City receives a rush of Planning Board applicants

LACONIA — It was just over a week ago that the city’s Planning Department issued an appeal asking city residents who were interested to serving on the Planning Board to come forward.

The plea worked, and on Monday the City Council will interview five people who have asked to be considered to fill two board vacancies — one for a regular member and one for an alternate member.

Those who have offered to serve are Larry Zupkosky, of Ward 1; David Carleton, of Ward 3; Alan Oszy and Stacy Soucy, both of Ward 4; and Jewel Fox, of Ward 6.

City Manager Scott Myers said the five submitted the names after a letter to the editor and news article appeared last week in The Laconia Daily Sun.

Because of the vacancies, the seven-member board had been experiencing problems in mustering a quorum, and had to cancel its January meeting at the last minute as a result.

While the candidates will be interviewed on Monday, the council is not scheduled to vote on the appointments until its meeting scheduled for Feb. 24.

Soucy is interested in serving as either a regular or alternate board member. The other four are asking to serve as a regular member.

A third vacancy is for a seat which is filled by a person chosen by the city manager. Myers said he would be choosing one of the five applicants as his designee.