Heritage Commission

ACCEPTED MINUTES – OCTOBER 9, 2024 MEETING 1. CALL TO ORDER Chair Marjory Wilkinson called the meeting to order at 4:02 PM. 2. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Chair Marjory Wilkinson led the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. ROLL CALL Members present: Marjory Wilkinson, Jane Whitehead, Mark Haynes, Lois Kessin Members absent: Scott Ringer 4. RECORDING SECRETARY Jennifer Place 5. STAFF IN ATTENDANCE No other staff were in attendance. 6. ACCEPTANCE OF MINUTES FROM PREVIOUS MEETING Chair Marjory Wilkinson asked for a motion to accept the September 4, 2024 minutes. Lois Kessin made the motion. Jane Whitehead seconded the motion. All members voted in favor. 7. CITY COUNCIL LIAISON REPORT Mark Haynes stated he didn’t have anything to report on as far as the Heritage Commission is concerned. Mark said the developer of the state school property provided an outline of the project. Mark is concerned because there was no mention of historic preservation of anything on that site. Mark said he’ll bring that to their attention as things move along and said they’re not going to just level the place. Chair Marjory Wilkinson said she heard that the developer could just walk away after two years. Mark Haynes said that was correct. Chair Marjory Wilkinson asked if they decided to go through with this project would they have to go through all the channels. Mark Haynes stated they would, and everyone seems to be optimistic that this will be a reality. Lois Kessin asked what kind of reality? Mark Haynes said he doesn’t think it will be instantaneous. Mark said South Down took 50 years to build. Recording secretary Jennifer Place asked the Commission if they had seen Mr. Davidson’s obituary in the local paper. Mark Haynes stated the South Down project started in the 1970’s. Jane Whitehead asked if the buildings at the state school would come before the Commission for demolition, as they’re all over 50 years old. Lois Kessin said the state of those buildings is so sad. Lois stated she checks on them occasionally, and the graffiti is getting worse. Lois said she found a little building that looked like an infirmary that still had a bed inside. Mark Haynes stated he thought the state would have cleaned up some of that property instead of leaving it to rot and it’s embarrassing. Mark stated this is an editorial, but if that kind of mess was on your property, this city would be after you to clean it up. Lois Kessin said she thought the state should put up lighting and cameras. People would be more likely to stay away from the buildings if they knew they were on camera. People are breaking windows and stripping the copper. Mark Haynes said to mark his words, the area facing the lake will be the first to be developed. Jane Whitehead stated a lot of that area is wetlands. Lois Kessin stated she can’t imagine putting a Market Basket in that development. Recording secretary Jennifer Place said she didn’t see that chain named in the proposal from the developer. Mark Haynes stated the developer is related to the person who’s done all the Market Basket’s in NH. 8. PLANNING BOARD UPDATE No Planning Department staff were present. 9. NEW BUSINESS No demolition permits were submitted. 10. OLD BUSINESS 10.1. RULES OF PROCEDURE FOR THE HERITAGE COMMISSION – THIRD DRAFT Chair Marjory Wilkinson stated it would be beneficial to get the Rules of Procedure done even though Scott Ringer was not in attendance. Marjory said the Commission has been working on them for over 9 months and they need to be established. Recording secretary Jennifer Place reminded Commission members that they could do a work session if they need to. Chair Marjory Wilkinson said she went through all the other commissions Rules of Procedure to get some ideas and realized that the Heritage Commission’s was lacking a lot of information. She stated she added more to the document recently, like attendance and recusal, terms of office being 3 years, missing 4 consecutive meetings without notifying the Chair and adding in a Vice Chair. Officers will be elected at the annual meeting in January. The Chair shall preside over all meetings, file all correspondence, draft and submit to the Planning & Code Enforcement Departments the Commission’s monthly agenda six days before the regularly scheduled meeting. Chair Marjory Wilkinson said the schedule of meetings is Wednesday’s at 4PM in the Council Chambers. Jane Whitehead stated she thought she must have been absent from the meeting where the time was changed from 5PM to 4PM and asked what the logic was behind the change. Lois Kessin stated several members of the Commission often have a second meeting later in the evening. Recording secretary Jennifer Place stated Jane Whitehead was present at the July 23, 2024 meeting when the time was changed to 4PM. Chair Marjory Wilkinson stated she added in site visits to the Rules of Procedure because the Commission has done it in the past. Recording secretary Jennifer Place stated the Commission might want to be careful with site visits and recommended