Aldermen, Board of

A special meeting of the Board of Aldermen was held Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in City Hall Room 208. President Brian S. McCarthy presided; Deputy City Clerk Patricia Piecuch recorded. The roll call was taken with 14 members of the Board of Aldermen present; Alderman Cookson arrived after the roll was taken. Her Honor Mayor Donnalee Lozeau was also in attendance. Prayer was offered by Deputy City Clerk Patricia Piecuch; Alderman David W. Deane led in the Pledge to the Flag. MOTION BY ALDERMAN PRESSLY THAT THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN DISSOLVE INTO A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MOTION CARRIED President McCarthy informed the board his intent was for informal discussion of the process for moving forward with goal setting. He remarked the board has undertaken strategic planning exercises several times since he has been on the board. They have been conducted at the Hunt building, Rivier College, and the Mayor and staff has done the same at some point in the past. They have gotten to the level of having some suggestions for high-level goals and then not moved much past that partly because the investment of time in getting that far is substantial. He remarked he has noticed, from doing it several times, that set of answers pretty much always comes out the same. He felt the board could review the process and start with the document the Mayor had provided which was derived from all three of the sources into a table. He remarked when adopting a set of goals the board may not want to get into the level of detail that is included within the table, therefore, some adjustment of the generality may need to be done. He also noted there may be some items included within the table that have been accomplished over the past several years and some items that have surfaced since the table was prepared that need to be added. He reiterated his desire to have a discussion on a process for goal setting. He felt if the goals were structured in such a way that each committee owns two there would be a reasonable distribution of work. He felt the committees could then work with the Mayor and appropriate staff in addressing the issues. President McCarthy provided a handout on the three separate ordinances passed with regard to strategic planning; the ordinances established purpose and intent, process for adoption of plan, and vision and mission statement (copy attached). He wished to make the board aware of the ordinances although he was unsure the structure defined for the strategic planning committee is the one the board desires. That is one of the items the board should discuss. The vision and mission statement can be reviewed at a future date (was adopted in 2002). The floor was opened for discussion. Alderman Deane stated, with regard to fiscal policies, he has had some communications with the Mayor. They have not been specifically to revenue enhancement. He stated his belief an ordinance was passed last term maintaining a 10 0/0 fund balance of the operating budget. He stated he has had conversations and is aware the Mayor is working on reviewing financial policies. Therefore, that is a work in progress the Mayor has been doing internally. She has informed him when they have a completed set of works for review she will contact him. Special Bd. of Aldermen - 01/13/10 Page 2 Mayor Lozeau added one of the benefits of that is once the policies are adopted it might give the board an opportunity to capture some of them as something they want to say they want to have fiscal policies on particular items. She was not sure they would want to capture the entire policy, but perhaps could require there be existing policies that get reviewed. President McCarthy stated one of the issues that needs to be addressed is where such policies are recorded, i.e., an equivalent to the set of administrative policies and rules in the New Hampshire Code of Rules. The need exists to have written documentation that can easily be found by the staff, government or the public. A brief discussion ensued with regard to scheduling a series of public input sessions (one within each quadrant of the city). The general consensus of the board was for meetings to be scheduled as meetings of the Planning & Economic Development Committee and be held at the North High School Career Center, the South High School Career Center or New Searles Elementary School, the Pennichuck Middle School library, and Fairgrounds Middle or Elementary School. It was believed scheduling 1-2 of the meetings for a Saturday morning would allow for greater public participation. It was believed providing index cards to participants to utilize in providing their thoughts on the five most important issues of concern within the quadrant and the city as a whole. The input could then be sorted into categories to be addressed. Some of the sorting could be done at each of the individual meetings and later merged into a single list. It was suggested follow-up meetings be conducted to identify actions to be taken based on public input. Alderman Pressly stated a concern with gaining public participation. Alderman Vitale made mention of charettes on the downtown masterplan that were conducted at a downtown location and received a good level of participation. She felt the format used for the charettes worked well. Alderman Sheehan suggested utilizing the public television channels and the Telegraph to advertise the meetings. President McCarthy questioned whether the board wished to discuss the structure of the Strategic Planning Committee and whether or not that should be changed. It was determined that