KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow)

The Keene City Council cleared a busy agenda Thursday night, giving final approval to this year’s Keene Pumpkin Festival, a housing tax incentive designed to encourage new apartments, and more than $1 million in funding for several infrastructure projects.

With Mayor Jay Kahn absent, Councilor Mitch Greenwald served as temporary chair for the meeting, which marked one of the council’s final sessions before its annual summer recess. Committee meetings will pause after the Aug. 6 council meeting and resume in September.

Councilors unanimously approved a revocable license allowing Let It Shine to hold the 2026 Keene Pumpkin Festival on Saturday, Oct. 17. Organizers worked with city staff to redesign portions of the festival footprint to accommodate ongoing downtown reconstruction while keeping the event in the downtown area. The revised layout shifts activities about a block south to avoid construction zones.

The council also approved a four-year Residential Property Revitalization Zone tax relief agreement for a project at 429 Elm St. that will convert an existing barn into two new apartments. The roughly $200,000 rehabilitation project expands the property from three to five housing units through adaptive reuse of the historic structure.

The proposal generated discussion over whether the project met the intent of the state revitalization law. Some councilors questioned whether a barn conversion qualified under the statute, while others argued the incentive supports the city’s efforts to create additional housing by repurposing existing buildings. The measure ultimately passed, allowing the owners to receive temporary tax relief on the increased assessed value created by the improvements.

The council also unanimously approved a privately funded historical marker recognizing the former Keene Glass Company. The marker, proposed by the Yankee Bottle Club, will be installed along the Cheshire Rail Trail to commemorate the city’s glassmaking history.

Several public infrastructure projects also received final approval.

Councilors authorized the city manager to negotiate a change order of up to $150,000 with Lakes Region Fuel Systems for additional work associated with replacing the fuel tank at the Martell Court Pump Station. City officials said keeping the work under the existing contract is expected to save about $40,000 compared with rebidding the project.

The council also approved transferring $50,000 in unused sewer project funding to emergency repairs on the Island Street sewer system after city crews discovered a collapsed sewer main during routine maintenance.

Another major vote authorized a change order of up to approximately $1.34 million for additional engineering services on the Lower Winchester Street Reconstruction Project. The estimated $16 million project includes replacing a bridge and reconstructing the roadway, with about 80% of the construction costs expected to be reimbursed through the New Hampshire Department of Transportation.

Additional business included approval of updated property tax exemption and credit programs, including changes benefiting elderly, disabled, blind and deaf residents as well as increases to the city’s optional veterans tax credit and combat service credit. Councilors also adopted a revised city wage schedule, approved funding for an HVAC replacement at the wastewater treatment plant and created a new legal assistant position to replace a retiring paralegal.

During her report, City Manager Elizabeth Ferland highlighted the Keene Public Library’s free Peterson’s Test and Career Prep online resource, which offers study materials for professional licensing and certification exams, including firefighter, law enforcement, nursing and teaching tests.

Ferland also updated councilors on implementation of the city’s Roadway Safety Action Plan, adopted in 2025 to improve safety for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.

The council wrapped up the evening by unanimously adopting a resolution supporting the mission of Citizens for Keene State College, reaffirming the city’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the college and the surrounding community.

Several issues remain under committee review, including proposed restrictions on concentrated kratom products, regulations governing dogs at downtown events, revisions to the city’s fiscal policies and an Eversource request for temporary access to Old Gilsum Road for transmission line work.