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Council advances RV/camping ordinances and approves committee appointments
Summary
Council moved Chapter 183 (vehicles and traffic — RV/overnight parking) and Chapter 190 (camping on public property) to final reading and the consent agenda after public hearings; the council also appointed Rachel Carey to Parks & Rec and Evan Kelly to the Planning Board (all votes 7-0).
After public hearings on two ordinance changes, the Merrimack Town Council voted on Jan. 8 to send both items to final reading and place them on the consent agenda.
Amendments to Chapter 183 update definitions for motorhomes, camping trailers and pickup coaches and make it unlawful for such vehicles to park or remain on public property overnight (fines referenced). Councilors and staff clarified the change applies to public property (parks, town-owned land) and not private property; zoning rules may apply in some cases where campers attach to utilities at private residences.
The council also opened and closed a separate public hearing for Chapter 190, which would make it unlawful to use streets, sidewalks or public property as a place of camping without prior written permission of the town council or its designee. The council emphasized that welfare and town services remain available for residents who are struggling and that the ordinance’s intent is to regulate public property rather than to cut off resources.
Both ordinances were advanced to final reading and placed on consent by unanimous votes (7-0). The council also approved two appointments: Rachel Carey (full member, Parks & Recreation Committee) and Evan Kelly (full member, Planning Board), both by unanimous voice votes.
During public comment on the ordinances, residents asked whether the rules would criminalize unhoused people; councilors and staff said the town’s welfare office provides resource referrals and that the ordinance’s enforcement should be sensitive to local circumstances.
