Councilors to consider school district funding transfer request Monday night

LACONIA — City councilors will consider a request from school district administrators to transfer $757,000 in surplus funds to cover the cost of an unexpected vendor fee during their meeting on Monday night.

Councilors will meet at City Hall downtown at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 27.

On Sept. 23, school district leaders were informed the district is subject to a "contribution assessment" by its health insurance provider, SchoolCare. The purpose of the assessment is apparently to restore reserves to the required level of 12% of member contributions. 

On Oct. 1, the school board learned its share of the assessment is $874,867.47. The board covered $117,867.47 of that using current district appropriations, leaving an outstanding balance of $757,000.

Laconia schools finished fiscal year 2025 with a surplus of $1.157 million, and leaders are requesting authorization to use $757,000 of that sum to supplement the funds available in the current year in order to pay the assessment.

On Oct. 7, the school board voted to forward that action for approval by the city council.

In other business, councilors will discuss adding a new salary to the city’s wage scale for a project manager. 

The new position will be added to Grade 17 of the city’s wage and compensation plan at a range of $125,358.73 to $155,833.80, including the benefits package. According to the wage and compensation plan, the salary range would be $64,171.48 to $90,271.98.

The amendment will automatically take effect unless vetoed by a majority of the city council within 30 days of Oct. 27.

During the budgeting process earlier this year, Planning Director Rob Mora asked councilors to fund the new position of project manager for the city’s planning department. The person hired would work hand-in-hand with real estate developers on projects within the city. They’d act as a go-between, ensuring all city departments are on the same page with respect to ongoing and upcoming development projects, and help developers navigate municipal paperwork, permits and procedures.

At the time, Mora told councilors the planning department is busy as ever, particularly in light of the anticipated State School development — called Laconia Village — along Parade Road. That project is projected to bring more than 2,000 units of housing to the city and will be completed in several phases over about a decade. 

The municipal budget, passed by councilors in July, included funding for the project manager position. 

And councilors will hear Mayor Charlie St. Clair’s appointments of members to the city’s Human Relations Committee on Monday night. 

Members of the Human Relations Committee are appointed by the mayor. They’re subject to reappointment on an annual basis. 

Those appointed to the committee this year include: Kay Anderson, Carrie Chandler, Richard Littlefield, Patricia Okinedo, David Osman, Faith Pakasuk, Carol Pierce, Seifu Ragassa, Scott Ringer, Matt Soza, Heather Stanley, Patrick Wood and Rev. Judith Wright.