City Council

CITY OF LACONIA - CITY COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING Public Works Committee City Hall - Armand A. Bolduc City Council Chamber 3:00 P.M. 2/2/2026 - Minutes 1. CALL TO ORDER T Councilor Haynes called the meeting to order at 3:00 PM 2. SALUTE TO THE FLAG F Councilor Bogert led the salute to the flag. 3. RECORDING SECRETARY Katie Gargano, City Clerk A 4. ROLL CALL Clerk Gargano called the roll of the following committee members Councilor Soucy, Councilor Haynes and Councilor Bogert. R All committee members were in attendance and a quorum was present. 5. STAFF IN ATTENDANCE Kirk Beattie, City Manager D 6. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS 6.A. Public Works Subcommittee - Minutes of August 14, 2025 Councilor Soucy made a motion to approve the August 14, 2025 meeting minutes as distributed. Seconded by Councilor Discussion: None. The motion passed with all in favor. 3-0 Councilor Bogert Abstained. 6.B. Public Works Subcommittee - Minutes of September 3, 2025 Councilor made a motion to approve the September 3, 2025 meeting minutes as distributed. Seconded by Councilor Discussion: None. The motion passed with all in favor. 3-0 Councilor Bogert Abstained. 7. PUBLIC WORKS (Haynes, Soucy, Bogert) 7.A. Review of the Winter Emergency Parking Plan A review of the Winter Emergency Parking Plan has been requested. Attached to the agenda is City Code section 139-3 – Declaration of emergency (as it relates to parking of vehicles during a declared emergency), and City Code section 221-36 relating to winter parking. Manager Beattie explained that he received a citizens request to look into the emergency winter parking ban. Particularly the time frame of November 1 st through May 1 st there is no on street  A review of the Winter Emergency Parking Plan has been requested. Attached to the agenda is City Code section 139-3 – Declaration of emergency (as it relates to parking of vehicles during a declared emergency), and City Code section 221-36 relating to winter parking. Manager Beattie explained that he received a citizens request to look into the emergency winter parking ban. Particularly the time frame of November 1 st through May 1 st there is no on street parking. They would like to see us have an emergency ban versus a seasonal ban. The police chief can enforce an emergency ban during the day or can lift it early. Councilor Soucy likes the idea of shortening it by 1 month and having it end on April 1 st rather than May 1 st . Manager Beattie stated instead of having a set date, they could have it say “first snow fall”. The T committee felt this was too vague and it may be hard to get the word out. Councilor Soucy made the recommendation that they change the winter parking ban from 11/1- 5/1 to 11/15-4/15 seconded by Councilor Bogert. Discussion: None. F The motion passed with all in favor. 3-0 7.B. Discussion regarding speeding on Shore Drive, Holman Street and Linwood Road A Councilor Hoffman stated that he has got several complaints about speeding on all these streets, there is obviously an issue. There are many signs in the neighborhood yards that have slow down signs. Councilor Haynes feels that the issue stems from other areas in the city that have an issue due to the traffic lights, and flow throughout the city stemming from the lights on North Main Street at the R Oak Street intersection, Beacon Street West and Court Street. Councilor Bogert asked Manager Beattie to ask the Public Works Director what it would take for Public Works to be able to have speed bumps/speed tables installed on the road. Manager Beattie stated they need to look into cost and placement, then it can come back to the committee. D Rob Goudreault, 195 Lynnewood Rd, agrees with everything Councilor Hoffman stated. He wanted to make the committee aware of issues he has seen, and he feels it is going to get worse when they put in the state school. He’d like the city to think of the value of a life versus the cost of a speed bump. He likes the idea of speed bumps. He is also in favor of lowering the speed limit. He’d also be ok with making the road one way. He is a Wildwood Association board member as well, and he has the associations full support of making changes in the neighborhood. He also let the committee know about 2 other car accidents that occurred in the neighborhood over the past 10 years. Dianna and Vinnie Ferrara of 247 Lexington Drive stated that speed is a big challenge at the corner of Lexington and Lynnewood Rd., there are many people who walk, ride bikes etc. Dianna thinks that a sign coming up to the crest of the road to add a slow sign, that there is a stop sign ahead, maybe it could be a flashing sign. It’s a large public safety issue. They know this subject is for Shore, Holman and Lynnewood but they would like to see Lexington addressed as well. There home was recently hit and then they found out it had been hit twice before due to speeding. Councilor Bogert would like the Ferrara’s to go home and look up to see what a speed table is, talk about it with the neighborhood and see what they think of it and let the committee know. Councilor Hoffman stated there were some speed radars placed last summer as well. LT. Noyes asked about speed dips? He wondered if those would help with plowing? Just offering an idea for DPW to look into. Acting DPW Director Gurette stated he will be looking into many speed reducing ways and will bring a recommendation back to the committee. 