Hiring conflict moderator in Sanborton in consideration stage

Selectboard Chairman Patsy Wells said last night the idea of hiring a "moderator" to try and resolve town political divisions was still in the consideration stage. At a Board of Selectmen’s meeting earlier this month, resident Don Foudrait asked the members what they were planning to do to resolve the deep divide among residents. He suggested the board consider hiring a “moderator” or some kind of resolution conflict expert to work out the long-standing ill feelings among neighbors.

Last night the Winnisquam Village Association (WVA) formerly threw its support behind Foundrait’s idea when it presented the selectmen with a letter, dated June 19.

“At the Selectmen’s meeting on June 7th, in a discussion of the long standing divisiveness that plagues Sanbornton, one of our members suggested that the Town address the issue by funding an outside professional, skilled in human relations, to study and make recommendations to end the perpetual hostilities,” the letter read. “The Directors of the Winnisquam Village Association endorse this proposal and requests that the Selectmen take the necessary action to implement it without delay.

“The effects of divisiveness have been and continue to be a determent to progress in our community,” it continued. “We have suffered from this problem for too many years and, despite good intentions, have not found a local solution.”

The letter added that a representative from the WVA should be included in a process of selecting “a consultant. This is a most important step and it is vital to all factions agree on the consultant’s qualifications and integrity.” Earl Leighton, chairman of the WVA, signed the letter.

During the public input session of Wednesday’s meeting in the town offices, Foudrait said the association, which he is belongs to, is really more interested in finding someone skilled at human communications than a mediator.

“We may need someone more like a consultant. That’s my personal position,” he said.

It’s no secret that Sanbornton is a divided community. About 35 percent of the residents live in the area around Lake Winnisquam. The “lake people,” many of who support or are members of the WVA, tend to be newer residents who pay higher taxes and are very concerned about the cost of the small town’s government.

The rest of the town is more rural, set back from the busyness of Route 3 in Tilton. More lifelong residents live here and they’re probably accustomed to a more casual approach to governing the community of less than 3,000.

But while other towns have their divisions the problems in Sanbornton seem to have gone to extremes. Recently a town employee asked the selectmen to take out a restraining order against a former selectmen she felt was harassing her at work. The town has been dealing with a slew of resignations in recent months, including several in the Department of Public Works. And Fire Chief Jerry Busby resigned in April after several members of his department made public complaints about his behavior to the Selectboard. (Busby requested that the personal meeting be held in public.)

After the WVA letter was presented Tuesday night, Selectboard Chairman Patsy Wells thanked Foudrait for his input, but she also pointed out that the costs of hiring any consultant needed to be taken into consideration.

Earlier this week, Wells said she and the other board members have not yet made any decision about hiring a “mediator” or any other kind of communications consultant. She said the issue was still “under consideration” by the board.