City Council

CITY OF LACONIA ­ CITY COUNCIL MEETING December 26, 2017 7:00 P.M. 12/26/2017 ­ 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 Doyle 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 six (6) Councilors are in attendance and a quorum is established. 5. STAFF IN ATTENDANCE City Manager Scott Myers Absent: Finance Director Donna Woodaman 6. COUNCIL PROCLAMATION 7. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS 7.A. Regular meeting minutes of December 11, 2017 Minutes of the December 11, 2017 were distributed on Wednesday, December 13, 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 2017­19, Community Blood Drive at the Belknap Mill on Thursday, December 28, 2017 between the hours of 8:30 am to 3:00 pm Councilor Hamel moves to approve Temporary Traffic Order 2017­19, Community Blood Drive at the Belknap Mill on Thursday, December 28, 2017 between the hours of 8:30 AM to 3:00 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 11. NOMINATIONS, APPOINTMENTS & ELECTIONS 11.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 Councilor Baer moves to appoint Michael DellaVecchia to an alternate position on the Zoning Board of Adjustment for a three­year term expiring at the end of August, 2020, seconded by Councilor Doyle; the motion  passed with all in favor. 11.B. Change in Heritage Commission Membership Councilor Bolduc moves to appoint Catherine Tokarz as an alternate member of the Heritage Commission to fill the remainder of Jane Whitehead's position which expires at the end of March, 2018, seconded by Councilor Doyle; the motion passed with all in favor. Councilor Bolduc moves to appoint Jane Whitehead as a regular member of the Heritage Commission to fill the remainder of Catherine Tokarz's position which expires at the end of March, 2020, seconded by Councilor Doyle; the motion passed with all in favor. 12. COMMUNICATIONS 13. PUBLIC HEARINGS 13.A. Public Hearing relative to the authorization of 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 Mayor Pro Tem Bolduc opened the Public Hearing at 7:05 PM Hearing no comments from the public, Mayor Pro Tem Bolduc closed the Public Hearing at 7:05 PM 14. PRESENTATIONS 15. MAYOR'S REPORT Mayor Pro Tem Bolduc hopes everyone had a Merry Christmas and extends his well wishes for a Happy New Year. 16. COMMITTEE REPORTS 16.A. FINANCE (Lipman, Hamel, Baer) 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 18. CITIZENS REQUESTS TO COMMENT ON CURRENT AGENDA ITEMS No comments from the public were made. 19. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT 19.A. Project Updates Report City Manager Myers reviewed the report. Chief Matt Canfield presented a PowerPoint on the Five Year Strategic Plan for the Grant which is an outreach position targeting overdose victims in an effort to guide them into recovery. Chief Canfield thanked Councilor Baer for being an advocate for this grant. The department is looking into prevention with a special emphasis on quality of life issues, education at the Laconia Middle School, and enforcement with an additional drug detective. Lieutenant Swett explained the grant would be a 3 year grant and covers up to 75% of hiring one officer. Councilor Lipman asked for the City Manager to explain any and all costs the City would accrue with the hiring for this position. City Manager Myers explained that hiring an entry­level officer and that officer taking a two­person (middle tier) insurance plan, the grant would cover 50%­60% of that salary each year for the three years of the grant. Councilor Hamel asked if the new hires salary minus the grant be covered within the departments budget. Chief Canfield does believe so but will check in to that. The hiring of four officers will bring the Police Department to full staff and the department is hoping this would be accomplished by the end of Summer 2018. Councilor Lipman asked if there were any residents that took advantage of the pre­payment of taxes. City Manager Myers explained that there has been a few people and plenty of phone inquiries. If any of the pre­ payments need to be abated in the future, any and all interest does not get abated. Councilor Baer questioned if the Riverwalk projects are already funded. City Manager Myers confirmed. Councilor Hamel inquired about Highland Street and that he has been asking for repairs for three years and has yet to see any done. City Manager Myers stated there has been some work done there but will get a status update. City Manager Myers reminded the Council that the January 8, 2018 meeting will be held at the Belknap Mill and will be more a ceremonial meeting and on January 22, 2018 meeting the auditors will be presenting the prior fiscal year audit. Once the audit is finalize, it will be distributed to the Council. Councilor Hamel thanked Public Works for all the hard work the past two snow storms, especially with the Christmas storm. Councilor Lipman and Councilor Baer attended the County Budget meeting. He would like the City Manager to meet up with the appropriate people and discuss the county budget and how it effects the county and local tax rate. Representative Huot and Representative St. Clair did meet with City Manager Myers to discuss the impact of the City the County Budget has on our Tax Cap and Tax Rate. 20. NEW BUSINESS 20.A. City of Laconia/Belknap EDC (609 Main St. LLC) Loan Extension Request Councilor Lipman moves to approve the loan extension request for the current promissory note between the City of Laconia and 609 Main St. LLC to March 31, 2018, seconded by Councilor Bownes; the motion passed with 4 (four) in favor and 2 (two) opposed. 20.B. City Manager evaluation and compensation review Councilor Baer moves to increase the salary of the City Manager for Calendar year 2018 from it's current level of $125,000 to $130,000, seconded by Councilor Lipman. Councilor Baer explained the increase is a 4% increase, but 2% would be a recognition that he received no salary hike in 2017 and the other 2% would be a cost of living increase for 2018 and also a recognition of his excellent job performance.  Councilor Baer expressed her gratitude for all that City Manager Myers has done over the past six years. The City is in great financial shape, the morale of the city employees is excellent, and the people he has put in the top positions have been excellent. He is readily available to all people. Mayor Pro Tem Bolduc called the question. The motion passed with all in favor. City Manager Myers thanked the Councilors and looks forward to many more years. 21. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 21.A. Authorization to allow 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 Doyle moves to approve the authorization to allow 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, seconded by Councilor Baer; the motion passed with all in favor. Councilor Lipman suggests revisiting the process of how the Council takes on such items as these types of grants. City Manager Myers stated this is under unfinished business and we would need to get clarification from the Attorney General's office on what would be allowed. 21.B. Resolution 2018­01 relative to NH RSA 72:82, a Statewide Property Tax Exemption for Industrial Construction Councilor Hamel moves to waive a reading of this resolution in its entirety and to read by title only, seconded by Councilor Doyle; the motion passed with all in favor. Councilor Hamel moves to waive the first reading of Resolution RES­2018­01, a Resolution relative to NH RSA 72:82, a Statewide Property Tax Exemption for Industrial Construction, seconded by Councilor Baer; the motion passed with all in favor. Councilor Hamel moves to schedule a Public Hearing on January 22, 2018 during the regular City Council meeting to gather input prior to adoption, seconded by Councilor Baer; the motion passed with all in favor. 22. COUNCIL COMMENTS Councilor Hamel expressed his sincere gratitude to work with Councilor Baer and Councilor Doyle and thanked them for their service. Councilor Lipman expressed his regrets to lose Councilor Doyle, very fortunate to have both Councilor Doyle and Councilor Baer. Councilor Baer read a statement to the Council expressing her feelings about being a Councilor. She did not wish to submit the statement into record. Councilor Bownes stated both Councilor Baer and Councilor Doyle have been both a joy and pleasure to work with and he wishes them both the best in the future. 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 7:54 PM. Respectfully submitted by, Cheryl Hebert, City Clerk These minutes were approved by the Council on Monday, January 22, 2018