City Council

Minutes were approved by the Government Operations & Ordinances Subcommittee on 3/4/2026. CITY OF LACONIA - CITY COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING Government Operations & Ordinances City Hall - Armand A. Bolduc City Council Chamber 6:00 P.M. 1/28/2026 - Minutes 1. CALL TO ORDER The committee called the meeting to order at 6:08 PM. 2. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Councilor Bogert 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 Hoffman, Councilor Bogert & Councilor Conant. All Committee members were in attendance, and a quorum was present. 5. STAFF IN ATTENDANCE Kirk Beattie, City Manager; Kate Conard, Mitchell Municipal Group 6. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 6.A. Government Operations & Ordinances - Minutes of 12/18/2025 Councilor Hoffman made a motion to accept the December 18, 2025, meeting minutes as distributed. Seconded by Councilor Conant Discussion: All 3 members were not at the meeting of 12/18/2025, nor apart of the Government Operations & Ordinances subcommittee. The minutes of the meeting are approved under the assumption to accuracy. The motion passed with all in favor. 3-0. 7. GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ORDINANCES (Councilors Hoffman, Bogert and Conant) Chairman Election: Councilor Conant made a motion to nominate Councilor Bogert to serve as the Chair of the committee. Seconded by Councilor Hoffman Discussion: None. The motion passed with all in favor. 3-0 7.A. Formation of the Human Relations Committee Seconded by Councilor Hoffman Discussion: None. The motion passed with all in favor. 3-0 7.A. Formation of the Human Relations Committee At the December 22, 2025 City Council Meeting Ordinance 2025-5-20, 5-32, 5-33 – Amending Chapter 5, Administration of Government, Article III – Boards and Commissions – Human Relations Committee, was approved. A copy of that Ordinance is attached to the agenda. At the December 22 meeting, membership of the Human Relations Committee was referred to the Appointments Committee, as well as the Government Operations and Ordinances Subcommittee. The Government Operations and Ordinances Subcommittee was tasked with preparing a proposed draft of the Human Relations Committee’s Purpose Statement. Attached to the agenda is a copy of the current Laconia Human Relations Committee “Policies and Procedures” document and their “Vision & Mission” document, both adopted by the Committee on June 12, 2023. Discussion: Councilor Conant requested to resubmit ordinance 2025-5-32 to the current city council. He’d like to know if the ordinance still has the support of the full council to have this as a Council Committee. There was a discussion about the ordinance already being approved, and what the period for reconsideration is in the Council Rules and Procedures and when it becomes a new item. Kate from the Mitchell group is going to investigate this and get back to the City Manager. Councilor Conant made a motion to amend ordinance 5-32, striking the Human Relations Committee from the council committee list. Seconded by Councilor Bogert. Discussion: Councilor Hoffman does not like the idea of removing the committee from ordinance, he thinks the membership is fine and going to the appointments committee is a thorough process. The motion passed with two in favor. 2-1 Councilor Hoffman was opposed. Councilor Hoffman noted if the Council decides they don’t want to move forward with the above motion. The committee was tasked with needing to define the purpose, he’d like to continue to work on that today just in case. Committee proposed the following: l The purpose of the committee is to handle on going events seen in the past like Martin Luther King Day and to assist as participants in Laconia’s Multicultural Day. And/ or any other projects as directed by the city council with a super majority 5/6 votes by the council. - The City Attorney will investigate the vote structure on if it is allowed. l The Human Relations Committee shall work under the guidance of the City Manager and or their designee on City events. l Financials should be approved by the City Council; Grants shall be approved by the City Council prior to application. l The Human Relations Committee shall not give any public speech on behalf of the City unless directed by the City Council. l The committee shall serve as an advisory committee to the City Council. l Meetings do not need to be monthly; they can meet only as needed. l Meetings need to be posted timely and meeting minutes need to be posted according to NH Law, meeting locations shall be at City Hall or a location with suitable parking. l Councilor Bogert thinks the committee should be made up of 7 members, 1 per ward appointed by the city councilor in their ward, 1 member appointed by the mayor and 1 last member as the City Manager to oversee or their designee. There was further discussion if they want to restrict to only 1 ward member in case no one applies from a ward. There is still a benefit to having them come before the appointments committee. Manager Beattie is not going to move forward with posting the application process until this goes back through the Council again.  member as the City Manager to oversee or their designee. There was further discussion if they want to restrict to only 1 ward member in case no one applies from a ward. There is still a benefit to having them come before the appointments committee. Manager Beattie is not going to move forward with posting the application process until this goes back through the Council again. 7.B. Review of list of items referred to the Government Operations & Ordinances Subcommittee As included on City Council agendas under “Committee Reports”, following is a list of items that have previously been referred to the Government Operations & Ordinances Subcommittee for further review: - Regulation of Short Term Residential Rental Businesses - Proposed Historic Overlay District - Performance Zoning - Time Frame for Demolition Permits Please note that removal of any of these items listed on the Council agenda under the “Committee Reports” section requires a vote of the full Council at a future meeting. Councilor Hoffman made a motion to recommend to the City Council that the following items be removed from the Committee Reports section of the City Council agenda: (list items). - Proposed Historic Overlay District - Time Frame for Demolition Permits Seconded by Councilor Conant Discussion: None. The motion passed with all in favor. 3-0 8. CITIZENS REQUESTS TO COMMENT ON CURRENT AGENDA ITEMS Patrick Wood, current Chair of the Human Relations Committee, stated that he knows the mayor appointed Councilor Conant as his appointee, but he does not know who the council liaison will be which is appointed by the City Council. Manger Beattie stated the application process is ready, he will wait until he gets the consensus of the committee before posting it. Patrick Wood wanted to note that there are currently people from all wards except for ward 5 on the current committee, people of various ages, race, and ethnicity. Councilor Hoffman asked if there is anything that the committee should consider for events the Human Relations Committee has been involved with. Mr. Wood listed out the various events they have been involved with like the Holocaust remembrance event, "Kristallnacht" or the Night of the Broken Glass took place November 9 and 10, 1938, in Germany. During those two days hundreds of Jewish store front windows were shattered and dozens of synagogues across Germany were burned by the Nazis, Yom Ha Shoah" which is a commemorative recognition of the Holocaust, the homeless forum, the flag policy. They have tried to generate questions to help people understand the key issues. Councilor Hoffman stated he’d like to see a list to come before the council to include other events. Councilor Bogert thinks there are some things that should not continue with the items he listed out. Like homelessness or flags. He doesn’t think that city government should tell people to think about certain subjects. There is more to come and will be brought up at a future meeting. 9. Any other business that may come before the Council  Holocaust, the homeless forum, the flag policy. They have tried to generate questions to help people understand the key issues. Councilor Hoffman stated he’d like to see a list to come before the council to include other events. Councilor Bogert thinks there are some things that should not continue with the items he listed out. Like homelessness or flags. He doesn’t think that city government should tell people to think about certain subjects. There is more to come and will be brought up at a future meeting. 9. Any other business that may come before the Council 10. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Bogert adjourned the meeting at 7:06 PM. Respectfully Submitted, Katie Gargano, City Clerk