Nashua City Hall — Local services in Nashua

The city of Nashua is exceptionally poorly managed and unwelcoming with ignorant leaders and employees. On the evening before Thanksgiving at approximately 4 pm parking enforcement was relentlessly targeting and ticketing customers while briefly (minimal minutes) running into businesses to pick up holiday orders. I literally pulled into a spot in front of a bakery and ran inside to pick up a waiting order, less than 3 minutes total. It would have taken me longer to load and pay on the parking app for the meter than my total time in the store. When I came out there was a parking ticket for an expired meter. It is pathetic and unethical for parking enforcement to abuse its position in such a manipulative and punitive manner, particularly when patrons are supporting small businesses in the city. The woman in the spot in front of me had started walking away from her car, saw the agent coming and went to pay; the agent literally argued with her while trying to write the citation but didn’t with significant pleading on her part. I called to complain to the parking office immediately and there was zero flexibility. I find it hilarious that in many other cities parking is relaxed around the holiday season in an effort to promote support for area businesses, including suspending meter payment all together. Nashua has opted to take the opposite approach demonstrating a lack of respect for both customers and the businesses they support. When I called a complaint to the mayor’s office the individual I spoke with was unprofessional, indifferent and unenlightened. I told her that I picked up needed shifts at one of the hospitals and had stayed this particular day over my shift by half an hour to assist with staffing and that clearly no good deed goes unpunished. Her response was that the hospitals draw from a large area so I wasn’t really helping Nashua itself. I also told her that I often get food on my way back home to Boston and was ticketed unjustly at this time while continuing to support the local economy. The bakery was recommended by staff at the hospital and in seeing the selection during my pickup told the employees that I was impressed and would be ordering several pies and desserts for the Christmas holiday. I told the lady in the mayor’s office that a local business would be losing a large order due to the pettiness of a city department and the subsequent indifference in my complaints to both the parking enforcement office and mayor’s office. Her response was that “Crosby’s is already busy and won’t miss your order”. Are you kidding me? This is the mayor’s office? There must not be a basic understanding of economics or public relations whatsoever and I’m certain that the business would not share this opinion. I also told her that it was amazing that in under 2 minutes my car with Massachusetts plates was ticketed to which she replied that had no bearing. I’ve heard the negative slurs regarding MA and Boston in areas like Nashua so I fully disagree. When I told people that I was casually working in Nashua no comments about the area were positive. I am able to formulate my own opinion based on my experiences and despite having an open mind fully appreciate how warranted the negative statements are. Despite loving Boston I do find somewhat elitist views but am coming to understand how these developed. I’ve (and many others consistently) double parked or used blinkers, not fed a meter to quickly run into a business for a holiday pickup several times over the years and never once was ticketed. Parking enforcement in Boston is not that ruthless, miserable or petty which says a lot about Nashua itself. I also told the mayor’s office that Modern Pastry (North End) thanks the city for the large order they will receive to which she laughed. My advise to Nashua is that when you find yourself frequently being the butt of jokes to reflect inward on why this is occurring as it doesn’t baselessly happen. Intelligent leaders would try to entice people to spend, spend, spend in their locale, not drive away consumers....

Nashua City Hall... where do I begin? Everything you do is technologically backwards and behind the times by at least 20 years. I swear I saw one of the employees breaking out an abacus to do some quick calculations. Not all their fault I know; they are but small cogs in a big useless machine that still uses paper derived from trees. It's 2021... say it with me now: in...terrrrr...nettttt. The state of New Hampshire offices on Hazen Drive are just as much to blame. I'd complain but the complaint would sit in committee in the chamber of alderman for the next decade and we would still be right here. Literally nothing has changed in the process of registering a car since I registered my very first car here over 20 years ago. Some of the ladies working there are still the same. It gets three stars strictly because even if they are slow, inconvenient, and can't help you with anything by themselves, they are at...

Had an absolutely FANTASTIC experience for the first time in my life with a government employee 🤣

I came in with several complicated questions about registering my new car - which was bought in NH, but I'm still considered a New York resident at the moment.

ELIZABETH saw me immediately, without an appointment. She was the epitome of kind, professional, and most importantly - she knows her job like the back of her hand. I was in and out in less than 5 minutes, no exaggeration, now knowing everything I need to do to get my car properly registered in NH - which is quite a complicated process for someone who'sin the process of moving here!

Elizabeth explained it so clearly and articulately that a 2nd grader would be able to register my new Corolla. This is the easiest 5 star...