process could take place at a Planning & Economic Development Committee meeting. President McCarthy suggested the structure of the Aldermanic committee should also be reviewed to determine whether the set is complete, correct, or overly large. He remarked it was changed back in 1995 to merge items such as lands and buildings, streetlights and street acceptance, and traffic into the Committee on Infrastructure and to essentially split the Human Affairs Committee out of the Planning & Economic Development Committee. There may be topics that don't naturally fall into the existing committees. He stated the committees we have are organized around responding to individual legislation and may not be set up to do anything in a proactive way such as what is being considered at this time. He stated his belief one of the things the board is not able to do well is respond to what is happening around us with the rest of government that impacts us, i.e., there are items where the board needs to take policy positions on things that are not necessarily Nashua specific. Alderman Pressly asked if flexibility exists to make changes as the term progresses. President McCarthy explained the responsibilities of the committees are outlined within the ordinances and could be changed as necessary. There are some specific items that by Charter or other external statute are referred to specific committees, but for items other than those, the committee assignments can be moved around. Special Bd. of Aldermen - 01/13/10 Page 3 Alderman Pressly questioned the creation of new committees and was informed that can be done as needed. Mayor Lozeau stated her opinion it may be difficult to have one committee to address state legislative issues as an example as the subject matter might not be conducive to the make-up or expertise of the committee. A lot of discussion has taken place with regard to working with the state and the region. In prior years Mayors have had a staff person that did that work on a full-time basis. The way she has chosen to do it is she contracts out for those services. The administration meets with the delegation a few times a session. All legislation is identified and sent to all division directors who review it and provide feedback. They coordinate directly with the contracted person who works through the Chairman of the delegation and with the two Senators to ensure information is shared. This year he has implemented a newsletter that is distributed to the delegation. She remarked it is important to her to ensure the delegation knows when we are there and when we are interested in particular legislation. If there is a way to insert the Aldermen into that process she is more than willing to do that. She stated her desire to be mindful of how many voices and steps are added to the quick moving process. President McCarthy stated far more of the legislation impacts the daily lives of the staff than the policy requirements of the Aldermen, but for the ones that have broad policy implications such as education funding, the Aldermen owe it to themselves to review those and decipher the impact. He believes the city's opinion carries more weight when it comes from the policy making body. The process should be organized in such a way that the way it is presently done continues, but when there is something that needs to be reviewed by the board some formal action is taken to endorse a position which can then be fed back into the system through the same mechanism as is being used today. Alderman Pressly questioned how many are red-flagged. Mayor Lozeau responded approximately 20 pieces of legislation were followed last year, and there were maybe half a dozen testimony was offered on. She provided examples of bills she spoke on and the need to provide testimony whether it was as the Mayor or on behalf of the Board of Aldermen as well. She commented again on the speed with which some bills pass and the need to be able to react in a timely manner. President McCarthy provided the example of the affordable housing bills, and commented whether you support affordable housing or not, the bill that was passed required, at a regional level, a housing plan that essentially winds up memorializing the disparate distribution of affordable housing. The Mayor responded there were a few workforce housing bills that had different impacts. President McCarthy stated that one in particular had substantial impact on Nashua in terms of the way it wound up being implemented. Nashua and Hudson had raised substantial concerns in the context of the plan when it came out of the Nashua Regional Planning Commission, but the bill was already in place and required those elements to be there. Had that been known beforehand he would have had some discussion with the board to try to take a policy position on it. Alderman Clemons stated his belief it is important any committee established to look at policies relating to items at the State House or regionally, if there isn't a unanimous voice on the board, the vote taken be recorded in the statement. He believes it important that constituents understand when a policy is set forth the board as a whole may not necessarily all agree with it. He believed it important if a committee were to be created to address these issues that it be focused on the region as a whole. He provided examples of the bridge between Nashua and Hudson and rail trail that would encompass Massachusetts. Alderman Pressly stated legislation works both ways whereby if there is something the city requires, that needs to be communicated to the delegation. Alderman Deane stated his belief the current committee structure works fine. He commented