Bedford council, state senator debate housing bills as senator urges residents to sign in and testify

Councilors spent an extended portion of their Feb. 12 meeting discussing pending state legislation related to housing, zoning and land use and whether the town should take a unified position. The council also heard from Sen. Denise Ricciardi, who urged Bedford residents to use the legislative "sign-in" portal and attend the Feb. 20 senate session to register opposition to bills she said would undercut local control.

Town Manager Rick Sawyer noted the New Hampshire Municipal Association circulates a weekly legislative bulletin and that NHMA and other municipal advocacy groups already track bills and testify in Concord. Councilors said they were concerned that many proposed bills are driven by developer priorities and could reduce local zoning authority, change minimum lot-size standards and shift costs to municipalities.

Councilor Kathleen Bemis raised the issue of whether the state is addressing a "housing crisis" or an affordability problem and argued that proposed changes appeared to favor developers rather than residents. She urged quick action because several bills were moving through committee schedules that could bring votes in the coming weeks.

Sen. Denise Ricciardi told the council she opposed extreme measures and described the importance of municipalities registering views before committee executive sessions. "Before the hearing, you need to sign in in support or opposition. It does matter," Ricciardi said, urging residents to use the portal on the state website and, if possible, to be present in Concord on Feb. 20. She said she would speak against Senate Bill 84, which would change lot-size rules, and voiced strong opposition to Senate Bill 55, which she described as altering land-use change tax treatment in ways that could reduce funds available to towns.

Councilors discussed practical steps: inviting the town's state delegation to a council meeting, coordinating with NHMA, and asking residents to submit testimony through the legislative portal at nh.gov if they cannot appear in person. The council agreed to seek the delegation's attendance at a future meeting (the March 17 meeting was suggested) and encouraged residents to watch the municipal association's bulletin and sign in on bills important to Bedford.

No formal council resolution or vote was taken on the bills at the Feb. 12 meeting; council members instead discussed outreach options, including drafting letters or sending representatives to testify in Concord.