What’s at stake for Gunstock: the search for short term solutions as long term risks loom

GILFORD — It has now been over a week since the entire senior management team at Gunstock Mountain Resort resigned. In the last eight days, three mid-level managers have resigned with two weeks’ notices as well as six front-line employees. 

Others have remained at their posts: as Gunstock Marketing Manager Jennifer Karnan put it, “All the staff here really just wants to get back to normal.” 

At Tuesday’s Gunstock Area Commission meeting, employees in the crowd shouted at Commissioners Peter Ness and David Strang, “Just resign so we can get back to work!”

In search of short term solutions

Gunstock’s Soulfest Coalition planning team is currently focused on plans to execute the festival scheduled for next Thursday through Saturday, according to Karnan. Gunstock has had to cut back on some services originally promised for the event, such as lift rides to the summit. 

On Tuesday morning, Soulfest sent out a press release regarding its event, assuring that everything would continue as planned, thanks to the efforts of Gunstock’s remaining management. 

At the GAC meeting that same morning, there were repeated assurances from Commissioners Lambert and Wood that Soulfest would continue in a safe manner.

A letter to the GAC from management submitted prior to the meeting on Tuesday emphasized the liability and safety risks.

“New Hampshire Tramway and Amusement Ride Safety oversees compliance with the laws and safe operating procedures for mechanical ski lifts and amusement rides. For Summer operations, this includes the Panorama Chairlift and Mountain Coaster,” the letter reads, in part. “Without a GM in place there is a concern as to who is the responsible party for the operation of the lift and insuring that we are in compliance with the state code. Asking Gunstock staff to continue operating without a senior management team in place, leaves the resort in a vulnerable position should an incident occur.”

“This was a conclusion we came to prior to reaching out to our insurance carrier,” Karnan said, “but they affirmed our decision and echoed our reasoning that it would be a safety issue to run lifts,” under the current circumstances.

Soulfest organizers, Karnan said, “were not happy about this.”

She confirmed that representatives from Soulfest had, in writing, threatened legal action against the mountain if the summit lift does not run at the festival. Representatives from Soulfest could not be immediately reached for comment.

A request to Ness, chair of the Gunstock Area Commission, for documentation of this written correspondence, or confirmation of its existence, did not immediately receive a reply.

An invitation to a zoom planning meeting for all Soulfest organizational and planning parties was sent to the entire commission, but only Wood and Lambert represented the GAC at the meeting, according to Wood. Ness and Strang, Wood said, were also not present at a Soulfest planning and safety feasibility meeting held by Gunstock staff.

Karnan said that, while summit lift operations are included in the mountain’s contract with Soulfest, the mountain was confident the contract also allowed for safety risks to restrict that service.

“We believe we are well within our rights to not run the lift,” Karnan said. 

Looming, long term risks

Pertinent for Gunstock’s ability to reopen this summer, or to open at all this winter, is whether the senior management team returns. They have asserted this will only happen if Strang and Ness are no longer Gunstock Area Commissioners. Because they have thus far refused demands that they resign, their future as commissioners rests in the hands of the Belknap County Delegation, which is charged with hiring and removing members of the GAC.

A majority of delegation members called for a meeting, bypassing delegation Chair Rep. Mike Sylvia, to weigh whether the calls to remove Ness and Strang for cause hold water, and if the delegation should thereupon take action. 

That meeting was scheduled for Aug. 4. It was canceled after some of the delegation members who originally signed on to the meeting rescinded their support.

Sylvia then called a meeting, to be held Monday, Aug. 8, to appoint a replacement for Gary Kiedaisch. Kiedaisch resigned from the Gunstock Area Commission in solidarity with the staff last week, and has since withdrawn his resignation. The current and future make up of the GAC will, one way or another, be on the delegation's upcoming agenda.

At least another week will likely pass for Gunstock without senior management, meaning another week where GAC members Wood and Lambert are working with remaining staff to pull together the team and logistics needed to run Soulfest. Ness and Strang have not been to the mountain or in contact with staff, except for the GAC meeting, since management’s resignations, according to Karnan, with the exception of Ness’ presence last Thursday to oversee the removal of senior management and some communication from Ness to Karnan about press releases published last week.

The longer Gunstock goes without any senior management, the more at risk the winter season becomes. 

In an interview outside the GAC meeting, former General Manager Tom Day explained why. 

“In the ski business, winter starts in September,” Day said. This is when capital projects undertaken during summer — largely on hold for now — are "buttoned up" and when many winter hires, such as snowmaking staff, lift attendants, food and beverage employees, and grooming technicians, are onboarded. 

Rep. Norm Silber, who represents Gilford and has political ties to Sylvia, told the Boston Globe that the most likely outcome would be to hire a new management team. Wood and Lambert have publicly asserted their desire for the former senior management team to return and have been in regular contact with Day since he resigned, Day said, asking what they can do to get him to return.

Silber also emphasized that the removal process for any commissioners, in order to be true to due process, would probably take weeks if not months. 

Regardless of what management is at the helm, it is unclear whether employees in a highly competitive job market would want to join or rejoin the staff of a mountain mired by conflict and controversy.

At the GAC meeting, several employees said that if Gunstock does not open or is leased to a private ski corporation, they would not return. One said they would seek other work in the area, another said that they only work at Gunstock as a second job because of their love for it.

Day emphasized that if Gunstock failed to open for this winter season, it would be in dire financial straits.

“It’s a tough business to run: you have 13, 14 weeks in the winter to make 85, 90% of your money,” Day said. “We’re up against the gun and I’d say a week, week and half, then we’re in trouble. After a week or two weeks,  I don’t think it can... I don’t think we could do enough catch-up.”