on the dissolution of the stationary committee in 1995. A brief discussion ensued with regard to seeking state clarification on notification requirements of various types of public hearings. Alderman Pressly suggested the Local Government Center be Special Bd. of Aldermen - 01/13/10 Page 4 enlisted to address such issues as they represent many communities. Alderman Deane felt the idea was a good one, but that their services are best used on legislation with financial implications. Mayor Lozeau suggested if a master list of concerns were created she could get a delegation member to have research done on and come back with recommendations on how to proceed. President McCarthy questioned whether there is an active forum of Mayor's in the state. Mayor Lozeau stated there are 13 cities in New Hampshire, and of those 13 cities there are only 2 strong Mayors. All of the other cities have City Managers. They wanted to meet Friday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to noon on a fairly regular basis and she cannot give up that much time. The last really important meeting with them she could not convince them that rather than meeting with the Governor about downshifting costs to communities they should be looking at other changes that could be leveraged when looking at some of the long-terms costs of pension changes. She felt often times the easier route is legislators that have worn local hats. She believes the strategy has to change depending on what the city hopes to achieve. President McCarthy stated he has noted given there are 200 ~ towns and a handful of cities, much of the bulk of the RSAs addresses the needs of towns very well, but completely ignores the differences in places with representative government and full-time professional staff. Mayor Lozeau remarked she has not signed legislation since she has been Mayor that relates to anything the board has passed relating to process. She stated she would advocate not having a state legislative committee, but rather finding a process everyone is comfortable with. Alderman Pressly asked if the board could be notified when the Mayor narrows the list down to ones she is looking at. The Mayor responded she can do that. President McCarthy remarked in many cases it makes sense to make one of the existing committees aware of proposed legislation so they can render an opinion. Alderman Pressly questioned whether a particular category of interest could be reported on, i.e., rail. The Mayor explained the list is sorted by number or sponsor. Alderman Pressly questioned how to express an interest in particular items. The Mayor suggested she be made aware of issues of interest. When asked how the meeting rooms should be set up for ease of conversation around particular categories, President McCarthy suggested the board determine what major categories should be identified. Alderman Clemons remarked some would be quadrant specific topics where others would be city wide issues. President McCarthy remarked topics could be general such as environmental issues, etc. Alderman Pressly felt it would be best to identify topics the board is aware are being discussed publicly. Alderman Deane expressed his opinion the sessions will generate items in the different wards that adversely affect the day to day lives of the people who live there. He remarked, in his time on the board, he has received calls about potholes, street paving, trash, etc. He believed one of the major categories should be public works. President McCarthy stated he was not suggesting that set of categories be used for the public input, but rather to separate traffic issues from street and sidewalk issues, etc. Alderman Deane agreed it should be broken down into park & recreation, streets, traffic, solid waste, etc. Alderman Sheehan agreed, but remarked you do not want to lead the public input in a particular direction. She was hopeful the Telegraph would be able to summarize the intent of the meeting so the general public would understand the anticipated outcome of the meeting. Alderman Cookson stated a concern with leading the discussion down a particular path. He felt if you publicized the discussion would be on streets for example they will tell you about streets. He suggested the board develop the process of asking the public to come with the top 2-3 issues that affect their daily lives and are most important to them, and in addition to that think about 2 or 3 things citywide that are of concern. After all meetings have been conducted and information provided, the board should come back together as a Committee of the Whole and categorize the issues brought forward and determine how they will be addressed. The board should go back to the public in some venue to provide them with an Special Bd. of Aldermen - 01/13/10 Page 5 understanding of the information received and how the board will move forward in addressing the issues. Alderman Sheehan stated it is the responsibility of the members of the board to take the public input and place it within our structure. That is the time where the board would go back and review who the members of the Strategic Planning Committee are and ensure, for whatever issues have risen to the top, the appropriate individuals are at the table. Alderman Cookson agreed the board needs to review what has been identified and determine whether it is within our control or if the board needs to engage other people to assist us in addressing the needs. Alderman Tabacsko remarked as the public is engaged they should also be asked what, in their opinion, would make Nashua a better city or what they enjoy about the city. Alderman Sheehan felt rather than asking the