Council approves pay-by-app parking; public hearings set on time extensions and $3 extension fee

The Laconia City Council voted March 10 to adopt a pay-by-app system for meter parking and scheduled two public hearings for April 14, 2025, to consider allowing 1‑hour extension periods and to set the extension fee at $3 per hour.

Why it matters: The change will let motorists pay meter fees through a smartphone app. The separate hearings will determine whether drivers may remotely extend time beyond posted limits and whether a higher fee should apply to extended time to encourage turnover in short-duration spaces.

City Manager Kurt Biotti briefed councilors: implementing the app is a single decision; allowing remote extensions and setting a higher extension fee would require configuration of meters and software and a public hearing. Biotti and the public works director said implementation timing is constrained by vendor programming and that changes requested after mid‑April might not be in place for the summer season. Biotti recommended an April 14 hearing to allow programming time.

Councilors discussed parking patterns near the Mount Washington dock and the difference between 2‑hour and 5‑hour zones. Councilor Bogart noted that boat trips commonly last three hours and raised a question about whether visitors would need to add time by app after returning from a boat trip; staff explained the waterfront includes both 2‑hour and 5‑hour spaces and the Mount Washington ticketing area abuts longer‑duration parking.

The council approved the following motions, recorded as unanimous (6–0): adoption of pay-by-app; scheduling a public hearing 04/14/2025 on allowing 1‑hour extension periods; and scheduling a public hearing 04/14/2025 on setting the fee for 1‑hour extension periods at $3 per hour.

Ending: Public works staff will provide revenue and usage data before the April 14 hearings and will coordinate outreach to downtown businesses ahead of public comment.