Hancock planning board chair resists recusal; board votes to retain him

Chair Kevin Murphy opened the meeting by addressing an Aug. 3 letter from ICE Legal asking that he recuse himself from the planning board's review of Industrial Tower & Wireless's tower application. Murphy provided a detailed timeline of his contacts with town staff and consultants, described his efforts to find third‑party reviewers at the board's direction, and denied that his conduct warranted disqualification.

"To that end, I would formally request you vote on the question of whether I should disqualified as per RSA 6 73 14," Murphy said, asking the board to clarify whether members believed he could continue. The board then took a formal roll call on the recusal question. Secretary Earl Carroll called the question and members voted that Murphy should remain as chair; Murphy noted on the record that he did not vote. The board did not take any additional formal action on the underlying application at that time.

Why it matters: The recusal request was central to community concerns about impartiality in a high‑profile application that has attracted widespread public comment. The board's decision to keep Murphy as chair means he will continue presiding over the continued hearings unless the board reconsiders or a court or other authority orders otherwise.

What's next: The hearing on ITW's application remains open; the board continued the substantive process and will reconvene on Sept. 2 to consider additional evidence and the results of a court‑ordered or board‑commissioned peer review if completed.