public to state their concerns they should ask them to simply state what is important to them. She felt the board would find there are things the city is doing well that are important to them, and this is how they want you to raise the bar or you are doing this well and they are happy with it just the way it is so put the resources into something else that you are doing but not as well. Alderman Melizzi-Golja felt the needs should be identified as immediate and long-term. Alderman Chasse questioned what the response would be when citizens bring up ward concerns that are occurring in every ward, i.e., speeding. Alderman McCarthy responded right now what they will be told is the issues are being collected, will be addressed, and the board will work with the police and traffic department as an example and on how the issues can be addressed in various places. The other thing the public needs to be made aware of is it will not be the same answer everywhere. Alderman Chasse asked what kind of answer would be provided. Alderman McCarthy reiterated the expectation is they are not trying to solve the problems at that meeting they are trying to get a plan for how to better things. Alderman McCarthy remarked, as an example, what was done on Sagamore Drive was the road striping was changed. No complaints have been heard since. There are a variety of potential solutions depending upon the particular area, traffic pattern, etc. He reiterated it is not a one size fits all solution. Alderman Clemons commented as speeding is an issue throughout the city perhaps an AdHoc committee should be set up. Mayor Lozeau informed the committee she is trying to manage staff and their time. One of the reasons she had asked the board to come with quadrant reports was because she wanted them to have an opportunity to be exposed to staff and see the level of expertise some of them have. She has been advocating when problems are identified she would like them to be given to her so that she can have the opportunity to work with staff and come back and present a potential solution. Alderman Clemons stated there is a Traffic Safety Advisory Committee that provides a recommendation on legislation that has to do with traffic, stop signs, etc. He commented the point is to look at things holistically, and that several heads are better than one. Alderman McCarthy remarked, in this particular case, the way to handle that is it ought to be boiled down through the Committee on Infrastructure as the top ten problem areas, the next ten, etc. and provide help in terms of prioritization from the constituent standpoint. Responses could be received back from the committee so that we could understand what the differences are and why particular techniques work in one area and not others. He would not want to get into a scenario where they receive recommendations and react by say placing stop signs in a place where they are inappropriate. There are reasons negative recommendations are received from the traffic engineers as there is a tremendous body of experience with traffic that says there are some things that are obvious to do that are really bad ideas. Special Bd. of Aldermen - 01/13/10 Page 6 He commented the board needs to set the bar for the level of recommendations they expect to get back. He stated the need exists to look at the process once input is received. The current process was aimed at a standalone thing and he now thinks we want to go to something more integrated with the existing committee structure. Alderman Melizzi-Golja commented the example of speeding is likely to come up along with traffic in general, and those are issues where the strategic planning committee comes together. She believes that is where everyone around the table has the knowledge of the city as well as ward resources, and there are things that can happen without involving city employees. She provided an example of traffic problems around the Bicentennial School a number of years ago where the solution was to educate parents. Alderman Pressly suggested phrasing questions in a positive way even if what is being sought is identification of problems. She remarked there was a comment about eliminating some of the items, and she believes that should be the goal. After the information is received and put together a timeline for resolution should be created. Mayor Lozeau touched on the importance of public feedback especially positive feedback. She remarked she would hate to have four meetings around town, find out there are a lot of problems, and in the middle of budget season have staff inundated and people frustrated feeling you asked for input and then did nothing. She also remarked there are things that occur where there just isn't a forum all the time to let people know. She provided an example of the tannery site. She stated she is not sure if she has had the chance to even inform the board that she put together a group from the city and DES to look at what can be done with that site. Real progress has been made, but there is no forum for informing the public. Alderman Pressly asked if there would be a moderator facilitating the meeting. Alderman Sheehan suggested there could be time monitoring, etc. She was concerned if individuals were told their concerns were ward specific and could be addressed off line they may feel as though they were being cut off. Alderman McCarthy stated he liked the suggestion of running it where the meat of the meeting would be citizens presenting their ideas and the board putting them into categories so there isn't an expectation we will have a half hour give and take on each particular item, but really just gathering input. At the