City Council

CITY OF LACONIA ­ CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 11, 2017 7:00 P.M. 12/11/2017 ­ Minutes 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Pro Tem Bolduc called the meeting to order at the above date and time. 2. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Councilor Bolduc led the Salute to the flag. 3. RECORDING SECRETARY City Clerk Cheryl Hebert 4. ROLL CALL City Clerk Hebert called the roll with the following Councilors in attendance: Ava Doyle, David Bownes, Henry Lipman, Brenda Baer, Bob Hamel, Armand Bolduc Absent: Mayor Ed Engler Mayor Pro Tem Bolduc noted that all six (6) Councilors are in attendance and a quorum is established. 5. STAFF IN ATTENDANCE City Manager Scott Myers, Finance Director Donna Woodaman 6. COUNCIL PROCLAMATION 6.A. Council presentation Councilor Doyle presented the 2017 Debra Bienarz Memorial Award to Lisa Cornish. 7. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS 7.A. Regular meeting minutes of November 27, 2017 Minutes of the November 27, 2017 meeting were distributed on Wednesday November 29, 2017. With no corrections or changes received by the City Clerk, the minutes were accepted as distributed. 8. CONSENT & ACTION ITEMS 8.A. Request to approve Temporary Traffic Order 2017­17 for the Penny Pitou Community Blood Drive scheduled for Saturday, January 20, 2018 from 9 am to 2 pm Councilor Hamel moves to approve Temporary Traffic Order 2017­17 for the Penny Pitou Community Blood Drive scheduled for Saturday, January 20, 2018 from 9 AM to 2 PM, seconded by Councilor Baer; the motion passed with all in favor. 9. CITIZEN COMMENTS FOR MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA No comments from the public were made. 10. INTERVIEWS 10.A. Michael DellaVecchia ­ seeking appointment to an alternate position on the Zoning Board of Adjustment for a three­year term expiring at the end of August, 2020 M. DellaVecchia was interviewed. 10.B. Susan Hodgkins ­ Seeking appointment to an alternate position on the Zoning Board of  Adjustment for a three­year term expiring at the end of August, 2020 S. Hodgkins was not present to be interviewed. 11. NOMINATIONS, APPOINTMENTS & ELECTIONS 12. COMMUNICATIONS 13. PUBLIC HEARINGS 14. PRESENTATIONS 15. MAYOR'S REPORT Mayor Pro Tem Bolduc mentioned Christmas Village was another huge success. He would like to ask for more volunteers as without volunteers Christmas Village would not be able to happen. 16. COMMITTEE REPORTS 16.A. FINANCE (Lipman, Hamel, Baer) Finance Committee will be meeting immediately following the regular council meeting regarding the reviewal and approval of the terms of the 10 year, $2.5M bond for general street improvements. 16.A.i. WOW Trail Funding 16.A.ii. Downtown TIF Financing 16.B. PUBLIC SAFETY (Baer, Doyle, Bownes) 16.B.i. Fair St/Court St traffic problems and accidents 16.C. GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ORDINANCES (Doyle, Bolduc, Bownes) 16.C.i. Review of Chapter 167, Noise and Chapter 161 Licensing as it pertains to outdoor sound equipment and loudspeakers 16.C.ii. Ordinance Amending Chapter 221, Vehicles and Traffic/Parking on Sublawns 16.C.iii. Procedural review of grant applications 16.D. LANDS & BUILDINGS (Hamel, Lipman, Bolduc) 16.D.i. Downtown parking garage 16.D.ii. Repair & maintenance of City buildings 16.E. PUBLIC WORKS (Bolduc, Baer, Bownes) 16.E.i. Proposal to implement City Policies for designating emergency lanes 17. LIAISON REPORTS Council Baer has been a liaison to the Laconia Police department for eight years and has been the best job and honor. Councilor Baer announced that the Laconia Police Department has received a federal grant and will be able to hire another police officer. Lieutenant Thomas Swett explained that the grant is a three­year grant with a cap of $125,000 which is a 75/25 match. City Manager Myers explained money has been set aside for this grant. It is for an entry­level position. He explained the Police Department is down four positions. A hiring process has just been done with hopes for another next month. 18. CITIZENS REQUESTS TO COMMENT ON CURRENT AGENDA ITEMS No comments from the public were made. 19. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT 19.A. Financial and Operational Trends Report City Manager Myers reviewed the report. Councilor Lipman asked the City Manager to explain the pre­payment of taxes. City Manager Myers stated that RSA 80:52a allows a property owner to pay their property taxes in advance for a period of up to two years. This helps individuals who want to itemized get a higher deduction on their Federal Income Taxes. The council voted and approve this at the December 11, 2006 Council Meeting. Councilor Hamel asked for an explanation on the use of brine. Wes Anderson, DPW ­ explained the use of brine. It is used for two things, pre­treating and pre­wetting. This is usually done 48 hours prior to a storm. It is the exact same salt that we use during a normal storm, the difference is it is wet down with water. This helps with the salt sticking to the roads rather than sliding off into our lakes and rivers. It also helps with the costs of overtime as the roads are pre­treated during the normal work week which leads to less employees working on the weekends. Councilor Bolduc has been receiving phone calls regarding the damage this may cause to vehicles. W. Anderson stated this is no more harmful than plain salt. His suggestion is the best time to wash a vehicle is when the ground is dry. 19.B. Monthly Economic Development Report City Manager Myers reviewed the report. FEMA ­ Hazard Mitigation Plan