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Council schedules public hearing on using reserve funds — up to $30,000 — to replace Laconia fire department boat motor
Summary
The City Council voted to schedule a June 9 public hearing on a request to use non-capital reserve funds to replace an unsalvageable motor on the city’s primary fire rescue boat; the chief said a new four-stroke motor could return the boat to service in June and the replacement would cost up to $30,000.
The Laconia City Council voted on May 27 to schedule a public hearing for its June 9 meeting on a request to use up to $30,000 from reserve funds to replace the motor on the fire department’s primary rescue boat.
Fire Chief Joubert told the council the department responds to emergencies on Lake Winnipesaukee and Paugus Bay and that Boat 1 is currently out of service. The chief’s recommendation is to replace the unsalvageable motor with a new four‑stroke motor at a cost not to exceed $30,000. City staff noted that if the request is approved by council and the trustees of trust funds, the capital reserve account would still hold approximately $232,444 after the replacement.
Councilors questioned coverage during the outage and whether neighboring departments could assist; the chief said other towns have limited options and that the department’s 13‑foot towable boat is not appropriate for large-lake responses. When asked how soon the boat could be serviceable after replacement, the chief said, "My hope, is that it would be serviceable in June." He added that retrofitting from a two‑stroke to a four‑stroke engine will take time but is achievable.
The council scheduled the required public hearing for June 9. If approved by the council, the request would return to the trustees of the trust funds for acceptance before funds are released.
