Seriously – no collusion here? At all? Just a simple case of “coincidence”, I’d be willing to bet. Yep, that’s gotta be it…
SHOT: I HAVE TO INTERVENE (entire letter to the Delegation at post bottom)! My personal letter and mine alone!
January 24, 2022
Re: Gunstock Mountain ResortHonorable Members of the Belknap County Delegation and Gunstock Area Commission,
I begin by acknowledging that I have no statutory authority to intervene in the events that have overtaken the Gunstock Mountain Resort. However, I feel it’s important to let you know that I’ve received a very significant number of emails written personally by my constituents in the five Belknap County communities I represent in Senate District 2 (New Hampton, Meredith, Center Harbor, Sanbornton & Tilton), as well as from citizens within Belknap County but not in S02. Without exception, they are increasingly aggravated by the contentious relationship between the delegation and the commission and the resulting uncertainty about Gunstock’s future. Their concerns have been heightened by the retention of legal counsel (an added expense to Belknap County taxpayers and Gunstock), as the two bodies are now facing each other as adversaries. This is truly unfortunate. I also believe it’s unnecessary, and that the growing displeasure of our citizens should bear significant weight in establishing a way forward.
The Gunstock Area Commission has developed, publicly presented, and approved a Master Plan designed to make the enterprise a successful, sustainable entity. The next step will be to execute against that Plan, and doing so will require Commissioners who are proven, world class community and business leaders with the specialized skills to make Gunstock an enduring success, consistent with the vision and expectations of the citizens of Belknap County. Doing so will also require a management team capable of maximizing Gunstock’s potential to benefit the County, with employees confident in the future of their livelihoods. Please consider the effects your actions are having on the employees whose confidence in the future of the mountain is being undermined by politicizing the operation of the business….
CHASER: Bought and paid for Gunstock Mountain Resort’s law firm – Devine-Millimet?
Really – a personal letter requiring legal review by the same firm that GAC Commissioner Gary Kiedaisch seeming has been using as his own personal lawyer? And then Gary Kiedaisch having a long phone call with the lawyer, Tom Quarrales, about it? Somehow, to me, “personal” and “heartfelt” don’t seem to fit in well here.
It must be because I’m tired…maybe…perhaps…or I’ve become cynical? How about “a setup in the making” for public relations putsch?
HANGOVER: Butting in using NH State Senate letterhead (no credit to Devine-Millimet for review)?
By the same guy who says, I’m told, he doesn’t speak to mere Representatives when he’s in a pique (which seems to be more often than in years past) and has threatened to replace a number of the present Belknap County Delegation’s State Reps. Yeah, persuasive, that.
With whose money, there, Bobby? More than a few have thoughts on that…
Letter:
January 24, 2022
Re: Gunstock Mountain ResortHonorable Members of the Belknap County Delegation and Gunstock Area Commission,
I begin by acknowledging that I have no statutory authority to intervene in the events that have overtaken the Gunstock Mountain Resort. However, I feel it’s important to let you know that I’ve received a very significant number of emails written personally by my constituents in the five Belknap County communities I represent in Senate District 2 (New Hampton, Meredith, Center Harbor, Sanbornton & Tilton), as well as from citizens within Belknap County but not in S02. Without exception, they are increasingly aggravated by the contentious relationship between the delegation and the commission and the resulting uncertainty about Gunstock’s future. Their concerns have been heightened by the retention of legal counsel (an added expense to Belknap County taxpayers and Gunstock), as the two bodies are now facing each other as adversaries. This is truly unfortunate. I also believe it’s unnecessary, and that the growing displeasure of our citizens should bear significant weight in establishing a way forward.
The Gunstock Area Commission has developed, publicly presented, and approved a Master Plan designed to make the enterprise a successful, sustainable entity. The next step will be to execute against that Plan, and doing so will require Commissioners who are proven, world class community and business leaders with the specialized skills to make Gunstock an enduring success, consistent with the vision and expectations of the citizens of Belknap County. Doing so will also require a management team capable of maximizing Gunstock’s potential to benefit the County, with employees confident in the future of their livelihoods. Please consider the effects your actions are having on the employees whose confidence in the future of the mountain is being undermined by politicizing the operation of the business.
