Belknap County Delegation scheduled to meet Sept. 1

LACONIA — The Belknap County Delegation will meet at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 1, at the County Complex. According to the meeting posting, the meeting has been called to “consider a Supplemental Appropriation of ARPA funds in the amount of $483,900 and to consider authorizing cost items for four collective bargaining agreements.” The meeting was noticed on Aug. 19. 

The meeting was called per New Hampshire RSA 24:9-c, which states that the chair shall call a meeting of the county convention upon the written request of the commissioners. 

According to County Commission Chair Peter Spanos, the commissioners requested that the delegation meet to review requests to use ARPA funding for brick and mortar updates to the Belknap Mill and the Laconia Municipal Airport, and for an expansion of the WOW Trail. 

Spanos said that the commissioners expect the delegation to look on these requests favorably. “These funds lapse Dec. 31, 2024, and we see no compelling reason for the delegation not to grant these appropriations,” Spanos said in written communication with The Daily Sun. 

The official agenda of this meeting, and whether it includes any other items, has not been published. Delegation Chair Rep. Mike Sylvia did not respond to a request for comment on the agenda of the upcoming meeting. County Administrator Debra Shackett said in an email on Aug. 23 that she did not yet have an agenda. 

Outside of its occasion, an air of unrest surrounds the meeting. 

The delegation has not convened since its Aug. 1 emergency meeting, where a quorum voted to appoint Denise Conroy to the Gunstock Area Commission and accepted a conditional verbal resignation by Dr. David Strang from the GAC. County resident Stephen Peterson filed a temporary restraining order in an attempt to prevent that meeting. Peterson’s motion was declared moot by a judge since it was not viewed by the court until after the meeting had taken place. A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 20.

That meeting’s legality was defended in a letter to Sylvia by County Attorney Andrew Livernois before it took place. Sylvia had called the meeting “defective” and did not attend. 

Livernois noted in his letter that, in Hull v. Grafton County, the state Supreme Court “made clear that in situations where the County Convention mistakenly holds a meeting that was improperly noticed, the defect can later be cured by simply posting another meeting within the statutory deadlines, and then having the members ratify their prior decision.”

Given Livernois’ point, it is possible that the Aug. 1 coalition of delegates could, at this meeting or a future one, vote to ratify the votes taken at the emergency meeting. Because of his legal action, questions about Strang’s resignation would remain, but delegates could double down on all actions taken at the meeting, such as the acceptance of Peter Ness and Gary Kiedaisch’s resignations from the GAC and the appointment of Commissioner Denise Conroy.

Livernois was out of the office and could not be reached for comment.