conclusion of the four sessions, he believes there ought to be public meetings held somewhere other than City Hall where there can be an exchange of information and any available updates provided. Alderman Chasse suggested utilizing e-mail and telephone capabilities where residents could be asked to send in their remarks. The board could place the issues expressed into categories and then address specific categories on individual nights so that detailed discussions could take place. Alderman McCarthy commented his experience has been that they would not receive much input that way. He desired having the public input sessions as he believes there is some synergy to people being there and seeing what is being discussed. He felt it was a good idea to set up a way to invite and collect e-mail input. Alderman Flynn remarked during his first term problem solving was handled inefficiently. During his second term he was able to see things changing and issues being addressed through creative Special Bd. of Aldermen - 01/13/10 Page 7 solutions such as identifying grant funding for the purchase of additional sidewalk plows, etc. He felt, as a group, they have done well retaining focus on issues requiring resolution. Alderman McCarthy stated some of that success had to do with the implementation of CitiStat and auditing how we manage internal processes, which again has to do with being proactive instead of reactive. Mayor Lozeau commented having an opportunity to talk together about collective problems that can be solved together is mutually beneficial. She spoke of CitiStat trying to do what they are calling WardStat, which would capture what is happening in each ward, where resources are being implemented, what problems are showing up, etc. Alderman Deane stated the need for everyone to be on board with CitiStat. He remarked the investment has been made and there are certain departments that don't want to have anything to do with it. Mayor Lozeau commented people understand it is her version of Administrative Services just done differently. As public works is starting to have success, other departments are starting to be interested. Alderman Cookson stated one thing he recognized by hearing the conversation is that the board definitely wants to go out and get the constituents' perspective on what is being done well and what can be improved upon, but he believed they would be doing a disservice to themselves if it were limited to the constituents' voice as they, as a board, have their own goals that they want to be able to accomplish. He felt it would be worthwhile for the board to go through a similar exercise above and beyond how they engage the constituents. Alderman McCarthy stated he wanted to get the public input process underway because it takes some planning, but what he really wants to do with the board, at the next meeting they have, is to go through the table, add and subtract from it, and try to identify high-level goals internally. Alderman Pressly questioned how often the committee would meet and was told as often as is necessary to become comfortable with progress being made. Alderman Clemons felt it important to look at the goals of the individual departments. Alderman McCarthy believed that information was included on the table as it was produced by the staff, taking the board's original goals list as input and then having a discussion of their own. Mayor Lozeau stated quadrant discussions took place over a period of six months. Alderman McCarthy remarked he envisioned having a few more meetings to define the list and then try to schedule a meeting with division directors before finalizing it. Alderman McCarthy offered to draft a document that could be handed out as the basis for the questions public input is being requested for. Alderman Cookson suggested the process should also include a clear set of expectations of what the constituents are going to receive as a result of participating in the exercise. Mayor Lozeau spoke about a new idea she would like the board to consider with regard to CDBG dollars and the Review & Comment procedure. She is trying to give direction to the Review & Comment Commissioners and have direction for her budget as it relates to this. Under the current scenario, Review & Comment allocates approximately $500,000 to area non- profits for their operations. Of that, approximately 15% is allocated to the general fund. There are significant strings attached to CDBG funds that agencies have to report on, and the city has to monitor. It puts some burden on non~profits and a significant burden on staff. When the Human Affairs Committee makes a determination of the percentage of CDBG funds it wants allocated to the non-profits, instead of using CDBG funds, she would like to fund the agencies Special Bd. of Aldermen - 01/13/10 Page 8 through general fund dollars. The Review & Comment Commissioners would do what they normally do, the non-profits would see no change, and, with regard to the funding earmarked for the operational budget, agreement could be reached on what the funds would be used for, i.e., sidewalks. She asked the board members to consider handling those funds in this fashion. Alderman Vitale questioned whether the suggestion would be written up as a proposal and distributed to the board. Mayor Lozeau stated she had not planned on doing that, but was simply looking for a consensus of the board before heading in that direction with her budget. Alderman McCarthy stated he was a little uncomfortable having a discussion to try to reach consensus given the sUbject matter was far off field from the announced purpose of the meeting. Mayor Lozeau explained she was not