LACONIA — The Belknap County Convention appears set to approve the 2013 county budget at its next meeting scheduled for Monday, March 4.
As presented by Rep. Colette Worsman (R-Meredith), who chairs the convention, and amended this week, the budget would appropriate $26,132,616, which would be offset by $12,085,456 in revenues from sources other than property taxes, leaving $14,047,160 to be raised by property taxes, an increase of 0.3 percent.
The convention has thus far reduced the total appropriations recommended by the Belknap County Commission by $651,980 and raised the revenues projected by the commission by $600,500, reducing the amount to be raised by property taxes by $1,252,480.
Personnel costs, both compensation and benefits, totaling $453,572 represent 70-percent of the reductions the convention made to the commission's budget. The elimination of step raises, together with the associated costs of payroll taxes and retirement contributions amounts to $286,244. The convention stripped $101,868 in funding to defray a 7.3-percent increase in health insurance premiums. Bonuses for unused sick time and longevity of service amounting to $65,460 were also struck from the budget.
On the revenue side, the convention drew $2,350,000 from the fund balance to offset the need to raise more in property taxes. Originally the commission recommended applying $2.1-million, but subsequently suggested $2.6-million.
There is a discrepancy of $52,000, representing the cost of a position at the Department of Corrections, between the budget Worsman presented and the budget posted on the county website. Apparently Worsman assumed that the convention voted to eliminate funding for the position, but the vote is not recorded in the minutes at this point.

LACONIA — Not since people packed the Belknap Mill at the prospect of reopening the Colonial Theatre have so many gathered in support of an initiative to revitalize downtown as some 135 guests of the Main Street Initiative who filled Pitman's Freight Room last night.
As conceived by John Moriarty, president of the initiative and the most visible partner in Lakes Region Acquisitions, LLC, owners of 600 Main Street — the former Sundial Shop building — the session was intended to begin the development of economic and marketing strategies for downtown as well as to design specific measures and marshall appropriate resources to pursue them.
Moriarty said that "stakeholders" — business operators, property owners and policy makers — were invited. "I expected a smaller group of people," he said, "but a lot more showed up."
The sheer numbers turned the event into something akin to a rally in pursuit of the goal of restoring commercial and social vitality to the center of the city. Volunteers, sporting green T-shirts reading "People Advancing Laconia" across the back and "PAL" across the chest, welcomed the invitees and shepherded them through the program.
Noting that in general downtown property represents between 10-percent and 15-percent of municipal tax bases, Moriarty said that downtown Laconia, which stretches east to west from Busy Corner to Lake Winnisquam and north to south from Central Fire Station to Wyatt Park, accounts for only four-percent of the total valuation. He invited his listeners to imagine the impact on the city and the county if downtown's shear of the tax base rose to the average.
Moriarty recalled the original Main Street program, which began in 2002, explaining that its four themes — economic development, physical appearance, social character and political participation — would provide the framework for the proceedings.
The crowd was divided into four groups, which were shuttled between four stations, each with speaker who addressed the four themes. Reuben Bassett of Burrito Me spoke to economic development, Sue Bullerwell of All My Life Jewelry covered design, Lori Chandler of Mr. Paul's Hair Affair explained promotions and Melissa McCarthy of The Studio emphasized organization.
Each sketched steps to enliven downtown in presentations lasting about 15 minutes, which Rick DeMark, director of the North Country Resource and Conservation Council who served as facilitator, likened to speed dating. Bassett stressed the importance of encouraging existing businesses and attracting new ones. Bullerwell highlighted public amenities, architectural standards, improved signage and public safety. Chandler called for establishing a brand and sponsoring events. McCarthy appealed for volunteers, urging others to become "PALs."
Afterwards Moriarty said he would measure the success of the event by the number of participants who left contact information, indicating their willingness to contribute to future efforts by the Main Street Initiative. Acknowledging that the event took on a character and life of its own, he said that "more quantitative conversations are already underway" and said that he was impressed by the numbers and their enthusiasm.

LACONIA — The city's Public Works Department recently met an Environmental Protection Agency mandate that it have the entire city sewer collection system digitally mapped by the end of 2013.
The mandate has been in effect since 2009 under new EPA regulations which made all municipalities in the Winnipesaukee River Basin regional sewage treatment facility co-permittees along with the state.
Laconia was able to meet that requirement nearly a year ahead of the deadline thanks to the work of Amy Hicks, a part-time employee who has been with the department since 2008 and has developed an in-house geographic information system (GIS) which has mapped not only the city's sewer system but it's water system as well.
GIS is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographical data and City Manager Scott Myers says that it is an increasingly important management tool for local governments and will see even wider application in the future.
''It provides the ability to get all the information on sewer, water and tax maps together in an easy to use format and there are a lot more uses for this technology in areas like planning, assessing, police, fire and recreation,'' said Myers,
Assistant Public Works Department Luke Powell, who along with Hicks gave a presentation to the City Council Monday night on the city's GIS efforts, said the city realized a substantial savings by doing the work in-house.
''We hit a gold mine when we got Amy,'' said Powell, who said Hicks has been able to put together the hardware, software and data which provides instant and easy access to information which previously took hours to track down.
''It's been very useful in managing our system. If there's a problem we can pinpoint it right away,'' Powell said.
He noted hat the city has 75 miles of sewer main, including 18 miles of gravity sewer lines over 110 years old, many of which are six-inch clay sewer lines built before the 1920s.
Powell said that in the near future the city may also be required to map its storm water system, which he said the city is fortunate in that those who designed and built the city sewer and storm drainage systems in the late 19th century kept them separate, avoiding problems which cities like Manchester are now having to deal with.
Hicks said that the present system will need a great deal of refinement before it is useful for all city departments. She said that currently she has to transfer information from the Water Department to the GIS database at Public Works by use of a flash (thumb) drive.
Myers said that ultimately the city's GIS will most likely need to be a satellite based or ''in the cloud'' so that it can be accessed remotely from tablet computers and even cellphones by city employees from multiple locations with different levels of security based on user capabilities and responsibilities.
Council members and Mayor Michael Seymour all expressed enthusiasm for the GIS system and the many uses that city departments will find for it.
NOTES: The council approved the sale of the former Laconia Police Department building at 51 Church Street to WBIN Media for $1. The purchase and sales agreement calls for the new owner to make at least $300,000 in improvements to the building and to use it for at least five years as a radio and television broadcast studio. Bill Binnie, owner of WBIN Media, plans to move WLNH radio from Gilford to the new location and to spend around $800,000 on turning it into a broadcast studio. . . . . . The council approved creation of a Tax Increment Finance (TIF) district for the Weirs, which allow increased tax revenues generated by property improvements to be dedicated for use only in the TIF district area.  It is the city's third TIF district. The other two are downtown Laconia and Lakeport. . . . . . The council approved by a 4-1 vote, with Ward 4 Councilor Brenda Baer opposed, a $1 million bond issue for the Huot Career Center/Laconia High School renovation project. The bond will help the city school district receive 40 percent in state building aid for a portion of the $16.8 million school building and renovation project which is not eligible for the higher 75 percent reimbursement rate for the vocational education portion. . . . . . The mayor and council praised the work of City Manager Scott Myers in his first 18 months on the job and approved a 5.2 percent pay raise which brings his salary to $100,000.