Selectmen Hear Outrage Over Task Force

Concord selectmen wrestled long and hard over the charge and membership of the West Concord Task Force at its Monday night meeting, and wound up voting that the number would increase from 11 to 13 and approving the appointment of four new members.

The board also voted unanimously to add a member who is a commercial property owner and ask the task force to come with its own nominees for the remaining spots.

But the larger issue is over the task force's role which the board said has gone from advisory to advocacy. Selectmen accused the task force of having its own agenda for reshaping West Concord and hand-picking those members that fill a role toward that end.

Selection of members for the task force has caused bitter acrimony in recent days toward the selectmen and potential members of the task force. Three of the nominees took themselves out of the running, saying they did not want to be a source of conflict for the task force.

But their withdrawal from consideration enflamed the simmering bitterness. At the Monday night board meeting, West Concord residents Dorrie Kehoe and Mary Leonhardt expressed dismay at the ill will and general suspicion permeating the continuation of the task force.

"You can't change the situation, but you can lead," Kehoe exhorted the board. "You can find a way to get rid of the suspicion. It has become pernicious and toxic. Show some leadership and show you don't like the way this is occurring."

Kehoe's other gripe was the scope of the task force. She acknowledged the "hard work" done by the group, but said it had gotten away from its charge of tackling traffic, zoning, design standards and accessibility to open space in the West Concord area.

She hoped the board would assess the charge to the task force to rein it in.

Nominees John Boynton IV, Fritz Kussin and his daughter Louisa Yamartino withdrew their names from consideration after an outcry over conflict of interest since Boynton owns property in West Concord and Kussin and Yamartino are family members.

Selectman Greg Howes placed their names on the list, and he was singled out by a few residents for trying to place a property owner and family members on the committee. Howes was criticised for selecting residents with a conflict of interest.

But the board dismissed the criticism and voted to have the task force come up with its own nominees for three remaining open spots. The new nominees would then be subject to approval by the selectmen, as is the town's custom.

"The task force has gotten a bad rap," said resident Meg Gaudet, who withdrew from the committee to devote her time to heading up another committee.

Main Street resident for long-time teacher Mary Leonhardt rued the "savage attacks" on the three former nominees.

"The well has been poisoned," said Leonhardt. She said the task force has imposed a litmus test for new members which is detrimental to the "big tent" approach advocated by the selectmen.

Her husband Dick Leonhardt said the board should "dissolve the task force and reappoint" new members for a clean slate and a fresh start.

The selectmen appointed Matt Johnson, Phil Adams, Gary Kleiman and Barbara Brennan to the task force for a term expiring on May 31, 2012.

The other names will be submitted in the next two weeks.