Gunstock lodge A/C OK’d, but not without a tussle

GILFORD — Plans can proceed for installing air-conditioning at Gunstock’s base lodge after the Gunstock Area Commission voted to release funds necessary to start the $293,000 project.

The approval came on a 4-0 vote during a special meeting Friday during which discussion centered for a time over whether one of the commissioners is still legally in office.

The meeting was scheduled to give the management of the county-owned recreation facility permission to pay the deposit on the air-conditioning equipment that was on order. The deadline for making the deposit was Friday.

The commissioners authorized the payment of up $70,000 for the deposit and up to $225,000 for the balance of the costs.

Gunstock Chief Financial Officer Cathy White said the money would come from profits in Gunstock’s current operations.

Gunstock President Tom Day said, with the approval, the project is on track to be completed by Memorial Day.

At a meeting last week, the commission voted to freeze all capital projects pending further due diligence. That action made it necessary for the commission to reconvene and vote to release the funds for the air-conditioning project which has been in the works for a year.

The expectation has been that the lodge would be air-conditioned by this summer. Gunstock has been booking wedding parties and other events in the lodge on the basis of that timeline.

About 15 people turned out for the meeting held in the 82-year-old base lodge. Commissioner Peter Ness did not attend.

At the very outset of the meeting Commissioner Dr. David Strang raised the issue of whether Commissioner Rusty McLear was still legally a member of the five-member panel.

He said McLear was appointed in May 2020 prior to the expiration of the term of Steve Nix, whose term was scheduled to expire in November 2020.

“You are 16 months overdue,” Strang told McLear. “You are no longer a commissioner.”

Commission Vice Chair Gary Kiedaisch said the minutes of a 2020 County Delegation meeting state the delegation Chair Mike Sylvia said that McLear’s term would be for five years. Belknap County Delegation is the body in charge of appointing members to the GAC.

But Strang said that what Sylvia said at that time was contrary to the state law which established the Gunstock Area Commission.

“One man’s opinion cannot change state law,” Strang said.

Strang was elected to the commission last month to fill out the term of Brian Gallagher whose term was due to expire in November.

Kiedaisch moved to cut off discussion of the issue of McLear’s term of office, saying that Strang was trying to “hijack” the meeting.

Strang denounced that characterization. He said the issue of legitimacy of McLear’s continued serving on the commission clouds the legality of its actions

“I want to vote for this air-conditioning project,” he said, “but if McLear is allowed to vote it will be invalid. We have to address the elephant in the room.”

Last week Kiedaisch disputed Strang’s participation in last week’s commission meeting, arguing that he had not yet been validly sworn in. Strang was sworn in by Sylvia minutes after Strang was elected by the delegation. But Kiedaisch said that law establishing the commission stipulates that members are sworn in at commission meetings.

In voting for the air-conditioning funds Commissioner Jade Wood said she believed that the project was an important step in ensuring that Gunstock will continue to be a self-sufficient operation.