Today, for the 123rd time Keene City Councilors have taken the oath of office to service the City. The City Clerk’s Office notes that until 1940, the oath of office was administered yearly. Unique in this council is the gender balance; only once before, in 1988, has the Keene City Council had as many as six women Councilors.
This Council is fortunate to be supported by three capable and respected leaders. Thank you charter officers Elizabeth Ferland, Amanda Palmiera and Terri Hood. Also of note, this is the first time all charter officers are women.
I’m also grateful for the community leaders who have taken time on a national holiday to honor this occasion–Judge Ed Burke, Rabbi Dan Aronson, Reverend Elsa Worth. I also am thankful for my grandsons Andrew and Joshua Terra, for their participation and for the guests, family and friends supporting our Councilors and me by attending our inauguration ceremony on New Years Day 2026.
I think all of us will find that serving on the Keene City Council is a constant learning experience. Most certainly, we learn through the activities carried out by City staff. They are constantly adjusting to federal and state fiscal changes and to newer technologies through which they can stretch taxpayer dollars and accomplish more with limited resources.
You’ll also find we learn from unexpected issues brought to the Council. There are a few instances that stand out from the last couple years and are informative to our roles on the City Council.
One is that state and national issues are brought to the Council that test our resolve to preserve the Council as a non-partisan municipal government, which is proclaimed in the City’s charter. It’s a slippery slope to descend into issues on which there is no direct effect on city operations.
Another stand-out lesson to note, our social media posts are being scrutinized by the public. As an elected official, you’re judged not just by your values, but by other people’s as well.
A third lesson is that the public’s right to know requests sometimes are insatiable, requesting incredible numbers of messages and pages from City records, which includes your city mailbox.
And a fourth lesson is our City, which is the birthplace of civil rights martyr Jonathon Daniels, cherishes civil rights for all who reside in our city. Caring for others in our community symbolizes Keene’s high marks for social capital—a socio-economic term for interconnectedness of relationships that facilitate action and cooperation for mutual benefit and adds to our quality of life.
Looking ahead to our tasks over the next couple years, there are a few that I’d like to highlight.
Objective 1: The City needs to contribute to what our Chamber of Commerce–the Greater Monadnock Collaborative—describes as the thriving economy. I partner with the NH Business and Economic Affairs regional developer, Steve Fortier, as co-chairs of the Keene Area Manufacturing Consortium. The Consortium aims to form local partnerships and spotlight the vibrancy of our local economy and what is needed to reach the local economy’s full potential. In the past year, the Manufacturing Consortium hosted visits from Cong. Goodlander, Gov. Ayotte, NH Commissioners for Business and Economic Affairs and Employment Security, and KSC Interim President Don Birx. January’s guests included NHBIA President Mike Skelton and visitors from Quebec’s Trade Council. Ideas are exchanged among technology-based businesses serving aerospace, defense, construction and business services. And the interactions among business, government and education are creating synergies addressing a common need for a skilled workforce.
Objective 2: We must assert our community’s influence on the future of Keene State College, Antioch University New England and River Valley Community College. Cheshire Career Center, Cheshire Medical Center and Keene State College have stepped up to fill some voids created by a lack of community college offerings in Keene. How we fill workforce needs in this region is an evolving agenda, becoming more serious with Keene State College leadership and enrollment changes. The City will need to consider the means for coordinating community efforts to support Keene State College particularly. There are several groups with diverse interests wanting to have their voices heard by the College, the University System and the State Legislature. The City will work with College leaders to determine a structure that supports the College’s future stability.
Objective 3: Increasing housing opportunities is important to area employers to attract workforce, local business owners who depend on our local economy, and long-time residents who wish to downsize or be closer to downtown. Keene innovatively has updated its zoning and land development codes to facilitate new and renovated housing. It’s slow to see the impact of these changes.
Cottage courts or compact housing options are attracting local builders and property owners to partner and create an opportunity for owner occupied housing. Currently, cottage court opportunities are limited to where city water and sewer are provided, which excludes many buildable properties beyond the city’s center. Eliminating this prohibition would be a means for increasing housing and taxable properties.
Another option this Council will act upon are rules for residential revitalization zones. This would establish a tax abatement incentive for property owners to improve the assessed value of their properties, enhancing features like kitchens and bathrooms.
I believe this Council will be able to act upon center city infill projects creating more downtown housing.
And we need to work with our community safety net non-profit agencies to provide shelter for those in our community needing assistance.
Objective 4: Keene’s infrastructure is aging and has some single points of failure that need attention. It’s not just in the downtown. We need to head off unplanned interruptions of services which would be even more expensive than planned improvements, not just for the city but for businesses left with stranded inventories and residents with unusable properties. This Council faces some tough choices determining how much the city can afford to spend and still maintain the quality of services on which our residents and businesses depend.
Recently we’ve seen state and federal government aren’t going to provide the aid that we need and which they have provided in the past. On the plus side, Keene’s downtown has proven to be resilient, continuing to attract new businesses and offering well-run community festivals throughout the year. This Council will need to make certain that Keene retains the features that make it a desirable destination for visitors throughout New England. At the same time the Council must protect the investments made in our downtown and accommodate residential and commercial growth opportunities.
Objective 5: The City needs to remain affordable to people who have lived here over many years. It’s an issue largely outside of the City’s control. The New Hampshire legislature’s willingness to cut taxes without taking responsibility for the consequences of their actions is undermining the quality of life in our state: on health care, public education, higher education, roads and flood protection and the arts. This Council will need to actively work with state officials, other NH cities, Cheshire County and statewide organizations like the NH Municipal Association to advocate for the needs of our residents and businesses.
Objective 6: Opening the doors and windows to City Government represents an additional task for this Council. The Council and Planning Board did that well over the past couple years through downtown project review and the 20-Forward Master Planning sessions. The City sponsors 19 Committees that recommend implementation of master plan goals. We need help getting more people involved in city affairs and filling positions on city committees. Please bring your recommendations forward. Anyone in Keene can go to the City’s website to observe and register an interest for what committee vacancies exist.
Every 2 weeks I spend an hour with the Mayor’s Youth Council at Keene High School to demonstrate that this city values civic engagement. I’m proud of the collaborative efforts that helped this year’s youth council offer a Native American Heritage Day exhibit at the Keene Middle School for 300, 7th graders. The Youth Council brought local history to life and passed along a sense of pride in our hometown. We have another opportunity to demonstrate community pride by hosting a Monadnock Region celebration of our nation’s 250th Independence Day on July 4th, 2026. The planning group led by Councilor Molly Ellis and supported by the Keene Downtown Group, the Historical Society of Cheshire County and the County Commission will attract participation from towns throughout the Monadnock Region.
Finally, I believe this City Council begins from a place of shared passion and commitment for sustaining Keene as a great place to live. We have local access to general practice and specialty healthcare providers, good schools, a 115- year-old state college, thriving arts and entertainment programs, lots of eating-out opportunities, regionally recognized outdoor activities through bike trails and running events, local banks and generous neighbors and businesses whose philanthropy sustains over 800 nonprofit organizations in Cheshire County.
All of these features bring notoriety to Keene and the Monadnock Region. This City Council faces the task of ensuring we don’t lose the features that support our region’s independence and attractiveness.
And I can assure this City Council that your service and participation in city events is noticed and valued. So, dive into your roles and enjoy the best of what we have in Keene, New Hampshire. And let me be among the first to thank you for the contributions you will make to what Keene can become.
Thank you,
Jay Kahn
Mayor Jay Kahn
3 Washington St., Keene, NH 03431
(603) 357-9805
mayor@keenenh.gov