members speak to Planning Director Rob Mora first because you cannot trespass on private property unless you have permission from the owner. Chair Marjory Wilkinson said she added “may perform site visits” and also added “with permission in writing from the property owner.” Lois Kessin stated members do drive-bys and recalled a site visit in Lakeport with former member Katherine Tocarz and it broke her heart. Chair Marjory Wilkinson stated it would be nice if the Commission could approve the Rules of Procedure because it’s unclear at this time if they’ll be merging with the Historical Commission. Recording secretary Jennifer Place noted a typo on the Rules of Procedure document on page 4. There were 2 number 13’s. Chair Marjory Wilkinson asked if there was any discussion or questions about the process or adopting the Rules of Procedure. Recording secretary Jennifer Place stated these Rules of Procedure should be uploaded to the City’s website once they’ve been adopted. Jane Whitehead asked if the Rules of Procedure would be approved at the next meeting in November. Chair Marjory Wilkinson said they would. Marjory also noted that at some point in time, the Commission needs to sit down and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of combining with the Historical Commission because it seems like Rob Mora is moving in that direction. Lois Kessin stated she didn’t see a reason not to combine the two Commissions. Chair Marjory Wilkinson stated it makes a lot of sense and asked members if the wanted to discuss it further. Lois Kessin made the motion to accept the updated Rules of Procedures. Lois said she had an emotional moment earlier when she drove by the Davidson Farm when the contractor was starting to work on taking it down. Lois said she drove by it later that same day and it was all gone. All that history gone just for million-dollar homes. Chair Marjory Wilkinson stated the decision to accept the Rules of Procedure as written should be done when there’s a full quorum. Marjory asked for a motion to accept when there’s a full board. Lois Kessin made a motion. Jane Whitehead seconded. All members voted in favor. Mark Haynes stated Chair Marjory Wilkinson forgot to ask for the discussion prior to asking for a motion. Chair Marjory Wilkinson asked if there was any discussion. No members spoke. Mark Haynes stated every time he fills in for the Mayor he forgets to ask for the discussion and the Council keeps reminding him. Chair Marjory Wilkinson stated Jane Whitehead completed her answers to Tara Shore’s questions and directed members to look at their copy. Marjory read all 3 questions and answers aloud. Question 1: “Why is protecting, preserving, and sharing Laconia’s history important to you?” Answer: The identity and character of a city rests in its history. Without the knowledge of who and what formed us, we are just ripples on the surface of a pond. It is the depth of our story that gives us the pride and sense of belonging that we feel for Laconia. Question 2: What do you worry would be lost should Laconia’s historic collections be damaged or destroyed? Answer: History is preserved in the physical artifacts of a people. Oral history can be very rich but is evanescent. It needs to be conserved in a more permanent form. Our indigenous oral histories and traditions are lost in large part, but potsherds and other fragments transmit those deepest levels of our City’s history up to us today. Modern documents, such as newspaper clippings, posters, tape recordings, are, over the long scope of time, equally fragile. We must take great efforts to ensure that the entire slice of the strata of Laconia’s history is preserved from its most profound depths to the surface of today. Question 3: What do you think is the significance of historical societies to their city or town? Answer: Historical societies preserve the artifactual documentation of a city’s history and enable research to expand its breadth and significance. In the community they have a dynamic role: teaching about the past, promoting activities that expose the objects and explore the sites that convey the history to all ages and levels of education.” Chair Marjory Wilkinson stated the answers that Jane Whitehead provided should be given to Tara Shore as answers from the Heritage Commission. Marjory stated question two is relevant to having paper documentation and historical documents to look at when we’re doing research. Marjory stated when she did all the research for 1921 Parade Road, she was able to go to Meredith and get what she needed. Marjory said oral histories are great, but you also need newspaper clippings and you need a place to keep these pieces of history. Jane Whitehead stated it sounded like an archaeologist had answered the questions, because she was one. Lois Kessin stated she has her father’s letter that asked for a historical commission in the 1960’s. Chair Marjory Wilkinson asked members if they thought about including a donation with the answers to Tara Shore’s questions. Jane Whitehead agreed with the donation. Jane said when