Andrew “Burgundy” Bagley was elected to the City Council in November 2021 and probably has received more favorable press than any other Councilor. He must be drinking buddies with the right folks.
Even before he was elected, Seacoast Online published a fawning feature on his cooked-up quest to eat at every restaurant in Portsmouth — all 171 of them. To this day, questions remain about who picked up all the tabs. (Note: check his campaign disclosure for this and the “earned media”.)
How did the difficult task of conquering the dining scene come to be? According to the August 2021 article, Bagley envisioned something along the lines of New Hampshire’s 4,000-footers Challenge. To succeed, climbers and hikers must reach the top of all 48 mountains that are at least 4,000 feet in height.
Climb every mountain!
Between you and me (and don’t tell Seacoast Online), there is an obvious difference in the mental and physical effort required to climb Mount Monroe or grab a cheeseburger at The Goat, but whatever.
Our intrepid City Council candidate labored long and hard to draw up a list of restaurants for the Portsmouth Dining Challenge. After each visit, he noted those he had BAGLEYed.
We assume this to be a clever play on the phrase “peak bagging” used by New Hampshire climbers after they reach multiple summits on one hike. Cute.
According to Seacoast Online, the BAGLEY challenge took social media by storm: “Group members signed up quickly to keep track of his progress, even worrying about him when he didn’t post.”
But never fear, Bagley was up to the task!
The “reporter” observed that since he traveled on business and ate out a lot, he has been “training for 15 years for the challenge. But what was NEW for him is dining out just about every day — often more than once a day — in the same city — and all in just over four months!” Incredible feat!!!
“Bagley said that he has stayed the same weight since the start!” LOL!!
The puff piece continued:
Bagley now has a “unique perspective on the Portsmouth dining scene.” Then we heard (on the QT) that he leaned over to the reporter and confided: I don’t know how to put this, but I’m kind of a big deal.
Wait, what did he say?
How he became “Burgundy”-Bagley or B-B for short
You may remember a popular 2004 movie: Anchorman, the Legend of Ron Burgundy. It’s about a famous, top-rated local news anchor in San Diego, CA.
As the movie opens, the camera films a helicopter landing in the street in front of an office building. In the background the narrator intones: “There was a time when people believed everything they heard on TV. This was an age when only men were allowed to read the news. And one anchorman was more man than the rest…His name was Ron Burgundy. He was like a god walking amongst mere mortals.”
The video switches to the newsroom. Burgundy and his team, all childhood friends, learn that they have held on to the envied position as the highest rated news show in San Diego. They decide to celebrate by holding a wild pool party. While Burgundy and his pals are lounging around the pool, sipping rum drinks, Burgundy spots a gorgeous blond and tries to pick her up.
She has no idea who he is! Surprised but undeterred Burgundy responds, “I don’t know how to put this, but I’m kind of a big deal.”
That describes Burgundy-Bagley, B-B, to a T – regardless of the situation, always undeterred!
It’s all about the hair!
Every star needs a differentiating physical attribute: Ron Burgundy’s was his hair – always perfectly coiffed.
B-B’s is his facial hair, a BABY HEDGEHOG GOATEE! (Usually perfectly coiffed).
You stay classy Portsmouth!
With B-B’s Help, Restaurants Win Again in 2023
In late 2022, Portsmouth city staff recommended increasing the fees restaurants pay to use a parking space from $1,500 to $3,000 per season. A parking space usually brings in revenues of around $5,700 for the season. They also recommended increasing the cost to use sidewalk space from $5 to $10 per square foot.
Many City Councilors supported staff recommendations. But not B-B, and no surprise here.
So, ignoring city staff advice, he and Kondo Kate pushed for the same bargain rates and they wanted to make a few tweaks here and there (See Kondo Kate). What is so interesting about this is what B-B had to say on his Candidate Questionnaire: the Council is supposed to act as “a board of directors and not management…” It is the elected Council’s responsibility to approve the budget…and not interfere with day-to-day activities of the professionals” – UNLESS IT BENEFITS ME!!
This all was too much for Hizzoner the Mayor who observed that the efforts to change the policy ended up making it more confusing, so they went back to 2022 rules.
Restaurants 1, everyone else 0.
