Kenney Blasts Insurance Commissioner; Seeks Probe Of Berlin Murder/Suicide

By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH

BRETTON WOODS, NH — For the second time the council voted down the hiring of an Insurance Fraud Director, mainly on the basis of the starting salary, at an Executive Council meeting Wednesday at the Omni Mount Washington Hotel.

Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield, criticized both the governor and her Commissioner of Insurance D.J. Bettencourt after the meeting and said the issue is not over.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who disagreed with the vote, did agree that the matter is not over.

Commissioner of Insurance D.J. Bettencourt explained that the salary for Narciso Garcia Jr. at $109,601 annually was as low as the state could go. He explained that by law a supervisor gets higher pay and that the subordinate position is paid at $108,000.

"This is the lowest we could legally bring the candidate in," Bettencourt said, which was backed up by the Attorney General.

But the majority of the council wasn't buying in and the 2-3 vote to defeat the request was only supported by Councilors Karen Liot Hill, D-Lebanon, and Janet Stevens, R-Rye.

Executive Councilor John Stephen, R-Manchester, said he would prefer the position be within the Department of Justice.

Executive Councilor Stevens asked more of Garcia's fraud experience in law enforcement in Londonderry. He said he has done a lot of work as it relates to the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.

The position has been open since December, 2024, Bettencourt said, due to a tragic situation and "we currently have one employee doing the work of four."

Executive Councilor David Wheeler, R-Milford, asked why not make that subordinate do that job?

Bettencourt said that person is out on extended leave.

The governor said the loss of the employee who Garcia would replace was a "tragic situation" and advocated that the position be filled to protect citizens of the state from those who would commit insurance fraud.

Executive Councilor Liot Hill, agreed with the governor and said this position needs to be filled as soon as possible and it is the responsibility of the state to protect against insurance fraud.

After the meeting, Kenney said "I think the commissioner was not at the last meeting. He poorly presented. He wasn't there, and he poorly presented again. He had information that he didn't share through his narrative on the contract. So as a result, I look at it on face value and said well, this is too much for this position compared to an Attorney General position and then I say to myself I'm voting 'No.' Because I am not against the position, I am against the salary of the individual. So. There are a lot of things going on behind this stuff and I am going to find out. But I am not who is even in there now. So I am not even sure there is an employee there now, let alone a supervisor. We are going to have a strong debate on this. But the only way to clear the air is to vote 'No" and find out what is going on."

It was voted down 2-3 at the last meeting, but Bettencourt brought it back, with the governor's blessing.

The position could be moved to the Department of Justice but it would require legislative action and the earliest that could occur is next year.

He said those with more experience there are making less than $109,000 and "we will open a floodgate" for those who would complain that they should get more pay.

"We will come up with a solution...but she needs to sit her commissioner down and tell him he needs to start communicating with the council."

Ayotte said after the meeting that she will continue to work on the matter and that she will continue to allow the vote on this nomination to be on future agendas.

"SHOCK AND MOURNING" IN BERLIN FOR MURDER HOMICIDE AND NEW DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REVIEW PANEL

Executive Councilor Kenney asked the attorney general to explore how the tragedy this past weekend in Berlin could have been avoided.

He said there is a lot of "shock and mourning" and noted that the victim was going through a "messy" divorce and her assailant should have been behind bars instead of chasing her down at her place of work.

On July 6, at about 9:45 a.m. Berlin police responded to La Casita restaurant and discovered that its employee, Marisol Fuentes Huaracha, 25, was dead with gunshot wounds behind the bar. Later, authorities found Michael Gleason Jr., 50, inside a bathroom dead of what they believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

State Police said that both were engaged in a prior domestic relationship and the incident was likely a murder suicide.

Kenney said legislation which recently passed might have had an impact.

He said the state court system gave Gleason a limited bail amount that could have been raised at a lemonade stand and that Gleason should have been left in jail up until the trial.

He said the decision to allow Gleason out also jeopardized the community and imperilled many first responders.

John Formella, the attorney general called it a horrible tragedy and said it will be a case for the new domestic violence fatality review committee to study, after Gov. Ayotte signed it into law, recently.

He noted this new committee will have "broader jurisdictions and better tools" to study these cases in the hopes of recommending changes to prevent them.

"My heart goes out to the community," Formella said.

Kenney urged the group to put the face of this popular young woman up front in their thoughts as they begin their work.

"She was absolutely beloved by hundreds of people and people who just ask how this could happen to a vivacious 25 year old," Kenney said.

Governor Ayotte, a former homicide prosecutor said she wanted to thank the councilor for recognizing this and extended her sympathies with the north country community which is in disbelief.

She asked if the new bail law she signed could have helped.

Formella said the law goes into effect 180 days after her signature and was not in play in this situation but may have been helpful if in place.

Ayotte told the press after the meeting that she wants to explore what happened and how these measures might prevent such a tragedy. She noted that about 50 percent of all homicides in New Hampshire are related to domestic violence.

