LACONIA CITY COUNCIL MEETING

 

LACONIA CITY HALL – ROOM 200A 7:30 P.M.

 

MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 2007

 

CALL TO ORDER:

 

            Mayor Lahey called the meeting to order on the above date and time.

 

SALUTE TO THE FLAG:

 

            Councilor Fitzgerald led the salute to the flag.

 

ROLL CALL:

 

            Clerk Kaligian called the roll with the following Councilors present: Councilor Fitzgerald, Luther, Lipman, Baer, Hamel and Bolduc. Also present City Manager, Eileen Cabanel.

 

ADOPTION OF MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS:

 

            On motion of Councilor Bolduc, seconded by Councilor Hamel, it was voted to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of January 8, 2007.

                       

INTERVIEWS:  NONE

 

PRESENTATIONS:   

 

  • Introduction of new State Legislators/State Senate

 

Mayor Lahey introduced the following who addressed the council and also informed them of their committee assignments:

 

Senator Kathleen Sgambati and Representatives Beth Arsenault, Frank Tilton and Jane Wood.  Unable to attend Representatives Judith Reever and Donald Flanders.

 

  • Capital Improvements Plan 2007-2013 – Gary Dionne, Planning Board Chairman

 

Gary Dionne presented and briefly reviewed the 2007-2013 Capital Improvement Plan.

Councilor Bolduc moved to accept the Capital Improvement Plan for 2007-2013. Seconded by Councilor Lipman. Motion passed unanimously.

 

CONSENT AND ACTION CALENDAR:

 

1.                  Request by Lakeport United Baptist Church to waive MTRC site review fee for Motorcycle Week 2007   

 

Councilor Bolduc moved to deny the request to waive the MTRC site review fee for the United Baptist Church. Seconded by Councilor Luther. Motion passed unanimously. 

 

Referred to the Finance Committee for further review on a reduced fee.

 

2.                  Sale of City-owned land Map ID 139/37/21 on Centenary Ave. to Richard and Patricia Marsh and authority for City Manager to complete the transaction

 

Councilor Bolduc moved to sell Lot 139/37/21, retaining an easement for a fire hydrant on the land and a road easement to Richard and Patricia Marsh for $5,500 and authorize the City Manager to complete the transaction. Seconded by Councilman Luther. Motion passed unanimously.

 

PUBLIC HEARING:       NONE

           

MAYOR’S REPORT:      NONE

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

 

1.                  FINANCE:

 

a.                   Motorcycle Week Revenue

 

Councilor Lipman reported the committee held a non-public session looking at the expense side of Motorcycle Week operations for the Police Department. They also discussed Special Item requests from youth related organizations.  The committee would like to continue working on Motorcycle Week ordinance enforcement and implementation of recent price increases. At the next meeting the committee will continue to look at Motorcycle Week issues, as well as reviewing a report that the Manager and Finance Director have supplied about proposed changes in City fees.

 

b.         Special Items

 

                        Meeting to be held on February 12, 2007 at 6:30 p.m.

 

2.                  PUBLIC SAFETY:

 

a.                   Motorcycle Week     No Report

 

3.                  GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS & ORDINANCES:

 

a.                   RSA 202-A:11a/Laconia Library

b.                  RSA 79-E Community Revitalizations Tax Relief Incentive/Main St.

 

Councilor Luther reported the committee recommended the following motion:

 

Councilor Luther moved that RSA 79-E not be adopted at this time. Seconded by Councilor Bolduc. Discussion followed. Motion passed unanimously.

 

4.                  PUBLIC WORKS:

 

a.                   Road Weight Limits

b.                  Rowe Court

c.                   Ordinance Amending Chapter 221, Vehicles and Traffic/Parking on Sublawns

 

No Report

 

5.                  LAND & BUILDINGS:

 

a.                   Repair & Maintenance of City Buildings

 

Councilor Hamel reported the fascia board  around City Hall has been repaired with gutters added to reduce the ice at city hall.

 

b.                  Old Police Department building on Church St.

