Keene City Council passes LGBTQIA+ statement drafting to Human Rights Committee, reviews water system failures

Keene’s Human Rights Committee will take up the language for a potential LGBTQIA+ support statement as the city addresses fallout from a costly water main failure.

By Nicole Colson July 18, 2025 2:52 pm

Keene NH City Hall — My Keene NowKeene’s Human Rights Committee will take up the language for a potential LGBTQIA+ support statement as the city addresses fallout from a costly water main failure.

KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) A proposal to affirm support for Keene’s LGBTQIA+ residents is headed to the city’s Human Rights Committee after City Council opted Thursday night to let the group take the lead in crafting inclusive, representative language.

The issue, which has drawn strong opinions from across the community, surfaced earlier this month when Keene Pride urged the city to adopt a formal statement of support. Not long after, a petition from the Keene City Republican Committee countered, cautioning against city endorsement of specific groups. Rather than vote on the matter outright, councilors voted unanimously to task the Human Rights Committee with drafting a statement aimed at recognizing dignity and respect for all.

Councilor Bobby Williams noted during discussion that hate crimes targeting the LGBTQIA+ community have risen 23 percent nationally, adding urgency to the city’s deliberations.

The matter was one of several addressed during the council’s final meeting before a brief summer break. City Manager Elizabeth Ferland also delivered a detailed report on last week’s Water Street water main break, which dumped over a million gallons of water and caused nearly $22,000 in damage and emergency response costs. That figure includes 160 staff hours and immediate material repairs.

Ferland told the council that a contractor will be hired to finish resurfacing the damaged roadway, with that work expected to cost another $12,000 to $15,000. Given that this section of water main has experienced past issues, the Public Works Department is considering either major rehabilitation or full replacement.

She also announced that the city is working to implement New Hampshire’s statewide emergency alert system to improve communication with residents during incidents like last week’s infrastructure failure.

Councilors also approved other infrastructure and community matters during the session, including changes to parking rules near Washington and Court Streets, and accepted a number of donations—including $15,000 in community gifts and supplies offered during the water emergency.