BY JENN McDOWELL

After a tumultuous year, the Epsom Board of Selectmen appears to have gotten itself back on track – however rickety and uncertain that track may be, putting a battle between the road agent and selectmen behind them.

A joint press release from the town and road agent Gordon Ellis, dated Sept. 14, regarding Ellis’ ongoing legal battle with the town read: “The Town of Epsom and Gordon Ellis have settled the litigation between them. Neither the Town nor Mr. Ellis admit any wrongdoing. Rather, both parties are looking towards the future and the best interests of the Town.”

The fight over Gordon Ellis

The board’s troubles started in October 2006, when Ellis was stripped of his post after a few selectmen alleged he failed to obtain permission for some of the work he began on bridges and roads in the town.

The firing soon erupted into a storm of public outcry, legal proceedings and mistrust in the town’s officials.

Ellis sued the board in February, saying selectmen, particularly Robert McKechnie, had violated the the town’s ethical code.

Ellis’ lawyer, Lee Nyquist, argued that Ellis could not be fired because he was an elected official, and that selectmen had acted unlawfully in doing so.

Hundreds of Ellis supporters showed up at several public hearings on the issue, calling both for Ellis to be reinstated as road agent and for the Board of Selectmen to dissolve.

In addition to the citizens’ petition calling for the removal of Kitson, McKechnie and Bosiak from the board, other warrant petitions up for discussion at March’s meeting suggested the selectmen be stripped of much of their given authority, including one that would have greatly diminished their handling of town department budgets.

Lack of trust in selectmen

There are still ongoing legal actions against the board, but since last year a lot has transpired in the way of change.

The town election added three fresh perspectives to the board in the form of Joanne Randall, Bob Blodgett and John Klose.

The town’s lack of confidence in the board was so bad that at their first public meeting with the fresh additions, following the elections in March, they could not pick a chairman.

None of them wanted to step into a position as volatile and unforgiving as chairman of the Epsom Board of Selectmen.

In a compromise, Randall agreed to remain vice chairman for the entire year if the other four selectmen would share the chairman’s position. McKechnie, Blodgett, Klose and Kitson are all on a six-week rotation to bear the duties of the chairmanship.

“It’s been a much better board,” McKechnie said. “We’ve got to make sure people know what’s going on here.”

Residents had attempted to oust Bob McKechnie, the late Peter Bosiak and Joni Kitson from the board in the town election in March after a legal firestorm of what many residents saw as ethical violations and secrecy among board members involving the firing of road agent Ellis.

All three were still in the middle of their terms and thus could not be voted out. Nonetheless, the town wrote in a petition on the town’s warrant in March to have them ousted from the board.

Even though their votes would not change anything, Epsom residents passed the write-in article by an overwhelming majority.

Bosiak passed away in June after a battle with a long list of ailments, but Epsom resident Dave Fiorentino said the town will most likely vote both Mc-Kechnie and Kitson out in this year’s election.

He added that the town is working on a warrant article to cut the Board of Selectmen down to three people.

“The townspeople really know enough not to ever vote for these people,” Fiorentino said of McKechnie and Kitson.

A smoother future

On the whole, according to McKechnie, the past few months have paved a smoother road for the town’s selectmen and its residents.

“We all need to work together as a team,” he said.

Randall agreed the board’s progress has resonated with the town.

“Considering the way the year started, I think we’ve come a long way,” she said.

Even Ellis, who was re-elected to the position of road agent in a 4-1 vote, said he can’t complain about the transitions the board has gone through since elections.

He especially praised JoAnne Randall and John Klose, two of the three newest selectmen, whom Ellis said are outstanding additions to the board.

“Are they perfect? Of course not, nobody is,” he said. “They have the town’s best interest at heart.”