city officials are up to or you have a suggestion for "kudos," email them to gatecitymusings@yahoo.com. Musings would love to hear from you.