City Council

Minutes approved on 6/10/24 by the City Council. CITY OF LACONIA - CITY COUNCIL BUDGET MEETING City Hall - Armand A. Bolduc City Council Chamber 6:00 P.M. 5/28/2024 - Minutes 1. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Pro Tem Haynes called the meeting to order at 6:00 PM. 2. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Councilor Felch led the salute to the flag. 3. RECORDING SECRETARY Katie Gargano, City Clerk 4. ROLL CALL Clerk Gargano called the roll of the following councilors: Councilor Cheney, Councilor Soucy, Councilor Hoffman, Councilor Haynes, Councilor Bogert, and Councilor Felch. Absent: Mayor Hosmer Mayor pro tem Haynes noted that all Councilors were in attendance and a quorum was established. 5. STAFF IN ATTENDANCE Kirk Beattie, City Manager; Glenn Smith, Finance Director 6. PRESENTATIONS 6.A. Water Department - Ben Crawford, Superintendent Superintendent Crawford began on Page 86 of the Budget book, this is the Revenue page. The Water Department is an Enterprise fund and is funded by the water being sold. Their sales have leveled out based off all the new construction. They have seen an increase in water subcontracting. Councilor Bogert asked if this includes the lines that run from people’s homes to the street, yes. Councilor Boger asked about interest in savings. Superintendent confirmed a lot of it is in PDIP, a CMA fund and a savings account. There is an Increase of 4.33% in revenue. Expenses: Salaries include a 3% cola, and an increase in longevity, overall increase is 4%. They did join a consortium last year to get a better rate on supplies. Councilor Bogert asked if they are fully staffed, Superintendent Crawford said they are not and that the budget shows as if they were fully staffed. Distribution expenses went down 3%.  Councilor Bogert asked if they are fully staffed, Superintendent Crawford said they are not and that the budget shows as if they were fully staffed. Distribution expenses went down 3%. Billing expenses are up, they have electronic billing and that is an increase of $6,000.00. Other expenses: medical insurance had a 14.6% rate increase. The reserve contingency fund stopped using that fund last year. Councilor Bogert asked what the department uses consulting fees for. Superintendent Crawford said it is for a review of plans sometimes, there is no engineer that works at the water department. Depreciation is a number that continues to climb as items age. Total expenses are an increase of 4.3%. Page 90 Capital items: they are saving for items 1-4, #5 is an increase from years past. There are 7,000 + meters in the system, this will buy them 300 meters. The water treatment plant is seeking a new roof and repaving of the street. The wet well needs rehab and ventilation and aeration for water tanks. Projects: They work alongside Public Works to make sure they are repairing or replacing water lines as they repair or rebuild roads. Councilor Cheney asked about his other charges, like depreciation. Councilor Felch asked about the training required by the employees. Superintendent Crawford explained they are required 20 hours every two years; the employees are trained for various levels. Mayor Pro Tem Haynes thanked Superintendent Crawford for his presentation. 6.B. Planning Department - Rob Mora, Director Director Mora presented to the Council starting with the Department overview: The Planning Department is made up of five full-time staff members. Over the previous year, the department has experienced tremendous turnover in staff: • Director: January 2024 • Assistant Planner: February 2024 • Administrative Assistant: March 2024 • Conservation Technician: June 2024 This will be the first time the Planning Department will be fully staffed in nearly 2 years. The Assistant Planner position alone was vacant for 18 months. Department Responsibilities: Planning • Prepares, revises, and implements new Zoning Ordinances, tables, and regulations. • Investigates, studies, and reports on all matters relating to land-use within the City. • Prepares and oversees the updates of all long-range planning documents including the Master Plan, the Capital Improvement Plan, and the Official Map. • Prepares, revises, and implements new Zoning Ordinances, tables, and regulations. • Investigates, studies, and reports on all matters relating to land-use within the City. • Prepares and oversees the updates of all long-range planning documents including the Master Plan, the Capital Improvement Plan, and the Official Map. Enforcement • Interprets and enforces the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision, and Site Plan Regulations. • Reviews all building permit applications to determine if they meet the criteria established in the Zoning Ordinance, land use regulations, and approvals granted by various land use boards. • Works with the City’s Legal Counsel to ensure the enforcement process is carried out in accordance with state law. Community Development • Works to improve, foster, and maintain the housing, economic, and physical development of the City. • Enhances the quality of life for low- and moderate-income residents and for all citizens. • Administers the Weirs, Downtown, and Lakeport Tax Increment Financing Districts and provides technical and staff support to their respective Advisory Boards. Special Events • Chairs the Special Events Review Committee. • Administers the Special Events Review