Public hearing about Human Relations Committee scheduled for Monday night

LACONIA — City councilors will hold another public hearing regarding formalizing the Human Relations Committee as a council committee at their meeting Monday night. 

Councilors could hold a vote on the question later in the meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 22, at City Hall downtown. It’s the final city council meeting in 2025, and also the last to be presided over by Mayor Charlie St. Clair. Mayor-elect Mike Bordes, who also serves as a Republican representative to the Statehouse from the city, will preside over the council come January. 

The proposed amendment to Chapter 5, Article III — Boards and Commissions, would add a section for establishing the Human Relations Committee as a city committee and outline the procedures for the appointment of its members. The committee's members were previously appointed by the mayor.

Discussions on the agenda will include questions raised during a meeting of the Government Operations and Ordinances subcommittee meeting on Dec. 18, according to the agenda. 

A proposed motion attached to the meeting agenda states: “I move to approve Ordinance 2025-5-20, 5-32, 5-33 — Amending Chapter 5, Administration of Government, Article III — Boards and Commissions — Human Relations Committee, as Presented, and to refer appointment of membership to the Appointments Subcommittee, as well as referring this matter to the Government Operations and Ordinances Subcommittee to prepare a proposed draft of the Human Relations Committee’s Purpose Statement. These referrals shall be sent after Jan. 1, 2026.”

The proposed ordinance amendment includes several provisions defining the Human Relations Committee: it would consist of 13 members, appointed for three-year terms; one member would be appointed by the city manager; two by the mayor; nine by the city council, following an interview process and recommendation by the appointments subcommittee; and one councilor appointed by their fellow councilors.

Members of the Human Relations Committee would be either property owners, residents, or owners, managers or representatives of a business within city limits. The majority of the committee must be made up of city residents. 

The Human Relations Committee would create a policies and procedures document, to include a mission, values and purpose statement, which must be approved by the city council. The policies and procedures document will be reviewed and ratified by the council every three years after its initial adoption. 

In other business, councilors will discuss the authorization of seven boat dealers to act as agents on behalf of the City of Laconia for the collection of boat fees. 

Flightcraft General, North Water Marine, Watermark Marine, Paugus Bay Marine, Lakeport Landing, Irwin Marine and Winnisquam Marine operate as agents of the city for this purpose. 

For several years, according to an agenda item, the State of New Hampshire has required these dealers to show evidence of a surety bond in order to authorize them to collect city and state fees. The city can cover those dealers under their bonding insurance for no extra cost, so long as they’re authorized annually by the city council to act as agents.

In fiscal year 2025, the city received approximately $101,000 in boat registration fees collected between the aforementioned dealers and the office of the city clerk.