County residents tell delegation to stop muscling in on Gunstock

LACONIA — County residents pleaded with the Belknap County Delegation Monday not to meddle in the operation of Gunstock.

Local officials, former Gunstock commissioners, local business owners, as well as ordinary citizens were among those who told the delegation that the county-owned recreation facility is well-run and profitable because of the capabilities of its senior management and the dedication of employees and that it would be mistake for the delegation — the county’s 18 representatives in the state House — to hinder the operation.

“Why fix something that isn’t broken?” Belmont Selectboard Member Jon Pike asked the panel during a public comment session.

Pike was among about 70 people who crowded the conference room at the County Complex for the delegation meeting at which the main item of business was consideration of the appointment of a new Gunstock Area Commissioner to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Brian Gallagher from the five-member panel which oversees the operation of Gunstock.

Delegation Chair Mike Sylvia initially allotted one hour for those in the audience to offer their views on Gunstock, with each speaker limited to three minutes. But the comment period was cut off after about 35 minutes when some in the audience protested that he would not give one speaker extra time to finish his comments.

Pike said he felt some members of the delegation have been heavy-handed in their treatment of some of the commissioners and said the members need to bear in mind that most county residents hold Gunstock in high regard.

“You have beaten them up.” Gunstock, Pike said, “is the one thing that ties all the towns (in Belknap County) together.”

Gunstock has become the subject of growing public interest in recent months in part because of a move by some delegation members to wrest control of Gunstock’s budget from the Gunstock Commission and give it to the delegation. Also, the appointment of the two newest Gunstock commissioners has been seen by some as an effort by the delegation to change the philosophy that Gunstock should be run like a financially independent and self-sustaining business. In addition there is concern over the possibility that Gunstock might somehow be privatized or leased out to a private entity which would then take over the operation of the facility.

Local real estate agency owner Frank Roche said leasing out Gunstock would be a bad idea.

“Leasing doesn’t work,” he said.

He pleaded with all sides in the growing Gunstock controversy to be less confrontational and work collaboratively in order to ensure Gunstock’s continued success.

“Everyone has to get together and come together,” he said.

Some said those on the delegation who have been critical of Gunstock have so far failed to offer a their own vision of how it should be run differently.

“How do you intend to make Gunstock better?” Al Posnack of Alton asked.

Woody Fogg, of Belmont, said he served on the Gunstock Commission for 15 years (from 1987 to 2001) — a time he described as a period of transition from “benign neglect to cooperation and investment.”

“Gunstock has performed admirably,” Fogg said. He said the quality of people who serve on the Gunstock Commission is vital to the area’s success and he admonished the delegation to “leave politics out of the selection” of commissioners.

Another former Gunstock commissioner, Bob Durfee, said that when he served on the commission from 2004 to 2019 there was a “cordial and productive relationship” between the commission and the delegation.

Tempers began to fray when Sylvia told Durfee to stop speaking when he had used up his allotted three minutes. When Durfee refused to comply, and some in the audience loudly protested that Durfee be allowed to continue, Sylvia abruptly cut the public comment period short.

Gunstock Commission Vice Chair Gary Kiedaisch was one of the speakers who lamented that Commissioner Brian Gallagher had resigned a few weeks before because he found the level of controversy intolerable. But Kiedaisch vowed to continue serving on the commission.

“I’m here for the fight. I’m here for Gunstock and I’m here for the community,” he said.