Sworn Statements Wanted: Ad-Hoc Committee Seeks Testimonies From Relevant Parties

By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT — On November 16, 2022, the Claremont Ad-Hoc Committee tasked with fact finding in regard to accusations of misconduct toward City Councilor James Contois, have called on relevant parties to make sworn statements in writing.

Involved parties that wish to submit a sworn statement are asked to do so prior to the follow up meeting that will take place on November 30. Committee members are asking that any statement include only factual evidence rather than attestations of character. Councilors ask that all sworn statements are made in writing and placed in a sealed envelope before being handed over to the City Manager Yoshi Manale.

“I would like to make a motion that we request any and all documents from the police department, in regard to the allegations that they may have, that they submit that to the committee.The only problem I would have is that I would have it in a sealed document, sealed packet, so the council will have a discussion. I feel like the city manager shouldn’t be viewing the documents prior to us,” O’Hearne said to his fellow ad-hoc committee members.

City councilors Spencer Batchelder and Andrew O’Hearne, along with Assistant Mayor Debora Matteau, have been appointed as the members of the committee after a city council meeting in which councilor Jonathan Stone motioned for a hearing to take place in which a determination would be made on whether or not accusations against Contois would then go to a public hearing.

The accusations being brought forth against Contois by the owner of Claremont Ford, Christian Gomes, are that Contois trespassed on his property, abused his power by calling the police department and asking that a no trespass order be rescinded and that Contois isn’t of sound mind, citing at a previous city council meeting that Contois “talks to birds, butterflies and insects.”

These accusations stem from an incident in which Contois was taking photos of wetlands in Claremont. The wetlands, which are owned by Gomes, were the subject of a permit application through the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services in which Gomes was approved to fill in and build on wetlands. Contois, acting as a citizen, filed an appeal on that permit and was taking photos for his appeal, when Gomes arrived and claimed that Contois was on his property. Contois claims that he wasn’t on Gomes property but rather public property. Gomes then called the Claremont police department and filed a no trespass order. Contois and Claremont police chief Brent Wilmot both have stated that while Contois did ask that the order be lifted due to Contois believing he was on public property, he was not aware that a no trespass order could be placed by anyone for any reason. Wilmot has also previously stated that he does not believe that Contois was attempting to abuse his power as a city councilor when he placed that phone call.