has been accepted and they advised us to update annually. Colonial Theater Project update was held by Justin Slattery at the Beane Conference Center. Well over 100 people attended. Still waiting on the Federal Government on the New Market Tax Credit. This project is "shovel ready" and should be breaking ground this winter pending the New Market Tax Credit release. Jack Dugan met with J. Slattery and City Manager Myers and explained what the closing process would look like. There is an electronic drop box set up where all the documents can be assembled in onc place for review. J. Dugan stated once the commitment letter is received, the closing should be within 30­60 days. LRPA TV was at the Belknap EDC update. Councilor Hamel suggested asking for a copy of this disk for us to play through our channel. Councilor Bownes attended the BEDC update and wished to thank the Council, the City Manager, and BEDC for all the hard work put into this project. 20. NEW BUSINESS 20.A. Request to authorize the City Manager to accept and expend a grant on behalf of the City in the amount of $9,985 for the conservation project Laconia City Council Historical Records Preservation from the Moose License Plate Conservation Grant Councilor Hamel moves to waive the reading of this grant in its entirety and to read by title only, seconded by Councilor Baer; the motion passed with all in favor. Councilor Hamel moves the first reading of this grant on behalf of the City in the amount of $9,985 for the conservation project Laconia City Council Historical Records Preservation from the Moose License Plate Conservation Grant, seconded by Councilor Baer; the motion passed with all in favor. Councilor Hamel moves to schedule a Public Hearing on December 26, 2017 during the regular City Council meeting to gather input prior to accepting the Moose License Plate Conservation Grant, seconded by Councilor Baer; the motion passed with all in favor. 20.B. Request to set the polling hours for the State Special Primary Election on January 9, 2017 and State Special Election on February 27, 2018 from 7 AM to 7 PM Councilor Bownes moves to approve the polling hours for the State Special Primary Election on January 9, 2018  and State Special Election on February 27, 2018 from 7 AM to 7 PM, seconded by Councilor Baer; the motion passed with all in favor. 21. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 21.A. Approved 2017 legislation in HB 316 relative to a statewide property tax exemption for commercial and industrial construction Councilor Lipman explained this is an opportunity to improve our industrial and retail base. Councilor Hamel ­ agrees with Councilor Lipman and this would encourage businesses to come here with the 50% and five years. Councilor Bownes questioned how this would affect the Downtown? City Manager Myers explained this would not affect the downtown as downtown is not zoned for industrial use. Stated he is getting push back from the downtown area in respect to the industrial uses. Councilor Doyle stated that with the amount of land available within the City for commercial use, should we really be focused just on industrial. It was explained that we can start with just industrial and at a later date add commercial and/or retail. Councilor Lipman moves to support RSA 72:82, relative to a statewide property tax exemption for commercial and industrial construction but with the wording of industrial use to start and at 50% for five years and be placed on the December 26, 2017 regular Council Meeting for a first reading, followed by a public hearing, second reading and vote at the January 22, 2018 regular Council Meeting, seconded by Councilor Hamel; Councilor Hamel questioned if commercial and/or retail could be added a later date. City Manager Myers said yes, those could be added at a later date by future Council as well as be rescinded by future Council. Mayor Pro Tem Bolduc called the question, the motion passes with all in favor. 22. COUNCIL COMMENTS Mayor Pro Tem Bolduc commented about the lack of Christmas decorations in the downtown area and also wanted to go on record that the taxpayers do not pay for the decorations, whether in the Downtown area or Lakeport area. City Manager Myers explained that the downtown merchant group has always decorated the immediate downtown area. The City was not made aware of the committee not having the resources available to do so until last minute. Councilor Bownes asked if something could be done now? City Manager Myers explained that he is open for suggestions but with the storm coming tomorrow and DPW dealing with that, that our resources may be slim but he will look into it. 23. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 23.A. Ordinance amendment relative to Chapter 167, Noise and Chapter 161, Licensing as it pertains to outdoor sound equipment and loudspeakers 23.B. Second reading of a resolution relative to the adoption of RSA 31:95­b, Appropriation of funds made available during the year 23.C. Master Plan 23.D. Milfoil Treatment funding requests 23.E. Sewer & Water Master Plan 23.F. Single Stream Recycling/Concord Co­op/Solid Waste disposal cost reductions 23.G. Strategic Planning/Goal Setting  23.H. WOW Trail 23.I. Proposal to implement City Policies for designating emergency lanes 24. NON­PUBLIC SESSION (According to RSA 91­A:3, II) 25. ADJOURNMENT With no further business to come before the City Council and with no objections, Mayor Pro Tem Bolduc adjourned the meeting at 8:13 PM. Respectfully submitted by, Cheryl Hebert, City Clerk These minutes were approved by the Council on Tuesday, December 26, 2017