SEARCH AND RESCUE VOLUNTEERS HONORED

At the base of heavily hiked Mount Washington, the state's volunteer search and rescue community was honored by the Governor and Executive Council Wednesday for their service, along with the NH National Guard who have all helped residents and visitors injured in the mountains and saved lives.

The first summer meeting of the council on the road was held on the veranda at the Omni Mount Washington.

Members of the public who attended the meeting got a chance to view up close a National Guard helicopter which is used in rescue missions, and at the breakfast meeting, got a chance to honor and thank those who save lives and put their own lives in harm's way.

The governor also noted the Guard has been nationally recognized for their heroic efforts.

It donates the air rescue to the state and uses the job for training purposes.

State officials said the state could never afford to pay for such an important service to the thousands who venture into the mountains and get themselves injured, stranded or need airlift help.

Often, these are dangerous, weather-based rescues in remote areas of the White Mountains which are helped on ground by volunteer groups who were also honored for their volunteer service and courage.

Honored were members of Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue, Lakes Region Search and Rescue, Mountain Rescue Service, New England K-9 Search and Rescue, Mount Washington Volunteer Ski Patrol, which has been part of state search and rescue for 86 years, Upper Valley Search and Rescue, Pemi Valley Search and Rescue, White Mountain Swiftwater Rescue and the NH National Guard Volunteer SAR Team.

HIKESAFE REVENUES HELP RESCUE MISSIONS

Since 2015, the state has found a new revenue source to help pay the Fish and Game Department for staff working on search and rescue missions which in the past was funded primarily through hunting and fishing licenses. It's The hikeSafe card.

It's an insurance policy of sorts if a hiking accident occurs and it helps support the department which has paid conservation officers to respond in all sorts of weather.

Fish and Game Col. Kevin Jordan said that since its inception in 2015, the hikeSafe fund has increased from $76,000 to annually about $390,000.

"It's doing a great job in promoting education. Keep up the great work," said Executive Councilor Joe Kenney, R-Wakefield.

Data shows that the hikeSafe card has collected over $2.2 million over its history.

The state does bill a small number of rescued hikers who have been found to be unprepared and negligent but Jordan noted that the state has never billed a person with a hikeSafe card. The same also goes for those with hunting and fishing licenses.

In 2024 there were 14,889 hikeSafe cards issued and the account has grown steadily since 2015 when 2,866 cards were issued.

Councilor Janet Stevens, R-Rye asked about donations and Jordan said, a lot of times victims who have received rescue have asked what they can do to thank them.

He said they can buy a hikeSafe card or they can donate money for equipment and training for some of the many volunteers who were honored.

After the breakfast, the governor and council went to a lower parking area at the hotel to see one of the helicopters up close which is located in Concord. Just before the meeting began, it lifted off and buzzed by the busy grand hotel.

Councilors were told that once a helicopter is deployed from Concord and the rescue is made, usually in the White Mountains it takes only about 25 minutes of flight to get the patient to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center or Maine Medical Center.

Last week, the rescuers on the ground and in the air helped save a rock climber who fell on Mount Washington.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE TOWN OF HILLSBOROUGH

The council approved a half million dollars for six low to moderate income units at 2 Bridge Street, Hillsborough with a 20-year, long term lien on the property to ensure that the units remain affordable.

The second floor of this historic vacant building will have housing and the owner will develop two street level units for retail space.

The measure will help revitalize the downtown, the council was told.

The money for the project is 100 percent federal funds with the owner picking up the balance to redevelop the property.

Councilor Stevens, R-Rye said it is a great project and it is cost-effective at $100,000 per unit.

UPDATE ON 1-95 MEDIAN BARRIERS

The state on Wednesday has put out another bid for median barriers to be installed on Interstate 95 near the tolls at Portsmouth where there have been a number of fatal accidents.

This comes after the first effort came back with bids which were much higher than anticipated

The hope is to work expeditiously to find a bidder and start construction.

NOMINATIONS AND CONFIRMATIONS

Judge Robert Stephen, Executive Councilor John Stephen's brother, was confirmed to the state Judicial Council.

Councilor Stephen abstained from the vote.

Taylor Caswell, was nominated for another as the commissioner of Business and Economic Affairs.

STEPHEN EXPRESSES CONCERN FOR DEPENDENCY ON EXPENSIVE CONTRACTORS

Executive Councilor John Stephen, R-Manchester told Lindsey Stepp, commissioner of the Department of Revenue Administration that he continues to have concern for big ticket contracts like the one on the agenda which was a three-year extension on a sole source contract with FAST Enterprises LLC of Colorado to provide continued cloud maintenance and support other computer functions.

"Do we have the ability here in New Hampshire or not to hire state employees," to fill that role rather than a contract that is over $50 million today?

Stepp said she is pretty proud of what has been done within her department and the state Department of Information Technology to reduce dependence on vendor support through the contract. But she said she does not expect that that will be totally eliminated.

Stephen thanked her for that answer and asked if she would continue with Denis Goulet, commissioner of the Department of Information and Technology to find ways to cut the costs and look to more staffing within the state government. She said she would.

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.