Councilors to discuss chickens at Hosmer’s last meeting Monday night

LACONIA — City councilors will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, at City Hall. It’s the last day Mayor Andrew Hosmer will serve in office, resigning effective after that meeting. 

Starting in September, Hosmer will serve as the city manager in Lebanon. 

According to the city charter, vacancies in the office of mayor must be filled within 30 days. The person to fill the role will remain in office until the end of the unexpired term, which is the end of this year. 

Municipal elections will decide a new mayor in November.

The city started advertising for an interim mayor on Aug. 13, and applications will remain open until close to the end of the month. City leaders are seeking applications from registered voters to fill the position for the remainder of the mayoral term. 

Anyone interested in serving as the city’s interim mayor can fill out an application, which must be submitted by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28, to City Manager Kirk Beattie’s office or to the office of City Clerk Katie Gargano. Anyone interested in applying to be the interim mayor is required to be a registered voter in the city. 

Applications for the vacant position will be available at laconianh.gov, and in person at the city manager’s office and the office of the clerk. Both of those offices are located at City Hall downtown.

Councilors will hold a specially-called meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4, to interview candidates. They’ll likely take a vote and appoint the temporary mayor then.

The new mayor will be sworn in and seated in the position before the Monday, Sept. 8, meeting of the Laconia City Council. 

In other business, councilors will consider a proposed amendment to the zoning ordinance to allow the domestic keeping of chickens, a source of eggs and meat. 

At their meeting on July 11, councilors tabled an agenda item to allow time for the planning department to investigate the city’s ability to require residents to obtain a license to keep chickens. 

City legal advisers say the city could issue a non-mandatory license for individuals to register their chickens with the city, according to a staff report. No penalties could be imposed upon individuals who don’t obtain a license. 

The intent of the amended ordinance is to allow for the keeping of domestic female chickens for the sole use of the enjoyment of a lot’s residents, while at the same time preserving the quality of life of those around them and preventing the creation of a nuisance. 

Lots smaller than 0.25 acres are not allowed to keep chickens, and up to five adult chickens could be kept. Six or more chickens would be considered an agricultural use. 

Only female chickens may be kept — male chickens are prohibited. Keeping chickens must be done on lots where the primary use is classified as single-family residential. It’s for personal use only, nobody would be allowed to sell eggs or engage in breeding, onsite slaughtering or any other commercial activity related to keeping chickens. 

Chickens have got to be secured within a coop during non-daylight hours.