Local Issues

The Chamber is an active voice for wise development and smart public policy, locally, as well as in Concord. By focusing on initiatives that improve our region’s quality of life while working to guarantee an environment that is pro-business, the Chamber stays focused on issues that are important to the local business community. Maintaining a favorable business environment is as much about the wise use and application of regulation as it is a well educated workforce, adequate housing and an infrastructure that can encourage regional, national and international commerce.

Education
Education is the foundation for a strong business community. An educated, motivated, innovative and prepared workforce is the foundation for success for all businesses. The Chamber continues to support the extraordinary investment that Nashua and its surrounding communities have made in education. Two new high schools in Nashua, alone the largest public schools building project in New England, a new high school in the cooperative district of the towns of Hollis and Brookline, as well as major renovations to Nashua’s Bishop Guertin High School, are laying the groundwork for a well educated workforce.

The Chamber recognized the importance of being involved and supportive of education, prior to the high school years, when it helped create P.A.C.T. or Parents and Children Together for children and parents who are nearing the transition to high school and, more recently, as it has taken responsibility for Nashua Goes Back to School. An effort to offer disadvantaged students the material resources and access to services they need to excel, this program was started in 2004. In addition, in 2004 the Chamber, the Nashua Telegraph and the United Way funded the City’s first independent audit of the public school system. The SchoolMatch audit provided an unbiased and objective view of the community’s success and challenges in public education. For a full copy of the report please see the link to the right.

In 2005, the Chamber made a major commitment to education in Nashua when its President, Chris Hodgdon, became the co-chair of the Nashua School District’s Vision Committee, which has undertaken the creation of the district’s latest long range plan.

Infrastructure
As Southern New Hampshire continues to grow, the region needs to turn to new transportation options to meet increased demand on our transportation infrastructure. With the completion of the widening of the F.E. Everett turnpike, on both sides of the border, a major bottleneck has been relieved, but the additional lanes will not, by themselves, offer long-term relief from congestion. The Chamber supports all efforts to bring commuter rail back to NH along the Rte. 3 corridor, with a rail station in South Nashua on the former Dow Chemical site. The return of commuter rail would do more than take cars of our local highways; it would be a catalyst for development and growth throughout the city. Rail will bring jobs, economic growth and will renew a former industrial site with mixed uses such as commercial, retail and residential. The Chamber supports the use of a tax increment financing district to fund the expansion of commuter rail when a sustainable mix of development can be identified.

Housing
As a key contributor to the Mayor’s Housing Task Force in 2003, the Chamber has worked to educate public policy makers and opinion leaders about the value of and need for a new approach to the issue of affordable housing. Like labor, power, roads and rail, housing is part of the economic infrastructure upon which we can build an economy. Increasing housing costs are pushing whole segments of the Nashua workforce out of the Nashua housing market. As Nashua employees travel longer distances from their homes in outlying communities, a drag on the economy occurs. The effect is not simply limited to high cost of business due to higher labor costs to pay for housing. Burn-out, increased stress and absenteeism are all attributable to longer commutes. Simple tasks, such as taking a child to the doctor for a morning appointment, can mean a whole day away from work when that child and doctor’s office are 45 minutes away from work. For more information about the recommendations of the Housing Task Force please see the link to the right.

Economic Development and Renewal
Greater Nashua’s economy is vibrant and growing built on manufacturing, software development, financial services and retail, the prospects for continued growth are strong. Local opportunities exist for further development and renewal, the Chamber has been a voice of support for these efforts. In 2004, the Chamber wrote and saw through to passage the creation of New Hampshire’s first economic development incentive districts. Commonly known as CROP Zones or Community Reinvestment Opportunity Zones, these districts offer incentives for developers and business owners who redevelop and renew old industrial facilities for new uses. Less and less space is available in Nashua and surrounding communities for new construction. The creation of these development zones will help renew unused facilities and revitalize our downtowns.

The Chamber has also been an active participant and contributor in the City’s multi-year effort to rewrite its Land Use Codes. Through the Chamber’s involvement in this process, the organization has offered a voice for thoughtful development. When a final product is adopted it will guide development in Nashua and serve as a model for New Hampshire for years to come. For more information about the Chamber’s contribution to this effort please see the links to the right