City Council to meet in person for first time in 6 months

LACONIA — On Monday, the City Council will gather at the Huot Career and Technical Center for its first in-person meeting in six months.

The last time it met as a group was March 9, when councilors held an emergency session at the fire department to discuss Gov. Chris Sununu’s school closure mandate.

The group has been meeting over the Zoom platform because the City Hall council chambers do not provide enough space for social distancing among city councilors, staff and members of the public.

“We are a ‘go’ for an in-person meeting at The Huot Center (Culinary Arts portion) Monday night,” City Manager Scott Myers said in an email to the City Council on Wednesday.

“I ask that you arrive 15 minutes early if possible just so we can make sure that everything is on track. Please wear a mask when entering and then it is your choice as to whether or not to keep it on once you are seated as you will be socially distanced.

“We will be live streaming to YouTube, playing on local access cable channel 24 rather than 26 and also available on Zoom. Residents can attend in person to participate but can also participate by Zoom.”

Members of the public should wear a mask when entering and be expected to have their temperature taken. Once they are seated and socially distanced, they may remove their mask if they so choose.

Myers said the setup was tested Tuesday and the microphones work well.

“So well, in fact, that they were picking up side conversations that were many feet away from a microphone,” he said. “Please keep this in mind during the meeting and note that anything you say is more than likely going to get picked up.”

Councilor Bruce Cheney said he welcomes being able to meet with his fellow councilors.

“My personal opinion is that it is better for the council to be together and able to react to one another as opposed to doing it on TV,” he said.

Charlie St. Clair frequently attends City Council meetings as an audience member, often enduring good natured ribbing from city councilors about his eclectic taste in neck ties.

He likes the idea of returning to in-person meetings.

“It’s better for clarity and you can watch the councilors,” he said. “You learn a lot by facial expressions.”

He has attended some of the City Council’s Zoom meetings, but missed the one two weeks ago where Public Works Director Wes Anderson discussed early consideration of going to a form of trash pickup in which a single person in a truck would use a mechanical grabber to pick up the rubbish bins.

St. Clair said that if he had been at that meeting he would have mentioned his concerns.

He fears some people will be inconvenienced by needing to clear snow from a spot at the end of their driveway for the large two-wheel garbage bins that are part of the system.

“I’ve never been in favor of toll takers, garbage men or clerks at supermarkets being replaced by automation,” he said. “Quite often, if there is a savings, it goes to corporations and we don’t see it as consumers.”

Another frequent attendee at City Council meetings is Breanna Neal, owner of Polished and Proper Barbershop & Shave Parlor.

Neal sits near the back of the City Council chamber, sometimes sporting a shock of lime green hair.

“I definitely miss being able to physically attend,” she said. “When you attend, you get the complete experience and more information.

“It’s difficult sitting through an entire meeting on Zoom with every distraction you have at home. You don’t see anything going on in the background. You don’t get the live energy of being able to see what's going on outside of who's speaking.

“Who else is in attendance? Sometimes you can tell whether or not something is an important issue based on who physically shows up.”

She also questions whether many in Laconia, given its older demographics, are comfortable using a digital platform like Zoom.

“It can be very excluding,” she said.