2nd public hearing on social districts Tuesday night, ahead of municipal election

LACONIA — Residents will have an opportunity to weigh in on creation of social districts in the city during the council meeting on Tuesday evening. 

Councilors will meet Tuesday instead of Monday, because Monday is the Columbus Day holiday and city offices are closed. The Oct. 14 meeting is set for 7 p.m. at City Hall downtown. 

So-called “social districts” were essentially created through enabling legislation earlier this year, and require a popular referendum in order to take effect in a community. Councilors voted in favor of the concept, so a question will be added to the ballot during the Municipal Election on Tuesday, Nov. 4. 

At the city council meeting on Sept. 22, councilors held the first public hearing on the matter and approved a motion to include the question on the ballot. A second public hearing is required to be held 15 to 30 days prior to the ballot question vote, and that hearing will occur Tuesday night. 

The purpose of the public hearing is to allow an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions or make comments on the matter. 

House Bill 467 was signed into law in July, and went into effect on Sept. 5. The law allows municipalities to create proscribed outdoor areas where alcohol consumption is legally permitted, so long as it's purchased from licensed sellers located within or adjacent to the defined district. 

According to the bill, any town or city can allow for social districts. The bill doesn’t create a free-for-all — alcohol must be consumed in the districts and must be disposed of before anyone leaves, unless they’re going back inside the premises where they purchased the alcohol to begin with. 

If the ballot measure is affirmed by the people of Laconia, city councilors and department heads would be tasked with creating and defining social districts in concert with the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. 

It wouldn’t be completely new for Laconia, the city approves open alcohol consumption in public areas a few times each year, limited to events in locations like Lakeside Avenue in the Weirs or Canal Street downtown. If affirmed in the election, those opportunities could perhaps expand or become more frequent. In future years, Laconia Pumpkin Festival may benefit from a broader license to serve and consume alcoholic beverages.

New Hampshire is one of nine states across the country with broad enabling legislation along the same lines, and yet others have no specific state law, but municipalities may have ordinances to either allow or prohibit the activity. 

The New Hampshire Liquor Commission Division of Enforcement & Licensing maintains a list of all approved social districts in the state on their website. As of this writing, there were none.

But in the City of Concord, for example, the question will also appear on the ballot for their Municipal Election in November, and the question has also been the topic of discussion in Portsmouth in recent weeks, according to Seacoastonline.