Council to consider ambulance purchase, parking lot lighting projects Monday night

LACONIA — Councilors will consider a request from the Downtown Tax Increment Financing District board to spend $6,000 for a conceptual design and get a cost estimate for a proposed lighting project.

The meeting of the city council is at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, at City Hall.

The Downtown TIF board is requesting to use $6,000 from their fund to amend a conceptual design and obtain cost estimates for the installation of lighting at the municipal parking lot on Beacon Street East, the parking lot at City Hall and at Rotary Park, located along the river. 

In 2023, an initial conceptual design and cost estimate was produced at the request of the council, but did not include lighting for Rotary Park, according to a staff report. The funding request, if approved, would include the green space along the Winnipesaukee River, outside the Belknap Mill.

Councilors will also consider a request to use impact fees and internal service funds to purchase a used ambulance for the Laconia Fire Department. 

The fire department has two new ambulances on order, and the first of the pair is expected to arrive in April 2026. Due to the poor condition of the existing municipal ambulance fleet, obtaining a used ambulance would allow the fire department to maintain three ambulances in service at all times, according to a staff report. 

The ambulance the department hopes to purchase, a 2014 International, was thoroughly inspected by a city mechanic and is reportedly in sound condition.

The expenditure would not exceed $55,000. It’s proposed that funds be raised and appropriated within the city’s Internal Service Fund for the purchase, with $29,400 provided through the fire department’s impact fee account. The remaining $25,600 would come from the Internal Service Fund balance. 

It’s also proposed the internal service fund be reimbursed from the fire department’s impact fee account as revenue become available.  

The fire department will also request to use impact fees to replace one garage door motor at the Central Station, and repair other garage door motors. The current motors are no longer manufactured.

The cost of the garage door motor work is not to exceed $11,000 of impact fee funds. If approved, the fire department’s impact fee balance would be reduced to $29,415.

In other business, councilors may approve and sign the second half of the 2025 sewer warrant.

According to the charter, the collection of flat rate sewer accounts is completed by the tax collector. They will collect $177,995.  

Councilors will also consider the approval of a temporary traffic order ahead of the Santa Shuffle 5K race on Saturday, Nov. 29.

The Santa Shuffle is organized by The Downtown Gym as a fundraiser for the Greater Lakes Region Children's Auction. It begins and ends at the City Hall parking lot, with a turnaround point planned for Old North Main Street.  

If approved, no parking or vehicular traffic would be allowed in the portion of the City Hall parking lot nearest the post office from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The race will begin at 9 a.m.

Main Street would be closed to its intersection with Church Street from 9 to 9:15 a.m. The right-turn from Main Street onto Church Street will be closed from 9 to 10 a.m. Hanover Street would be closed from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. 

No parking would be allowed in the parking spaces on the right side of Main to its intersection with Church, from 8:45 a.m. until the race concludes, which is expected to be by 10 a.m. 

And the city’s Opechee Loop extension of the WOW Trail along Elm Street reached substantial completion on Nov. 17, according to a project update.  

The bridge deck was in better condition than anticipated, which saved about $180,000 on the cost of the project. In spring 2026, a portion of those savings will be used for additional curb work, sidewalk tip downs and paving.