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Please be advised that the City of Manchester has experienced no CSO activations during the past 12 hours.
For more detailed CSO discharge information please go to EPD's website at:
https://www.manchesternh.gov/csomap
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Please be advised that the City of Manchester has experienced CSO activations due to heavy rainfall and corresponding high flows.
For more detailed CSO discharge information please go to EPD's website at:
https://www.manchesternh.gov/csomap
Thank you
Board of Mayor and Aldermen approve second sale of vacant city lots
Money raised from 3 combined parcels will be dedicated to affordable housing
MANCHESTER, NH – Mayor Jay Ruais today announced a second round of surplus properties will be sold to benefit the city’s affordable housing trust fund. This latest initiative follows the successful auction of 15 vacant lots in May of 2024 that generated $1.13 million. The Board of Mayor and Alderman agreed to combine three vacant lots at the May 20th meeting - the first on Smyth Road measuring .70 acres, with the other two lots located on Sheffield Road for a combined 41 acres.
Mayor Ruais said, “I hear constantly from residents, businesses and others that affordable housing is the top issue in Manchester right now so bringing more units online has been a top priority since day one. But to accomplish this, we needed to be creative and that is exactly what these vacant lot sales are all about. The fact that 100% of the net proceeds are transferred to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund is a true game changer.”
He added, “We conducted the inaugural vacant lot sales through a first of its kind auction last year. It was a tremendous success, generating over $1 million dollars for affordable housing in Manchester. We learned a lot too. The second round will be carried out using a broker. This made more sense given the size of the newly created lot is almost 42 acres and it will likely draw interest from developers, instead of the individual buyers who dominated the first round. But whether it’s by auction, or with the help of a broker, the bottom line regarding these vacant lots is the same – we are making our lots available for new housing, raising significant funds for new housing and returning the land to the city’s tax roll all at the same time.”
City Tax Collector Brenda Masewic Adams is equally supportive of the second round of sales saying, “The additional capital into the Affordable Housing Trust Fund will allow the City to have a more robust funding to help improve the housing market, giving adults and families the opportunity to work, stay and play in Manchester.”
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Mayor Ruais announces departure of City’s HR Director Lisa Drabik
Tenure highlighted by generational compensation study and 11 new union contracts
MANCHESTER, NH – Mayor Jay Ruais announced today that the city’s Director of Human Resources, Lisa Drabik, will be returning to her hometown to lead the HR department for the Town of Londonderry’s School District. During her tenure, Drabik was instrumental in spearheading the recent compensation study that brought city employee wages to market rates and successfully negotiated 11 new contracts with city unions.
Commenting on Director Drabik’s departure, Ruais said, “Lisa’s contribution to Manchester cannot be understated. Besides running the HR department that covers 1,200 city employees and assists hundreds of retirees, she successfully led the compensation study that brought our employees’ wages to market rates and re-negotiated 11 union contracts that were set to expire, both of which are challenging tasks. Lisa’s dedication has ensured that the city is better able to retain our seasoned employees as well as recruit new ones.”
“Heading human resources is a tough job because professionals like Lisa regularly deal with difficult conversations, complex situations, and ever-changing laws and regulations, all while striving to maintain a positive and productive work environment,” said Ruais, “I’m delighted to say she succeeded in all the above. I have deeply appreciated her wisdom, strategic advice, and guidance. Lisa will be truly missed.”
In her letter of resignation to the Board of Mayor and Alderman, Drabik wrote, “It has been an honor and a privilege to lead the City’s human resources function for the last few years. Soon after my arrival in 2022, we embarked upon an exhaustive City-wide Classification and Compensation Study. I am proud to say the study resulted in a newly-modernized pay plan with market-competitive pay rates designed to position the City well into the future and to enhance the retention and recruitment of the City’s most valuable assets – its people.” She added, “We also strengthened the benefit offerings for our employees, updated and streamlined several City policies and ordinances, implemented a new HRIS system (MUNIS), decreased the rate of acceleration in health care costs, and successfully negotiated 11 of 13 expiring union contracts.”
Drabik also thanked the BMA for its support over her tenure and the city’s “stellar” group of department heads, saying, “not only are they all subject matter experts in their fields, but they are a true joy to work with and the City is fortunate to have each and every one of them.” Drabik paid tribute to her staff in the HR Department who work tirelessly and relentlessly to serve the needs of the city workforce and its retirees. She ended by thanking the City employees as a whole, saying “Their dedication to the very important work they do for the City is inspiring, and it has been a sincere pleasure to work with, and for them.”