The Commission serves as a Board of Directors for the enterprise, and it would be negligent, if not in fact reckless, to remove and/or appoint Commissioners without a careful search process that seeks and selects the most qualified applicants based on the needs of the Commission and the enterprise. Such a process would be well-advised to include a venue allowing our citizens to express their thoughts in a public forum dedicated expressly to the future of Gunstock. Commissioners Mclear and Kiedaisch, both highly accomplished and proven businessmen and leaders, have put in place an outstanding management team that is, according to Chief Financial Officer Cathy White, delivering the best financial results ever achieved in the history of the resort. Their removal and/or unwarranted interference by the delegation would deal a serious blow to the trajectory they have established and the team they have assembled.
To that end, a one-night application, interview, and selection or removal process that excludes input from the citizens of Belknap County can in no way be in the best interests of any Gunstock stakeholders, including the delegation. Selecting and appointing Commissioners should be based on qualifications and experience. not on a political agenda that was neither requested by nor presented to the citizen-owners of Gunstock.
Due regard for the importance of the actions being contemplated must be part of the delegation’s calculus. While you certainly have the authority to appoint and remove Commissioners at will, the exercise of that authority should be done using a process that assures the best possible outcome for the resort, its employees, and above all, the citizens of Belknap County. Based on the number and nature of the emails t’m receiving, there is clearly a serious question as to whether the public supports the delegation’s current course of action. I am quite certain that the public will express its thoughts freely, in a public forum about the Gunstock’s future if one is provided, and in November if one is not.
Because the delegation has neither the business acumen nor the continuity of membership needed to run a multi-million-dollar business in a capital-intensive, weather-dependent, highly competitive tourism industry, I’m asking each of you think very carefully before deciding on whether the present course of action will produce the best outcome, or if an alternative process would better serve the interests of all Gunstock stakeholders.
Last week (January 18th) I sent a private email to delegation Chairman Sylvia and acting GAC Chairman Kiedaisch asking for a private meeting to consider a different way forward. Mr. Kiedaisch responded immediately that he would welcome such a meeting. At the January 19th GAC meeting the next evening, the delegation Chairman Sylvia indicated to me that he was not willing to meet privately. After the GAC meeting adjourned, I asked Mr. Sylvia if he would reconsider his decision, and after a thoughtful discussion, he agreed to do so. To date, no reply has been forthcoming.
A private meeting attended by Chairmen Sylvia and Kiedaisch and facilitated by a neutral party would be an excellent first step towards developing a constructive process to address any and all concerns. There would be no quorum of the delegation or the commission at this meeting, thus it would meet the requirements of RSA 91-A. I am convinced that a private discussion will be needed to put an end to the vitriol that has overtaken this matter, and to reach consensus between the leaders of both bodies to develop the best possible collaborative process for governing and managing the Gunstock Mountain Resort in the future.
Results of the process developed at the private meeting would be presented to the delegation and the commission by the facilitator and respective Chairs at a subsequent (preferably joint) public meeting, respectful of the provisions of RSA 91-A. The two bodies could then evaluate and amend the proposed process if necessary. Our objectives should be (1) to de-escalate the adversarial relationship impeding progress and potentially endangering Gunstock’s future; and (2) to unite behind, and endorse, a plan that prioritizes and serves the needs of all stakeholders in the enterprise to assure its future success.
I am willing to facilitate such a meeting and the subsequent process if you are amenable. However, regardless of whether or not you choose a more constructive way forward, and regardless of who you choose as a facilitator, one thing is certain: there will be no constructive outcome by continuing the current hostilities. We must be committed to delivering the best possible outcome for Gunstock, the Delegation, the Commission, the patrons of the mountain, and most importantly, the good people of Belknap County, who have a right to expect that the governance and management of Gunstock will be accomplished responsibly, in clear view, and with full credence given to their input as the owners of the mountain.
Because of my enduring friendships with many of you over the years, I am quite certain that you share those expectations, and humbly stand ready to do whatever is necessary to end the divisiveness and attend to the issues at hand in way that reflects credit on all involved in the process. I hope you’ll contact me to discuss this proposal in person (at home or in Concord), by phone (603-219-9643) or by replying to this email.
On behalf of the citizens we serve, thank you for your consideration as we work to build a better future.
Respectfully,
Bob Giuda
State Senator
NH District 2
So, Bob, is the smirk you had on your face tonite at the Belknap County Republican Committee meeting (showing up an hour late, knowing you wouldn’t be confronted during the program, and then scurrying out like a little mouse almost before the gavel fell to adjourn the meeting) still there?
Are you beaming with pride that “you’ve put one over the Conservatives” that folks voted to make them NH State Reps?
Or is it Gary Kiedaisch, instead, the one beaming like Emperor Palpatine?
(H/T: They already know)