Committee application process. • Works with other departments and applicants to ensure special events are executed in accordance with the conditions of their approvals. Administrative • Assists the public in navigating the City’s land use boards and processes. • Maintains property files, subdivision plats, site plans, minutes, notices of action, and other archival records related to land use for the City. Provides staff support and technical training to the following boards and commissions: • Planning Board • Zoning Board of Adjustment • Historic District Commission • Conservation Commission • Downtown TIF Advisory Board • Lakeport TIF Advisory Board • Weirs TIF Advisory Board • Special Events Review Committee • Lakes Region Planning Commission • Master Plan Steering Committee • Technical Review Committee • Capital Improvement Committee Ordinance Updates: Since January, we have completed two updates to the Zoning Ordinance and Official Zoning Map: • Rezone of a section of Old Prescott Hill from Rural Residential and Industrial to Residential Apartment. • Added § 235-39 A. Unsafe Structures to the Zoning Ordinance. The Planning Department is currently working on updates to the following Ordinance and Regulations. • Added § 235-39 A. Unsafe Structures to the Zoning Ordinance. The Planning Department is currently working on updates to the following Ordinance and Regulations. • Impact Fees • Performance Zoning • Housing and Redevelopment Overlay District • Special Events and Outdoor Assembly • Historic District Overlay • Planning Board Rules and Procedures • Demolition Permits • Subdivision Regulations • Site Plan Regulations • Minor Subdivision Regulations • Sign Ordinance • Adding Casino Use • Accessory Dwelling Units • Short Term Lodging Ordinance • Building Permits on Private and Unaccepted Roads • Fee Schedule Department Goals: Master Plan Redevelopment 1. Funding • $100,000 via Senator Shaheen • $100,000 via Congressman Pappas. 2. Update Land Use Chapter and Vision Statement 3. Add 5 Chapters: • Housing • Economic Development • Energy • Transportation • Natural Hazards 4. Add Implementation Plan Updated Processes • Applications Tracker • As-Built Review Process • Unaccepted Streets • Interdepartmental Violations Tracker • Fee Schedule and Waivers • Technical Review Committee Community Developer • Reviews and updates ordinances to encourage responsible economic growth. • Reviews and updates processes to ensure ease of navigation for residents and developers. • Promotes development along the entire housing continuum. • Liaises with developers, businesses, and BEA to promote Laconia being “Open for Business.” • Manages the City’s Master Plan to ensure a sustainable future. Planning Budget: The Planning Department’s Operating and Internal Service Budget has decreased $3K. Salaries and Benefits have increased approximately $23K. Overall, our net increase to the Municipal Budget is about $20K. Councilor Bogert questioned the notices line; he doesn’t think it’s enough because we are already over budget. Director Mora explained Notices are anything that come in for a public hearing and it is very fluid. Postage fees are part of the application process and are shown in the revenues section of their budget. Councilor Soucy asked about when the fees have last been reviewed. Director Mora confirmed they haven’t been updated since 2009. He is currently reviewing the fees and comparing them to ten other  over budget. Director Mora explained Notices are anything that come in for a public hearing and it is very fluid. Postage fees are part of the application process and are shown in the revenues section of their budget. Councilor Soucy asked about when the fees have last been reviewed. Director Mora confirmed they haven’t been updated since 2009. He is currently reviewing the fees and comparing them to ten other municipalities. Councilor Soucy would like to see the comparisons when they are presented to the Council. No changes proposed for the conservation budget. Councilor Felch thanked Director Mora for his everything that he has done and is doing and that he is doing a great job. Councilor Bogert thanked Director Mora for creating him a report that is helpful for when he gets questioned by the public and would like the reports to continue. Director Mora said that it has been in the talks with the Planning Board to continue to create this report each month. Mayor Pro Tem Haynes thanked Director Mora for his presentation. 6.C. Codes Department - Joseph Gray, Director Director Gray made a brief presentation to the Council, he spoke about his staff members and their roles within the department. He spoke about what his department has been working on and showed some pictures of projects throughout the City. The proposed budget he presented does not have any changes from the previous year. Councilor Bogert asked about a contracted item, City Manager Beattie stated that this item was removed as it was for a contractor they used while they were in search of permanent replacement of the Planning/ Code Enforcement Director. Manager Beattie told the council over the past couple of months he has received several unsolicited compliments for the Code and Planning Departments. 7. Any other business that may come before the Council 8. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Pro Tem Haynes adjourned the meeting at 6:57 PM. Respectfully submitted, Katie Gargano, City Clerk