Keene · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Keene public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Diesel exhaust and air quality concerns
Neighbors — including a scientist who studies diesel exhaust — laid out health data on diesel particulates and asked who would enforce anti-idling rules. Staff confirmed the city has no local air quality standards, only a noise ordinance.
Emerald ash borer and Dinsmoor Woods harvest
Presentations covered the emerald ash borer infestation and a timber harvest at Dinsmoor Woods due to red pine scale — tree pests reshaping the city's wooded lands.
Ashuelot River dam repair-or-removal decision
After years of public meetings, the city will do one more round of in-house public engagement and await a state letter of deficiency before hiring an engineer; construction funding pushed from FY 27 to FY 29. Councilor Laura Ruttle-Miller noted the public strongly opposed removal.