In this episode of the Dover Download podcast, Deputy City Manager Christopher Parker chats with Jackson Kaspari, former Resilience Manager for the City of Dover, about the one-year anniversary of Dover's Community Power program and the city's resilience plan. Kaspari explains that Community Power is a coalition of New Hampshire communities that have joined together to provide competitive electricity rates and give community members a voice in electricity supply. He discusses the program's success over the past year, including the ability of some communities to generate funds for energy efficiency projects. Kaspari also highlights future plans, such as attracting renewable energy suppliers to develop projects within member communities. The conversation then shifts to Dover's Citywide Resilience Plan, adopted in February 2023. Kaspari reports that 21 out of 32 action items from the plan have been completed or are in progress. He emphasizes the importance of continuing to update and implement the plan, suggesting it should be revisited every five years. The discussion concludes with reflections on Dover's forward-thinking approach to resilience and sustainability, and ways for community members to get involved through various city commissions.
In This Week in Dover History, we learn about a 1924 incident where Republican members of the Dover School Board failed to attend a meeting, preventing a quorum and halting important business. This episode highlights how local elections have changed from partisan to non-partisan contests over the past century.
