Council to address social districts, natural gas service Monday night

LACONIA — Councilors will discuss the organization of so-called social districts within the city at their meeting Monday. A recommended action item suggests referring the matter to the subcommittee on public safety. 

The next meeting of the Laconia City Council is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, at City Hall downtown. 

At the Jan. 12 meeting of the Laconia City Council, Ward 5 Councilor Steven Bogert brought the matter back to the attention of the new council, following previous discussions on the topic in 2025.

“I do believe it’s now time we’ve passed the social districts for the City of Laconia, and I think it’s time we start to work on that, so that, come summer time, we have things in place, so we can take full advantage of our short-lived outdoor situations,” Bogert said. 

“Councilor Bogert, I think you’re right on par,” Ward 2 Councilor Bob Soucy said. “Within the social districts — and a lot of us here have been on the council and we get requests for waiving fees or waiving this or waiving that — one of the things I want to make clear is that, if it’s a nonprofit organization, whether it’s youth basketball or football or anything else like that: fine, we waive all we want. But if it’s a for-profit operation, we should make sure they pay.”

During the Municipal Election in November, the people of Laconia approved the creation of social districts within city limits. Those social districts would be areas of the city where open alcohol consumption is legal. Voters approved their creation during the election by a margin of 1,649 in favor to 1,290 opposed.

House Bill 467, which was signed into law in 2025, legalizes drinking in designated areas, allowing communities to create such zones for adults to consume alcohol. The bill defines social districts as designated outdoor areas where people can consume alcohol sold by licensed establishments. 

That legislation enabled communities in New Hampshire to bring the matter as a ballot measure to either Town Meeting or a Municipal Election, and required a majority vote for approval. Municipal governments, if their constituents approved the question, can set the hours of operation of such districts and define their boundaries. Licensed vendors located in those areas can serve beverages as large as 16 ounces. 

Voters in the City of Concord similarly approved the creation of social districts, though that city has not yet implemented them. 

In other business, councilors will discuss a request for support to expand natural gas supply in the city and across the greater Lakes Region. 

Liberty Utilities issued a moratorium on adding new addresses for natural gas services in the City of Laconia and surrounding communities, due to a lack of capacity, according to an item included in the agenda packet. At present, only portions of downtown and Lakeport are serviced by natural gas. Even though a property may abut a natural gas line, the property may not be permitted to connect to the line, because of a lack of pressure and capacity.  

Planning department employees have been in contact with their respective counterparts in Belmont, Franklin, Gilford, Meredith and Tilton to discuss the issue.

“As the largest and fastest-growing municipality in the Lakes Region, it is imperative that Laconia supports the efforts to reduce heating costs and lay the groundwork for future economic development in the region,” the staff report reads. “The Planning Department is now coming before the City Council to raise awareness of the lack of natural gas capacity and infrastructure to adequately support current and future demand and formally request the Council’s support to work with the State, Liberty Utilities, and our neighboring communities to pursue meaningful solutions that support our economic growth and affordability needs.”