Lebanon task force to draft welcoming resolution, prioritize outreach before Sept. 16 council meeting

The Welcoming Lebanon Task Force on July 20 agreed to draft a resolution expressing the city's welcoming values and to focus on education and targeted outreach to vulnerable communities, aiming to present a recommendation to the Lebanon City Council on Sept. 16.

Chair Phil Roberts opened the meeting by locating a missing public comment and reviewing procedural rules, including that meetings follow New Hampshire RSA 91-A. He said a resolution could "present the community's values" without creating the enforcement obligations of an ordinance, and noted recent state actions complicate local enforcement of parts of the earlier welcoming ordinance.

"I do think there was pretty widespread support for a resolution," Roberts said, explaining that a resolution is a public statement of values while an ordinance would carry regulatory weight and potential enforcement implications.

Task force member Casey Montas said public feedback showed a consistent desire "to make sure that our city is welcoming" and that many commenters urged the group to act in ways that reflect those values rather than prescribe one single option.

The group also emphasized outreach and education: Lindsay Dearborn, a task force member, said confusion in public responses pointed to a need for clear materials explaining "what it says and what that means for our stance as a city," and suggested the DEI Commission could be asked to prioritize an educational campaign. Members discussed using existing community relationships to gather input confidentially and avoid exposing vulnerable people to risk.

An online comment from Amelia Serene of Ward 2, read into the record by the chair after it had been omitted from the packet, urged support for "a strong welcoming ordinance" and criticized federal agencies such as ICE and Border Patrol. The comment was entered into the meeting record and will be considered as the task force drafts options.

The task force set a drafting and review schedule: an initial draft will be discussed Aug. 3, further work is expected by Aug. 24, and the group agreed to cancel an Aug. 12 meeting. The task force tentatively scheduled a formal vote on its recommendation for Sept. 9 so materials can be prepared for the City Council meeting on Sept. 16. Roberts said he would circulate potential language in the next day or two as "a series of possibilities" for members to review and respond to directly (not as an open online conversation) to comply with open-meeting rules.

Members also discussed translation and multilingual outreach, saying the appropriate languages and formats should be determined through the community conduits they plan to use rather than by guessing at needs. The meeting concluded at 6:21 p.m.; next drafting and review meetings are scheduled under the timeline noted above.

The task force approved the June 8 minutes at the start of the meeting; Lindsay Dearborn moved to approve and Casey Montas seconded, and the vote was unanimous among those present.