Complaint prompts city to hide info for project applicants

LACONIA — Before people come before a city board for a zoning variance or other official request, they often fill out an application that includes their telephone number and email address.

The city has begun to redact, or black out, that information and it will no longer be available to the public, Planning Director Dean Trefethen said Wednesday.

This contact information, which is available to the public in some other cities, including Concord, is now being kept private after a couple applicants were harassed.

“In one instance, the harassment involved an abutter calling the applicant repeatedly and using derogatory, sexist, and vulgar language,” Trefethen said.

Details including the name of the applicant, the address of the property and specifics of the request will continue to be provided. Also, residents could address the issue at a public hearing if one is held.

Trefethen said he called the city’s legal counsel and confirmed the contact information could legally be withheld from public view online and in person.

“There is no requirement in the Right-to-Know law that says we have to obtain or share phone numbers or email addresses,” he said.

Michael Foote, a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, said he doesn't agree with the change. 

"I would think that's public knowledge," he said. "As an abutter, I would want to know. That's the way it should be.

"At least you'd know who's advancing what in town. It's hard enough to find out who's behind LLCs (limited liability corporations)."

Mayor Andrew Hosmer said he was not aware of the change, but that it would be unfortunate for anyone to use the contact information and be hostile with the applicant.

“Nobody likes to be harassed on the phone or by email,” he said. “Abutters have an opportunity to speak up at public hearings or contact the board directly and can speak up to the moving party in traditional mail.”

Phil Kincade, executive director of the New Hampshire Press Association, said that it may be a sign of the times that someone would be discourteous in a call to someone applying for a project before a city board.

“That’s something I hadn’t run into before, but it’s an outgrowth of where we are today in terms of common civility of human beings,” he said. “If someone can get that information, they will bombard you with hate mail or hate speech because they don’t like your project.”