Mayor kicks Hildreth, Soucy off Appointments Committee

LACONIA — After a failed 2-4 vote to disband the Appointments Committee at the Monday city council meeting, Mayor Mike Bordes immediately removed Councilors Jon Hildreth (Ward 1) and Bob Soucy (Ward 2) from the subcommittee. The move comes after a right-to-know law violation during a recent appointment kerfuffle, where Soucy violated the state’s open records law through an email.

The two will be replaced by Councilors Mark Haynes (Ward 4) and Steven Bogert (Ward 5), effective immediately.

“On Feb. 14, 2022, the city council voted to create a standing city council committee tasked with screening candidates interested in serving the city’s boards, commissions and committees and to recommend appointment of those candidates,” Bordes said. “I move to disband the appointments committee of the city council as presented, and procedurally return to interviews being conducted by the full council prior to approving or denying all candidate appointments.”

Bordes pushed for transparency for constituents during meeting remarks.

“I just think in order for transparency and open government, the best course forward right now is for anybody that wants to be interviewed for a committee to come before the entire city council in a recorded meeting, and have the opportunity to be heard by all of us.”

Those in favor of disbanding the committee were Councilors Mike Conant (Ward 6) and Bogert, and Councilor Eric Hoffman (Ward 3), Hildreth, Soucy, and Haynes rejected the motion.

“I think in light of recent events with the appointments committee, I think we have two options,” Conant said. “We either bring it to full council, and revisit creating an appointments committee in the future. Or if we’re going to keep the Appointments Committee, there needs to be action taken to how it is currently comprised.”

Soucy corrected the record and clarified his involvement.

“We have not done anything behind anybody’s back. Anything at all. There’s no backroom situations you keep saying on social media to wind up people. That’s not happening,” he said, referring to Bordes’ post on Facebook after the council agenda was posted on the city's website, on Friday.

Hildreth also wanted to set things straight.

“Yes, there was one instance where inadvertently there was a mistake. We’re talking about one instance,” he said. “I think we should have maybe recorded the Appointments Committee [meetings]. I think maybe we can provide more information out of that committee. As Councilor Soucy stated, these are recommendations.”

Discussion was tense, and members of the public packed the council chambers, many coming to the podium for their two minutes of comment. The majority of comments on the topic were in favor disbanding the committee.

“You guys should be operating in the light, not the dark,” said Ward 2 resident John Adams. “That’s the whole point regarding accountability and following procedures and doing things in the light of the public; not the darkness. I’m encouraging you to pursue the disbandment of the Appointments Committee.”

Following the meeting, Bordes took to Facebook again.

“I tried to give certain councilors a way to correct course without dragging this city through more unnecessary drama. Disbanding the Appointments Subcommittee was the cleanest, most responsible solution on the table. It would have protected the process, protected the public’s trust, and frankly, protected a few people from consequences,” he wrote.

“That lifeline was rejected. Not because it was wrong for the city, but because some councilors were more interested in preserving committee than preserving transparency. And when the 'life raft’ gets intentionally sunk, the next step becomes unavoidable.

“So I acted.

“Based on clear, documented violations of RSA 91‑A that undermines the integrity of our appointments process, I removed Councilors Soucy and Hildreth from the committee. That decision wasn’t personal. It wasn’t political. It was necessary. When our standards aren't met, I will step in every time.

“My responsibility is to the people of Laconia not to pretending everything is fine when it isn’t.

That’s leadership. That’s accountability. And that’s what this community deserves.”

The appointments subcommittee is charged with interviewing applicants seeking positions on city boards and commissions. Following a meeting at the end of March, where members voted to recommend former Councilor Bruce Cheney for an alternate seat on the planning board, and Doreen Richards for full membership on the same, Soucy sent an email to Hildreth and Conant, who also serves on the committee, asking to discuss changing the decision ahead of the April 13 council meeting.

In an email dated March 31, Soucy told Hildreth and Conant that Cheney, who ran for mayor against Bordes and lost in November, was displeased with being recommended as an alternate.

“Can we have a phone discussion on the appointments to the planning board. I did talk to Bruce this weekend, and he is firmly embarrassed and upset over the alternate position to the planning board and I understand. He has been on the board from the City Council for over 8 years and being asked to be an alternate is not the step he wants to make. I want to talk to you both about this, and maybe we should bring this to the Council for a vote. We have 2 other good candidates, and we can have Doreen take an alternate position to help learn and in many cases, I can see her being the vote, as other people do not show. Let me know what time today or tomorrow works and I can set up a call, or we can get together somewhere,” the email reads.

•••

Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.