looking for a consensus, but to make the board aware of her desire. She anticipates it will be discussed at the Human Affairs and Budget Review Committees. Alderman LaRose questioned whether issues would arise with HUD. Mayor Lozeau stated she did look into that and it would be fine. She clarified what she meant by strings attached for the non- profits using CDBG money is they have to be a new or expansion of sources. They have to identify that and the city has to audit, and then the non-profits have to report on that to the city. If it were switched to city money used for sidewalks, parks, etc., it is not about the non-profits anymore, not about expansion of services or new programs, etc. The city has more flexibility with CDBG dollars than it does when it gives them to non-profits. Alderman Sheehan stated she was uncomfortable having the discussion and felt it should take place in a more public venue. Public comment was asked for. No member of the public wished to address the committee. MOTION BY ALDERMAN PRESSLY THAT THE CQMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE NOW ARISE MOTION CARRIED ADJOURNMENT MOTION BY ALDERMAN CHASSE THAT THE JANUARY 13, 2010 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN BE ADJOURNED MOTION CARRIED The meeting was declared adjourned at 9:02 p.m. Attest: Patricia Piecuch, Deputy City Clerk City of Nashua, NH Page 1 of2 ARTICLE XXIX Statement of Policy: and Strategic Plan (§ 5-149 - § 5-151 L [Added 3-26-1996 by Ord. No. 0-96-03] § 5-149 Purpose and intent. 6,--_ It is the purpose and intent of this article that the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen of the City of Nashua establish strategic planning as a continuous and ongoing governmental function in order to promote and facilitate the adoption of a long-range plan for the development of the infrastructure of the City of Nashua and the delivery of services by the City. fL It is further the purpose of this article to provide for the development of a strategic plan which shall provide a recording of the policies and long-range plans of the City in a permanent fashion, and to provide for and facilitate the periodic revision of such plans. § 5-150 Process for adoption of ~ [NRO 1987, § 2-1001; amended 6-26-2001 by Ord. No. 0-01-161 ; 3-12-2002 by Ord. No. 0-02-04] A._ A Strategic Planning Committee is hereby established. t1t The Committee shall consist of the following members: @l- The Chairman of the Aldermanic Planning and Economic Development Committee, who shall serve as Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee; {ht The Chairman of the Aldermanic Infrastructure Committee; {gL The Chairman of the Aldermanic Budget Review Committee; (Ql The Treasurer; -illt The Chief Financial Officer; Editor's Note: Former Subsection A(1)(f), the Director of Administrative Services which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 3-25-2008 by Ord. No. 0-08-11. This ordinance also provided for the redesignation of former Subsection A(1 )(g) through (i) as Subsection A(1 till through {ill, respectively. {D- The Director of Community Development; {gt The Director of Public Works; and illL The Mayor or the Mayor's administrative assistant. {lL - All members shall be ex officio, and their terms upon the committee shall be coincident with their terms of office or employment in the stated positions. B. The Mayor and the Strategic Planning Committee shall develop and maintain an official statement of policy and strategic plan for the City of Nashua. This plan shall be developed in a manner determined by the committee and approved by the Board of Aldermen. The committee may review and revise the pian from time to time, but shali do so at least once in each term of the Board of Aldermen. hlip://www.ecode360.coml?custId=NA2698 1/13/2010 City of Nashua, NH Page 2 of2 The Mayor and the Strategic Planning Committee shall develop and maintain annually an operating plan which shall provide for the implementation of the policies set forth in the strategic plan. This plan shall, at a minimum, detail the projected operating requirements as far into the future as is foreseeable. This plan shall be developed in a manner determined by the committee and approved by the Board of Aldermen. § 5-15~ Vision and mission statement. [NRO 1987, § 2-1002; added 3-13-2002 by Ord. No. 0-02-03] 6:- Vision statement. Nashua is a proud, vibrant, and welcoming community. Nashua offers its people opportunities for personal growth, prosperity, education, culture, heritage, and recreation. Nashua is a City responsive to the needs of its citizens, continuously examining its processes to enable efficient delivery of services that enrich the quality of life. 11- Mission statement. Nashua City Government, while recognizing fiscal limitations, shall: fiL Develop and allocate sufficient resources to improve the quality of its public education, recreation, safety services, parks, public works, social services, and cultural offerings; {2L Promote the growth of business and economic opportunity without sacrificing quality of life; and Qt Develop and execute long-range plans that make the vision a reality. http://www.ecode360.con1!?custId=NA2698 1/13/2010  Strategic Planning Kickoff Session 1) What is the process going forward? 2) Do we want to re-visit the structure of strategic planning? 3) Do we want to re-visit the structure of the aldermanic committees or add committees? 4) What is the format of the public meetings, and are they to be conducted by the whole board or a committee? 5) Begin review of goals list Which are too low level? Can they be generalized? Which are no longer appropriate? What new items are missing?