Plymouth planning board debates reappointments, votes to recommend Mike Ahern and Sue Wood to select board

The Plymouth Planning Board on Feb. 6 recommended that the Select Board reappoint Susan Wood and Mike Ahern to the planning board after an extended discussion over process and conduct.

The board moved to recommend Susan Wood after she read a letter asking to serve another three-year term. The board then considered Mike Ahern’s request for reappointment and heard a separate, detailed written statement from a board member urging that Ahern not be reappointed because of what the writer described as repeated procedural violations and "exclusionary rhetoric." After discussion and an initial failed motion not to provide a recommendation, the board voted to recommend Ahern by a 4–3 margin.

Why it matters: Planning-board appointments determine who shapes land-use policy and zoning advice that the Select Board or town meeting may act on. The reappointment debate focused less on specific land-use votes than on questions about how members communicate with each other and with the public, and whether those communications complied with RSA 91-A (New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know Law).

What the board said and did Susan Wood asked the Select Board to reappoint her for another three-year term; she identified her current service and said housing and related planning work remain priorities. The board moved to recommend Wood; members spoke in support of her experience and thoughtfulness, and the motion passed (vote tallies were not read aloud in the meeting transcript).

Mike Ahern read a letter seeking reappointment describing himself as a landlord who provides affordable rents and as someone who has taken state housing training. A different board member then read a long written submission that recommended Ahern not be reappointed, alleging repeated procedural and ethical problems, including a claim that Ahern’s outreach had violated RSA 91-A and that his rhetoric had linked low-income residents with crime.

Ahern denied the worst of the allegations, said his intent was to increase information and participation, and said he had contacted the town manager and, at one point, the Office of Planning and Development for guidance. Town staff said the town manager had seen the communications and intended to raise them with town counsel as needed; Ahern said he had attempted to follow the guidance he received.

Board members described the discussion as difficult. Some said Ahern brings useful perspective and knowledge of housing; others said his conduct had repeatedly diverted meetings and risked creating an appearance of procedural trouble. Phil Lamoreaux and others pressed on the specifics of electronic communications and what counts as a quorum under RSA 91-A.

Outcome and next steps - Susan Wood: the board voted to recommend her reappointment to the Select Board (motion passed; tally not read aloud). - Mike Ahern: after an initial motion not to make a recommendation failed, the board voted to recommend Ahern by a 4–3 vote. The Select Board will consider those recommendations before appointments that would take effect April 1, 2025.

Board members repeatedly said they expect any potential legal questions about communication practices to be clarified by town counsel. The board also discussed whether future appointment decisions should be deferred until after town meeting and whether planning-board seats should ultimately be elected rather than appointed.

Context and notable details - Several board members and members of the public said they value Ahern’s housing knowledge even as they criticized the manner of some of his outreach. - The written criticisms of Ahern, read into the record, included a specific allegation about an email strand that a critic said created a quorum and therefore constituted an unnoticed meeting under RSA 91-A; Ahern disputed some of the critic’s characterizations and said he had consulted town officials about the matter. - The Select Board has asked the planning board for input on appointments; some members said they prefer the Select Board wait until after town meeting to make any appointments or to move toward electing planning-board members.

Ending: The Select Board will receive the planning board’s recommendations and decide whether to reappoint Wood and Ahern; members said they expect additional discussion of appointment procedure and any needed clarifications of communication rules in coming weeks.