Bill to change Gunstock management deep-sixed

By ROGER AMSDEN, LACONIA DAILY SUN

CONCORD — A bill that would have given the Belknap County Delegation greater authority over the management and operation of the county-owned Gunstock Mountain Resort has been sidelined for the current legislative session.

House Bill 1702 was deemed inexpedient to legislate by the House Municipal and County Government Committee Tuesday afternoon by a 13-0 vote with one abstention.

The bill would have transferred final authority over Gunstock’s budget to the delegation.

Control of Gunstock’s annual budget currently is exercised by the Gunstock Area Commission, a five-member body established by legislation in 1959 as an independent political entity, empowered to manage Gunstock’s operations. Its members are appointed by the delegation.

HB 1702 was introduced by Rep. Valerie Fraser (R-New Hampton) and co-sponsored by Rep. Ray Howard (R-Alton), Rep. John Plumer (R-Belmont) and Rep. Marc Abear (R-Meredith).

It was filed after negotiation sessions between the delegation and commission failed to produce an agreed upon formula for annual payments from the recreation area to the county, a so-called memorandum of understanding, which in recent years had amounted to $175,000 a year.

The bill would have required convention approval for the strategic and business plans along with the operating budget and capital investments proposed by the management of the resort and endorsed by the Gunstock Area Commission.

The commission went on record in opposition to the bill, which it said could endanger Gunstock’s ability to remain competitive in the ski and recreation markets.

The commissioners noted that the sponsors of the bill have repeatedly indicated that they aim “to extract as much money from Gunstock as possible to offset the county tax burden” and suggested that future investment in the resort be reduced or foregone so retained earnings can be applied against the county tax commitment. They warned that, if this approach were to prevail, “Gunstock will become antiquated and unable to adapt to the changing winter and summer recreational environment, and will not be able to maintain its competitive edge in the marketplace.”