7.C. Vehicle strikes at 247 Lexington Drive  idea for DPW to look into. Acting DPW Director Gurette stated he will be looking into many speed reducing ways and will bring a recommendation back to the committee. 7.C. Vehicle strikes at 247 Lexington Drive The attached document to the agenda contains emails that were sent to the Mayor, the Council and the City Manager from Vincent and Dianna Ferrara regarding their property at 247 Lexington Drive. They report repeated vehicle strikes at their property and are requesting that the City evaluate the situation and implement appropriate measures to protect the safety of residents, motorists and the general public. T This item was discussed in conjunction with item 7.B. 7.D. Discussion regarding the intersection of Old Prescott Hill Road and Belmont Road Manager Beattie led the discussion on this. He said DOT Dist. 3 is open to turning it back to the F way it used to be. The city would have to pay to do the traffic study. Councilor Haynes stated on election day that was the only thing that residents were talking about on Election Day. This plan was approved over 2 decades ago. A Councilor Bogert asked what the old way is compared to the new way since he is new to the committee. Councilor Haynes stated that people who live in Briarcrest used to be able to turn and take a left onto Prescott Hill Rd. Then the lilac Valley condo was being built and a new plan was approved. R Councilor Soucy a motion for the City Manager to find the funds for the traffic study. Seconded by Councilor Bogert. Discussion: None. The motion passed with all in favor. 3-0. 7.E. Discussion regarding making Clay Street a one-way street D Councilor Haynes noted that Clay St runs parallel with Court Street and the street is extremely narrow, he doesn’t think it can field 2 cars. There was a fire a couple years ago and he doesn’t know how a ladder truck could even get out. The trash is already being picked up on one side of the street. The recommendation is that the one way would run from Bowman to Clay to Fair should be the flow of the one way street. Councilor Haynes made a motion to recommend that they make this road one way. Seconded by Councilor Soucy. Discussion: None. The motion passed with all in favor. 3-0 7.F. Discussion regarding the crosswalk at Court Street and Academy Street Please refer to the agenda to see the attached email that was sent to the Mayor, the Council and the City Manager from Laconia resident Lisa Morin. The email describes many near-miss accidents that have occurred at the crosswalk at the intersections of Court Street and Academy Street, in front of the Belknap County Superior Courthouse. Ms. Morin is requesting that the City consider doing a study regarding installation of a blinking indicator light at that crosswalk, similar to others in the City, to alert drivers. Councilor Haynes noted there are signs that indicate that there is a crosswalk. But there is an issue with visibility. Councilor Soucy feels there is a significant crosswalk issue throughout the city. Councilor Bogert stated he has seen solar lights that flash on all 4 corners of the crosswalk signs. The other issue is the lack of lighting, especially when it gets dark here at 4:30PM.  Councilor Haynes noted there are signs that indicate that there is a crosswalk. But there is an issue with visibility. Councilor Soucy feels there is a significant crosswalk issue throughout the city. Councilor Bogert stated he has seen solar lights that flash on all 4 corners of the crosswalk signs. The other issue is the lack of lighting, especially when it gets dark here at 4:30PM. Manager Beattie stated they have been trying to make it a practice of buying 1 crosswalk flashing light set up per year. There is already a location chosen for this year’s set up. DPW will look into this as well to see what other options are available to increase visibility. T 7.G. Review of list of items referred to the Public Works Subcommittee As included on City Council agendas under “Committee Reports”, following is a list of items that have previously been referred to the Public Works Subcommittee for further review: F - Retaining Wall Policy - Discussion for converting from a manual to an automated solid waste curbside collection service Please note that removal of any of these items listed on the Council agenda under the “Committee A Reports” section requires a vote of the full Council at a future meeting. Councilor Bogert 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).” R - Retaining Wall Policy - Discussion for converting from a manual to an automated solid waste curbside collection service Seconded by Councilor Soucy Discussion: None. D The motion passed with all in favor. 3-0 8. Any other business that may come before the Committee Councilor Hoffman noted there are 2 other issues that he has brought up, that he feels this subcommittee should look at. One is parking in the downtown area for tenants who need to park in the city lots, and the other is the request to improve the do not enter controls at the intersection of pleasant street and north main street. Councilor Bogert stated on North Main Street by the Railroad Tracks, there is a crosswalk. At night, there is no light at the crosswalk. Manager Beattie stated that DPW will look into this as well. 9. ADJOURNMENT Chairman Haynes adjourned the meeting at 3:56 PM. Respectfully submitted, Katie Gargano, City Clerk