(January 23, 2023, City Council Meeting)
Affordable Housing Is a Great Idea!
Especially in someone else’s backyard.
A classic example in living color of B-B in action was filmed during a January 2023 neighborhood meeting at Sherburne School. The meeting was hosted by city on the Portsmouth’s Housing Authority’s proposal to redevelop the school into 80-160 below-market-rate housing.
This influx of a boat load of people could cause all sorts of problems for the Pannaway Manor residents, such as traffic congestion, to name one.
The project was progressing at a breakneck speed and, not surprisingly, the residents were a little upset. The city, that should have revealed its plans much sooner, was on the defense.
Not surprisingly, the atmosphere at the school was tense. The Hizzoner the Mayor said that the councilors were “here to listen.”
Well, maybe some were there to listen – but not B-B.
He grabbed the mic and began his usual know-it-all lecture when someone in the crowd shouted: “who are you?” (Guess they didn’t know that he’s a really big deal)
Then with his identity finally settled, B-B proceeded to insult the crowd by posing this hypothetical: “Say that there’s a building built, and it’s 40 units, fits the character of the neighborhood, if firefighters lived there would you be okay with it?” The crowd was not impressed, as if who is moving in would make a difference.
B-B continued blathering; angry responses could be heard from the residents, Hizzoner grabbed the mic before things got out of hand. As B-B walked away one resident could be heard grumbling: “what a terrible thing to say.”
And it was! City employees, like policemen, already live in the Pannaway neighborhood. Maybe they would like it to remain just the way it is.
(January 31, 2023, Sherburne School Neighborhood Meeting)
A DU 4 U and U and U
B-B’s proposals would change Portsmouth into a Monopoly Board of Quonset Huts!
After months of work by the Land Use Board, the proposed changes to the ADU (Accessory Dwelling Units) ordinance were rolled out at the April 3, 2023, City Council meeting.
Just before this meeting, B-B submitted by email, 20 CHANGES! People were not thrilled. So, a special work session was scheduled, just for him.
He still holds on to the foolish notion that ADUs will solve Portsmouth’s housing shortage and is adamant that no “aesthetic” requirements should be imposed on ADU builders, NONE, plus no off street parking required.
At the work session, B-B did the same tired song and dance:
“We have hospital wait times because we don’t have enough doctors and nurses, we can’t find electricians, we can’t find builders, the schools are having a hard time finding teachers… because there are not places for these people to live…
What a great idea! Just think, you could yell out your bedroom window to the doctor living in your backyard and ask him to prescribe something for your headache! Cool.
…so, what if there is a *slight* “degradation” of the aesthetic look of our neighborhoods…
In B-B’s world, Portsmouth’s pretty neighborhoods would morph into a hodgepodge of tiny buildings whose owners drive round and round the street searching for a place to park.
(In case you haven’t noticed, he doesn’t want you to have a car at all.)
So, look out, this isn’t over yet.
(April 10, 2023, City Council Work Session)
Avoiding lawsuits should be a top priority – unless they’re the right lawsuits.
B-B was part of the slate supported by the group that claimed “incivility” had become pervasive among the City Councilors and City Management, by demonstrating their own incivility — constantly.
The ringleader of this group was the number one advocate of McIntyre Developer, Redgate Kane, and he became very nasty when anyone disagreed with him. Why? Maybe you just need to follow the money.
In November 2021, the previous Council fired Redgate Kane. Rather than seeing it as a gift (which of course it was) the move was denounced by many, including some surprising folks who, in private, thought it was a good idea. (See McIntyre Morass, Portsmouth Pulse, December 15, 2022).
B-B said that the city was involved in too many lawsuits (maybe they could use some good lawyers on staff) and the only problem with the McIntyre was that to get the project done, you needed: “new people with fresh ideas.”
So, here’s a new idea, let’s rehire Redgate Kane, which they did…
…and immediately agreed to pay a $2 million settlement to R-K, plus over $100,000 for consultants to negotiate the financial documents needed to finalize the GSA application – until they hit a brick wall, or so the City said, and failed to meet the GSA-imposed deadline.
Now the City is suing Redgate Kane and vice versa. Kane is seeking financial damages and attorney’s fees. If they lose that one, it could be huge.
Hope B-B is happy with his decision to reject the gift!