she sees history from a very long time ago, she sees things differently. Jane said someone once asked her what’s the most intimate thing she’s ever found. Jane told the story about a time when she was digging in Siena at a settlement site within a home structure and noticed a stratum of pink burnt soil along one edge of the wall along with a stratum of black. Within that line of black were a series of loom weights. Jane said she could imagine a loom resting against the back wall when the fire came that burned the house down. In that same area was a necklace of glass beads, a little terracotta bowl and a miniature child’s cup. Jane said she could imagine a woman playing with her child as she was working the loom when the fire occurred. One of her colleagues told her she can’t make such simplistic sexist comments anymore. Jane told her colleague she could, because the woman left something else behind, her hip, and that’s how the victim was identified as female. The child left a femur with postmortem hack marks. These things told the story of a fire and an attack. Jane said they also found lead balls and arrow heads. Chair Marjory Wilkinson said it was amazing that Jane Whitehead could construct that story from what she found. Jane Whitehead said the woman died a tragic death and now someone’s seen that and can tell her story and preserve her memory.  Chair Marjory Wilkinson asked if there was any discussion about the answers and what the Commission’s feelings were about sending it to Tara Shore. Mark Haynes said he thought it was a great idea and he didn’t want to be picky, but it sends him over the edge because sees paragraph 2 about 5 lines down. It states, “level of our town’s history” when it should read “level of our city’s history.” Jane Whitehead apologized for using that term and informed Mark that she grew up in a place about this size, but it was considered a town. Lois Kessin thinks the term evanescent should be changed because people won’t know what it means. Jane Whitehead said people should learn it. Lois Kessin stated it was not her job to teach people what that term means. Chair Marjory Wilkinson said she thought the term would be fine for the historical society, but if it was to appear in a public service announcement, it should be changed. Jane Whithead agreed that they can change it to something that would be more easily understood. Lois Kessin said the last sentence of the second paragraph should be changed to “it’s most profound depths to the surface of today.” Jane Whitehead agreed. Lois Kessin said she was being really picky now, but the second paragraph should read “our indigenous population”, rather than Native American. Lois said she has a friend who is Sioux and he told her not to call him a Native American. He told her he was Sioux. Chair Marjory Wilkinson asked for a motion to agree to send the answers as written along with the suggested changes. Jane Whitehead made a motion. Lois Kessin seconded. All members voted in favor. Chair Marjory Wilkinson thanked Jane for her time in writing the answers. Chair Marjory Wilkinson stated she’d like to discuss the donation. As of right now the Commission has $690 in the operating account. The donation account has almost $4,000. Lois Kessin asked if the $600 rolls over to next year’s budget if not used. Chair Marjory Wilkinson said it does not. Mark Haynes said unless the Commission puts in for additional monies prior to the budget hearings in April, they’ll have to work with $750. Lois Kessin suggested a $300 donation. Jane Whitehead suggested $500. Lois Kessin agreed to $500. Mark Haynes said it would look better giving a donation from a donation account. Chair Marjory Wilkinson asked for a motion. Lois Kessin made a motion. Jane Whitehead seconded. All members voted in favor. Recording secretary Jennifer Place said she will email Tara Shore to find out where she wanted the donation sent. 11. PUBLIC COMMENT No members of the public were present. 12. OTHER BUSINESS Chair Marjory Wilkinson stated she had a financial report from Finance Director Glenn Smith. Marjory said nothing has changed with the financials except for the $60 fee to join the NH Preservation Alliance. Recording secretary Jennifer Place stated she sent the check request to Finance and reminded members that there was a copy of the membership that expires in August of 2025 in their meeting packets. Chair Marjory Wilkinson said she was curious about why Acting Chair Scott Ringer stated at the last meeting on September 4, 2024 that you do not need to make a motion to adjourn a meeting and then asked for a motion to adjourn anyway. Recording secretary Jennifer Place stated she had the most recent copy of Roberts Rules if anyone wanted to see what’s recommended. 13. ADJOURNMENT Chair Marjory Wilkinson asked for a motion to adjourn. Jane Whitehead made a motion. Mark Haynes seconded the motion and said it’s not necessary to make a motion. The Mayor doesn’t do it at City Council meetings. He just states the meeting is adjourned. All members voted in favor. The meeting was adjourned at 4:45PM.