By a 6-1 vote Thursday night, the Dublin Planning Board has agreed to  hold in abeyance their censure of Donna Garner last month. 

Garner was censured by the board during its Sept. 5 meeting regarding an incident at a neighbor’s property on Snow Hill Road in August. In a letter to the board on Aug. 20, Thomas and Maureen Hulslander stated that Garner came onto their Snow Hill Road property in spite of a no trespassing sign, introduced herself as a Planning Board member and caused work to be halted, costing the Hulslanders $625 in contractors’ charges. 

The couple stated that they had received a permit for the driveway work being done, and the censure stated that “Donna Garner was not acting in any official capacity for the Town of Dublin, NH as she asserted.”

At Thursday’s meeting, several board members expressed reservations regarding the group’s actions regarding Garner. 

“Censuring a member of this board is very serious,” said Archie McIntyre, who was the only Planning Board member to vote against censure. “This step was taken too rapidly.”

“We were blindsided as a board,” said board member Katy Wardlaw. 

“Why was the discussion about censure not in private last month?” asked Selectmen’s representative Chris Raymond. He added that according to a legal source consulted on the matter, “(Garner) should have been notified in advance and time afforded to refute the allegation, and then take a vote.”

“The Aug. 26 matter was on the agenda,” said Chair Don Primrose. “There was notice that the matter would be discussed. We’ve heard nothing from her for several weeks,” Primrose said. 

“How can we talk about Donna’s experience if Donna isn’t here?” said Wardlaw. “We’re taking the word of two contractors. We’re being asked to believe two men we don’t know as opposed to someone we’ve know for 20 years,” she said

Garner was present at the Sept. 5 meeting, but did not attend the subsequent Sept. 19, Oct. 3 or Oct. 17 meetings of the board. On Friday, she said the Planning Board did not grant her due process because she did not receive notice the discussion would be happening, she was not informed of the charges against her and she did not have time to respond.

“I was blindsided that night,” she said. “I had no idea this was happening. I had no right to respond. All of these things fly in the face of due process.”

On Monday, Garner stated that the Hulslanders’ letter was based on information provided to them by the contractors, as they were not at the site and “do not know what was said.”

“I want to reiterate that I was acting solely as an abutter,” she stated. “I had been told that the driveway was going to be in a different location. I asked to see the plan. When told that I would not understand the plan, I commented that I am a member of the Planning Board so I would understand. I did not tell anyone to stop work nor would have had any authority to do so.”

Raymond moved to hold the censure in abeyance and give Garner the opportunity to refute the allegation. The motion passed 6-1, with board Chair Donald Primrose opposed.

“Did the Select Board take it upon itself to offer her (Garner) legal advice?” Primrose asked.

“I’m not going to answer that question,” said Raymond. 

Dublin School makes presentation

In other news, the board heard a presentation by Dublin School Head Brad Bates regarding the creation of an “outdoor camp campus” on school property.  The school plan is to build three-season cabins and an amphitheater that could seat 250 people. 

“The reason for this is to get kids off phones and screens and get them outside more,” Bates said. 

The project is the result of a bequest and could take 10 years to complete, Bates said. The next step in the process will be to meet with a wetlands scientist on the proposed site.

“We’re in the stage of asking for guidance from the Planning Board,” Bates said.

Bill Fonda contributed to this story.