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Laconia appeals board seeks outside counsel after city attorney conflict in permit matter
Summary
Chair Richard Boddie told the board March 10, 2026 that because the city attorney was representing the Fire Department, the Board sought separate legal representation; the City Manager connected the Board with counsel for this body.
During the March 10 meeting Chair Richard Boddie told members they had "reached out to City Manager Kirk Beattie who connected them with legal representation for this Board specifically because the counsel that the City uses was already representing the Fire Department." He said the need for separate counsel arose because the city attorney had a representation conflict with the Fire Department in the same matter.
The chair told members "they needed legal representation as this was not a formal matter," and the minutes note the Board acknowledged it should have given prior notice and apologized for that oversight. The arrangement with City Manager Beattie was recorded in the minutes as the Board’s route to secure independent legal advice; no further details about the outside counsel or a formal decision on timeliness are recorded in the minutes.
