Press Releases/What’s New

COP

City Announces Pilot Program for Delayed Opening of Clerk, Tax, and Assessing Offices on Wednesdays in March

March 5, 2025

Portsmouth, New Hampshire – The City of Portsmouth will implement a pilot program to provide its customer-facing staff dedicated time for administrative tasks, training, and staff meetings, the goal of which is to enhance the quality of service provided to residents.

This program will result in delayed openings for the Clerk, Tax Collector, and Assessing Departments on Wednesday, March 12, 19, and 26, 2025. For these three Wednesdays, the offices will open at 10:00 am instead of the usual 8:00 am.

COP

City to Accept Donation of Carl Austin Hyatt Photograph for City Hall

March 3, 2025

Portsmouth-based and internationally-renowned photographer Carl Austin Hyatt has donated a large format black-and-white photograph from his “Portsmouth Salt Piles Series” to the City for public display. The Portsmouth City Council will accept the photograph, “S-1” in a ceremony with the artist and the Public Art Review Committee (PARC) on March 3, 2025 at 7 pm at City Hall as part of their regular City Council meeting. The public is invited to attend the ceremony.

COP

City Announces Demolition Schedule for Boiler House Chimney at City Hall

February 28, 2025

The Department of Public Works has announced that the demolition and removal of the boiler house chimney at City Hall will begin after 6 pm on March 3, 2025. The process will take approximately seven working days to complete. The unused, 95-foot tall chimney has deteriorated significantly, with cracking and structural displacement leading to falling bricks and mortar. As a safety measure, the area underneath the chimney was cordoned off earlier this year. For this project, the City has hired Reneau Industries, a local contractor with experience in demolition.

COP

City Named Bronze-Level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists; Bike/Ped Plan Public Meeting Planned for March 10, 2025

February 27, 2025

The League of American Bicyclists has honored the efforts of the City of Portsmouth to build better places for people to bike by renewing its status as a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community (BFC). The award recognizes Portsmouth’s commitment to improving conditions for all people who bike through investments in bike education programs, regular bike events that promote and encourage people to choose biking, pro-bike policies, and bike infrastructure.

HD

H5N1 Bird Flu Update

February 27, 2025

H5N1 Bird Flu Notice (February 27, 2025)

The Maine Center for Disease Control has confirmed the presence of HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) in multiple wild birds (four Canada geese, two red-tailed hawks and a great horned owl) in York and Cumberland Counties. Five dead birds found on Short Sands Beach were collected for testing on February 25.