Sheldon Morgan will retire as Gilford highway chief at the end of the year

GILFORD — Long-time Public Works Director Sheldon Morgan has announced his retirement and last night the selectmen, regretfully, accepted his resignation, effective near the end of the year.

Morgan has worked for the town of Gilford for 42 years and according to selectmen John O'Brien, knows where every pipe and ditch in the town is.

Selectmen have been advertising the position and decided last night that they will form a hiring committee.

Tentative members are Selectmen Richard "Rags" Grenier, former Selectman Kevin Hayes and Town Administrator Scott Dunn.

Selectman Gus Benevides asked Highway Superintendent Brian DeNutte if he thought it would be beneficial to have a member of the department serve on the committee.

DeNutte said he really didn't know but when asked directly, said he would serve if that was what selectmen wanted.

Dunn said there are two schools of thought about having someone serve on a committee that would be hiring his or her own boss.

Board members agreed they didn't need to make a decision immediately as the closing date for applications isn't until December 19.

Morgan's last day is December 27.

In other business, Dunn told selectmen that after meeting with two separate law firms, he has been advised that the town should remove itself from any regulation of adult entertainment businesses except for matters of life-safety and zoning.

Dunn noted that he has been told that so-called adult entertainment is protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as freedom of expression.

The town is in the middle of a lawsuit filed by the owner of the former Kings Grant Inn because of what he says was the town's violation of his civil rights.

Will Drew had leased his business to a company that called itself Mardi Gras North that was the target of a N.H. Drug Task Force raid in October of 2011.

Although Drew had nothing to do with the operation of the Mardi Gras, he claims in a suit filed in U.S. District Court, District of New Hampshire that when he went to reopen his business in 2012 and 2013, the town sullied his reputation by making him answer a series of questions regarding drugs and alcohol regulations before it gave him permission to reopen his club.

Drew and his business partner Tom Lyons reopened the adult venue calling it the Lakes Region Cafe and Tavern over the course of the summer, however it was shut down by the Fire Department about three weeks ago because of some fire safety issues.

Drew has declined to comment about the recent closure other than to say that he is working with Fire Department officials to address the issues.

Selectmen tabled further action on the town's entertainment ordinance because Dunn said he has a meeting scheduled today with one group of attorneys. He said he would report back to selectmen on December 19 at their next regular meeting.