Mayor Ruais thanks Director Drabik for agreeing to remain in her role throughout the first week in July to ensure a successful implementation of the new wage scale which takes effect on July 1.
The search for Drabik’s replacement will begin immediately. City Solicitor Emily Rice will serve as her replacement in the interim.
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Please be advised that the Livingston track will be closed starting June 2, with an expected reopening date of June 27. The closure is for surface application and lane painting. This is the final step in completing the track renovation started last Fall. We appreciate your patience as we finish this important work.
We’ll share updates as soon as the track is ready to reopen.
Thank you for your cooperation and continued support.
May 27, 2025
Manchester, NH - Mayor Jay Ruais today announced a second round of surplus properties will be sold to benefit the city's affordable housing trust fund.
Click Here for the full Press Release
Please be advised that the City of Manchester has experienced no CSO activations during the past 12 hours.
For more detailed CSO discharge information please go to EPD's website at:
https://www.manchesternh.gov/csomap
Thank you
Please be advised that the City of Manchester has experienced CSO activations due to heavy rainfall and corresponding high flows.
For more detailed CSO discharge information please go to EPD's website at:
https://www.manchesternh.gov/csomap
Thank you
The New Hampshire Food Bank Mobile Pantry will be sharing FREE FOOD BOXES on June 13th from 11am-1pm in the Comcast Parking Lot at 676 Island Pond Road in Manchester. See flyer for details!
Manchester Fire Dept. gifts SUV to HOPE for NH Recovery
“HOPE Car” to help individuals living with substance use disorder access recovery services
MANCHESTER, NH – The Manchester Fire Department on Monday gifted an SUV that had finished its lifecycle with the department to HOPE for NH Recovery. The “HOPE Car” will start a new life aiding in the transport of those individuals in the city living with substance use disorder and seeking recovery services, something the non-profit has been needing to enhance its mission.
Standing next to the HOPE Car in a bay at the Central Fire Station on Merrimack Street surrounded by fire department officials and HOPE team members, Mayor Jay Ruais said, “This gift exemplifies who we are as a city. We identified a need, offered solutions, then worked closely with our community partners to solve a problem. HOPE for NH Recovery is one of those strong partners doing amazing work. We’ve seen overdose and fatal overdose numbers dropping dramatically in Manchester over the past two years. And, that only happens through collaborative efforts between groups like HOPE and our fire department’s Squad One. They’re on our streets every day saving lives. I am confident the HOPE Car will make a difference in in their ability to expand their efforts and success.”
Fire Chief Ryan Cashin echoed the mayor’s sentiments saying,” The Manchester Fire Department is proud to support the ongoing relationship between HOPE for NH Recovery and the City of Manchester. Hope is a vital resource to the city, and the Fire Department will continue to support this amazing organization in any way possible.”
He added, “After several meetings with the team at HOPE, Executive Director Randy Stevens kept coming back to how a vehicle would be a game changer. Addiction is an insidious disease, and the ability to move someone in the window where they want help is invaluable.”
Cashin credited the Fire Department’s Grant team for identifying funds to replace one of the city’s aging emergency management vehicles, which allowed the city to donate the SUV at no cost to our taxpayers. “This is a triple win, as a valuable non-profit resource was able to increase its ability to work in the community at no cost to the city while maintaining the same level of service at the fire department. I am hopeful that as the city continues to find ways to partner with organizations like HOPE, we can build on this success,” he said.
Chief Cashin also gave special thanks to retired MFD Lt. Hank Balch, from Green Bear signs, who donated the signature lettering on the HOPE Car, the fire department’s grant team members Assistant Chiefs Lamothe, Flurey, and Guay, along with Melissa Paulhamus, and Emergency Management Coordinator Dan Stowers for identifying grant funds for this project.
Randy Stevens, executive director of HOPE for NH Recovery, put the HOPE Car in perspective. “It’s incredible to be here with the support of the city behind us. We can now pick people up and get them to treatment and out of that unstuck place,” he said. “It is a tremendous opportunity for the people in this community who are suffering and vulnerable and need this kind of support. We so appreciate this collaborative relationship and hope to continue to build on it. We are incredibly grateful.”
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