 

No Report

 

LIAISON REPORTS:    NONE

 

MANAGER’S REPORT:   

 

City Manager Eileen Cabanel reported on the following:

 

  • Fair St. Bridge bid results

 

The city is responsible for 20% of the bridge project and the state pays 80%. The low bidder was Alvin Coleman and Son, Inc, bid (a) is with one lane open and (b) is for no lanes open which would close the bridge entirely. The city has $125,000 which is less than the 20% needed. There will have to be a budget increase between $20,000 and $40,000 in the upcoming year to get the project completed.

Councilor Luther moved to leave the Fair Street Bridge construction open with one lane active. Seconded by Councilor Hamel. Motion passed unanimously.

 

  • Weirs sidewalk

 

Letters will be sent to residents and the Weirs Action Committee about how the sidewalks are progressing.  There are some issues for they have found some areas of archeological interest in the area and some investigatory excavations will be done in the spring of 2007. The sidewalks will not be done this summer. The current plan is to advertise the project in late spring for proposed construction in fall of 2007, with project completion date in late October or November.

 

  • Lakeport Association Tax Increment Financing District Meeting

 

At the meeting they were given the task of coming up with a wish list of things they would like to accomplish in Lakeport, including areas that they felt that certain development was going to happen.

 

  • Consumer Index

 

The Consumer Price index used for calculating the tax rate is 3.2%. Eileen asked the Supt. if he would do two versions of the budget by including the reduction in revenues projected by the state and one without.

 

  • School Budget 

 

School Board to review the budget procedure on February 12, 2007.

 

  • Fees

Councilor Hamel requested the sewer user fees be looked at and questioned why the city did not have a sewer connection fee as does the water. The sewer system is not the city’s, it belongs to the Winnipesaukee River Basin Project. We do incur cost at the pumping stations and they should be passed on to whoever benefits from them. In the future the city will have a standard fee which will be based on our inspection cost. Future fees are proposed and will be charged for Mr. Bill Frank’s project if adopted.

 

NEW BUSINESS:     NONE

 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

 

1.                  Request for expansion of sewer franchise area to Meredith/Fluet Engineering on behalf of Bill Franks/to be reviewed after release of Master plan

 

Councilor Hamel moved to grant the request subject to the adoption of the fee structure that the City Manager has discussed. Seconded by Councilor Bolduc. Discussion followed. Councilor Hamel withdrew the motion and Councilor Bolduc withdrew his second.

 

            It was the consensus of the Council to approve Mr. Franks request once the fee structure is in place.

 

2.                  Elm St. Parking/Councilor Bolduc

 

No action

 

NOMINATI0NS, APPOINTMENTS & ELECTIONS:    NONE

 

COUNCIL COMMENTS:  

 

  • Councilor Baer and Hamel discussed the PSNH poles that have not been removed after new poles have been installed.  It was stated that Verizon is ignoring it and saying “we will do it when we get to it”. Requested the Mayor and Council write a letter to Verizon asking then to put it on their agenda and remove all poles that have not been taken care of within the city.

 

  • Councilor Bolduc questioned the Elm St. intersection as to who regulates the lights and to clarify the sign “No Turn on Red”.  Mr. Moynihan replied that DOT requested the city sign it that way, for you cannot turn right on red because of the railroad track.

 

CITIZEN COMMENTS FOR MATTERS NOT ON THE AGENDA:   NONE

 

NON-PUBLIC SESSION:    NONE

 

ADJOURNMENT:

 

            On motion of Councilor Bolduc, seconded by Councilor Lipman, it was voted to adjourn at 9:09 p.m.

 

A true record Attest:

 

Ann G. Kaligian

City Clerk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

TO: Eileen Cabanel, City Manager

             

            FROM: Ann Kaligian, City Clerk

 

            DATE: January 26, 2007

                       

            RE: Caller ID

 

 

I asked John to check with Statewide Communications for a price to supply and install a card for Caller ID.                  

                       

                        Recently phone calls have been a concern as to where and whom they are coming from especially if it is threatening.   (The answer Caller ID)

                       

                        The estimated cost is $595.00 plus ($180.00) to have caller ID availability with a monthly fee of approximately $5.00 a month per department after the installation.

 

                        Your consideration would be appreciated not only to the Clerks Office but others within the building.