The Laconia City Council voted 5–1 on Dec. 20 to adopt an ordinance that establishes the Human Relations Committee (HRC) as an official city committee, a decision that followed nearly two hours of public testimony and detailed council debate.

Supporters and longtime committee members said the HRC organizes community events and brings volunteer energy to projects such as Martin Luther King Day commemorations. “This is all done by the Human Relations Committee and its volunteers,” Patrick Wood, the HRC chair, told the council, saying the committee planned the Jan. 18 MLK commemoration. David Osmond, another committee member, said the group has secured grant funding and asked that the ordinance permit the committee to call emergency meetings when necessary.

Opponents urged caution and asked the council to postpone formalizing the committee until it had a clear mission statement, policies and measurable outcomes. “Creating a committee first and then figuring out its purpose later is no good,” Doug Robinson said during public comment, urging the council to pause the proposal.

Council debate focused on membership, residency and oversight. Several councilors supported requiring committee members to be Laconia residents and adding staggered terms so appointments would not expire all at once. Legal counsel drafted language requiring the city’s Government Operations and Ordinances subcommittee to prepare a purpose statement for the HRC; that statement is to be reviewed by legal counsel and approved by the full council prior to final adoption. The ordinance also requires the city council to re‑ratify the purpose statement every three years.

The council approved the ordinance “as presented and amended” and referred appointment of members to the Appointments Subcommittee and drafting of the HRC purpose statement to the Government Operations and Ordinances Subcommittee, with those referrals to occur after Jan. 1, 2026. Councilors described the referrals as a way to keep the committee under council oversight while allowing the group to continue some activities.

Mayor St. Clair framed the vote as an exercise of municipal oversight: a committee created by ordinance would have membership appointments and a mission statement subject to council control. Councilor Bogart, who unsuccessfully moved to table the measure, argued members should know the committee’s purpose before it is made permanent.

The ordinance language on the record used the file number announced at the hearing. The council also directed subcommittees to consider residence requirements and term staggering when preparing appointment recommendations.

The ordinance’s adoption closes the immediate question of the HRC’s status but leaves implementation details—appointment selections, the finalized purpose statement and specific operating procedures—to the subcommittees and subsequent council action.