West Concord Nominees Withdraw Names

Three nominees to the extended West Concord Task Force have withdrawn their green cards for the committee, according to a source familiar with the recruitment effort.

Fritz Kussin, his daughter Louisa Yamartino and John Boynton IV withdrew amid controversy that having them on the planning committee for West Concord was a conflict of interest on two counts.

Kussin and his daughter are thought by some to violate the restriction against having family members serve on a committee together, and Boynton owns several properties in West Concord that may have come under zoning changes recommended by the task force.

"He would have to recuse himself from the vote," said Debbie Bier, a vocal opponent of the three nominees. "His point of view would have been silenced."

"It doesn't meet anyone's needs to have him gagged," said Bier.

Bier said having both Fritz and his daughter both withdraw was overkill because if one had stayed on, there would not be two family members on the same committee. Bier said Yamartino had "some conflict" because she is a board member of the Chamber of Commerce.

But Yamartino said in an email that her membership on the Chamber board is, in her mind, a benefit, not a drawback.

"I withdrew my name because the task force made themselves clear that my participation would create a difficult working situation not because of any 'red herring' of a conflict of interest," said Yamartino.

Selectman Greg Howes made the nominations to an expanded task force that is looking at various zoning changes to West Concord. Bier said even without the three new names, the task force has enough members to continue.

Howes is unavailable this week, his office stated.

Task force member Jimi Two Feathers said he asked Boynton, Kussin and Yamartino to attend the June 19 forum on planning in the West Concord Industrial Zone.

"They are still being included," said Two Feathers.

"My concern is that even the perception of a conflict of interest is in the town handbook as something that should be avoided," said Two Feathers. "It's a sticky situation. But I have hopes that John (Boynton) can work with the task force."

Two Feathers emphasized that opposing the three nominees was "nothing personal." He made that point at the selectmen's meeting when Howes proposed the nominees that will be finalized at the selectmen's June 14 meeting.

"We have gone a long way to earn the trust of the community," said Two Feathers. "We don't want anything to hurt our effort."