Another turnover on the horizon for Gunstock Commission

GILFORD — Hospitality entrepreneur Rusty McLear could well be off the Gunstock Area Commission soon, now that the Belknap County Delegation has scheduled a meeting for next month to consider applicants for his position on the five-member panel that oversees the operation of the county-owned recreation facility.

The delegation has scheduled a meeting for April 12, at 7 p.m. to “interview and appoint a new Gunstock Area Commissioner,” according to a notice of the meeting posted on the county’s website.

McLear was appointed to the commission on June 1, 2020, in what was described at the time as a five-year term, a duration that was reaffirmed six months later by delegation chairman, state Rep. Mike Sylvia.

But now Sylvia says that his statement was “in error” and that when the delegation appointed McLear it should have only been for the five months remaining in the term of Stephan Nix who resigned before the completion of his term, which would expire in November 2020.

“ … you are not presently validly serving as a GAC commissioner,” Sylvia stated in a letter to McLear dated March 16.

The commission met on Wednesday evening. McLear recused himself from speaking or voting at the meeting. Peter Ness was elected as chair of the commission.

The scheduled delegation meeting to select a new commissioner next month would make the third new commissioner named to the panel in six months.

Jade Wood was appointed last November, replacing Commissioner Russ Dumais. Last month Dr. David Strang was named to fill the eight months remaining in the term of Brian Gallagher who resigned citing the increasing stress and level of strife surrounding the commission.

Critics see the recent appointments as an attempt by Sylvia and a segment of the county delegation, including state Rep. Norm Silber, to stack the commission with people who want to take Gunstock in a different direction than that described in a master plan presented in the fall of last year by Gallagher, McLear and Commissioner Gary Kieidasch. That plan called for a significant development of the mountain's downhill skiing facilities, including the opening up of more terrain, a trailside hotel and a mountaintop restaurant.

At a special commission meeting on March 11 Strang said McLear was not a legitimate member of the commission.

“You are 16 months overdue (for replacement). You are no longer a commissioner,” Strang said at that meeting which had been called to authorize funds to install air-conditioning in Gunstock’s base lodge before the start of the summer season.

Kiedaisch, who has been serving as the commission’s acting chair since Gallagher’s resignation, said McLear’s departure from the commission would be a big loss.

“You want to have people on the commission with good expertise of the various areas that (Gunstock) is in,” Kiedaisch said.

McLear spearheaded a development in Meredith focusing on boutique hotels and other hospitality offerings which turned the town into a vacation destination and venue for special events.

Kiedaisch said he “strongly encouraged” McLear to apply for appointment to the commission back in 2020 because of his background as a hotelier, knowing that the commission and Gunstock management were looking seriously at the possibility of including a slope-side hotel as part of the area's master plan.

In his letter to McLear, Sylvia said that his understanding of the length of McLear’s term back in 2020 is unimportant. What matters, he said, is the language in the law establishing the Gunstock Commission which states if “a vacancy occurs it shall be filled for the remainder of the term.”

He told McLear that he is free to apply for reappointment to the commission if he chooses to do so.