Delegation pulls back from plans to consider Gunstock commissioners’ removal – for now

GILFORD — Three members of the Gunstock Area Commission have received a reprieve following the County Delegation’s decision to pull back from considering the commissioners’ possible removal at a meeting tonight, Tuesday.

The move was heralded by delegation critics who said the lawmakers had responded to the outpouring of public support for Gunstock Commission Chairman Brian Gallagher and fellow Commissioners Gary Kiedaisch and Rusty McLear.

Kiedaisch said Monday afternoon that he had been notified by the commission’s attorney of the change in agenda for tonight’s meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the County Complex. Delegation member and state Rep. Norm Silber confirmed the purpose of the meeting had changed.

Delegation chair, state Rep. Mike Sylvia, had informed delegation members in an email that the removal of Gallagher, Kiedaisch, and McLear would be examined tonight. Last Wednesday the commissioners, on a split vote, decided to go to court to stop the delegation from removing any commissioners. Gallagher reported late on Monday afternoon, after the courts had closed, that the judge had denied the request for a restraining order. A hearing on the matter has been scheduled for Dec. 23.

“The (Belknap County Delegation) will be meeting tomorrow night, but only for the purpose to defend this case,” stated attorney Bryan Gould of the law firm of Cleveland, Waters and Bass, which has been approached to represent the delegation in the matter. “As confirmed there will be no hearing to remove any (Gunstock) commissioner.”

“I think this has happened because of the groundswell of support on behalf of Gunstock and the commissioners,” Belknap County Commissioner Peter Spanos said when he heard the news. “I’m confident there was zero public support for removing these commissioners. I think when the members of the delegation saw this (reaction) some of them began to waver in their support for the removal. It was a good decision on the part of the chair (Sylvia).”

Almost 2,000 signatures had been collected by Monday afternoon on an online petition which was started Friday in support of the commissioners.

“I hope it will change the direction of the thinking” on the delegation, Kiedaisch said of the petition drive.

Asked what prompted the delegation to change the agenda of tonight’s meeting, Silber said, “I really don’t have any comment about that.”

The commission recently announced a multimillion-dollar, multiyear plan to expand the ski area and add new amenities, including a hotel. That plan is scheduled to be explained in more detail at a public gathering scheduled for Dec. 4.

The plan is opposed by some on the delegation, however, who believe that the county should not be running the recreation facility in the first place.

Silber is among members of the delegation who have been advocating for leasing Gunstock to a private operator which would make payments to the county in the form of rent, as well as payments in lieu of property taxes.

In addition, Silber and Sylvia are working to come up with legislation to repeal the 1959 law which placed Gunstock under the control of the five-member Area Commission, and relegate the facility to the status of a county department which would give the delegation control over Gunstock’s budget. Under the current setup, Gunstock operates as an enterprise fund and is not included in the county’s operating budget.