To the editor: Double standard in code of conduct questions

Dear Editor and others of concern:

In a recent Chester Telegraph article and at a recent Grafton Select Board meeting Selectman Al Sands was accused of violating Grafton’s Code of Conduct by meeting with representatives from Iberdrola Renewables. I should know as I was there.

If members of the community are concerned about conversations that Select Board members are having regarding the potential wind project, then the policy that governs ex parte communications should apply to all members of the Select Board, regardless of their views on the project. Absent this consistency, there would appear to be a serious double standard.

How many times have members of the Select Board met with representatives of the Grafton Woodlands Group, which opposes the Stiles Brook wind project? Shouldn’t the Code of Conduct apply to those meetings as well?

It is incredibly disappointing that members of our community have resorted to smear tactics. An open, honest debate is a healthy exercise and this type of behavior runs against the very grain of having a productive conversation.

Most worried,
Kent Armstrong
Grafton