Minutes
During the meeting, Commissioners voted unanimously to accept weekly manifests and minutes from July 22, 2026. HR Director May reported 70 staff departures, with only 11 involuntary. Two Visa solutions nurses have started, and a third is expected soon. CCEMS is nearly fully staffed, while the DOC has four open positions. Safety Coordinator Perrin completed Primex audits, resulting in a 2.5% insurance discount. An active shooter tabletop exercise is planned for late August. The fleet traveled 44,272 miles in June using 2,925 gallons of fuel, with plans to integrate fuel tracking. Administrator Coates discussed applying for funding on July 29 for Maplewood, CCEMS, and Southwest NH District Fire Mutual Aid. EMS expansion plans include a study grant for either expanding the current facility or building new. First Responders Appreciation Day is scheduled for August 16th. Source: https://co.cheshire.nh.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Comm.-Minutes-Jul-29-.pdf
COMMISSIONERS MEETING Wednesday, July 29, 2026 Minutes This meeting will be conducted in person and via Zoom at Maplewood 201 River Road Westmoreland NH, 03467 Zoom Call-in Number: +1 646 558 8656 Meeting ID: 409 748 8803 Pin #: 603123 Start Time 8:30 AM Present: Commissioners Terry Clark, Claudia Stewart, and Skipper DiBernardo Absent: Staff: County Administrator Coates, Finance Director Trombly, HR Director May, Safety Coordinator Perrin, and Director of Executive Services/Communications Bernstein Guests: Public Comments Upon recognition from the Chair, a Public Comment on topics of interest may be made. I. Elected Officials & Department Head Updates To receive, as informational, departmental updates requiring Commissioner review, participation, approval, and impactful departmental and operational issues. II. Scheduled Items Master Agenda Item #1376: Semi-Annual Report, Human Resources – K. May Action Expected: To receive an informational report on the last six months of operations. 1. HR Director May began her report. She said of the 70 people who left the County, only 11 were involuntary. Most were due to attendance issues. May said they have had two RNs begin in the past couple months from Visa solutions. Another nurse will be arriving in the next few months. Commissioner DiBernardo told May that she was doing a great job welcoming the Visa Solutions nurses. May said the whole team is doing a great job creating a welcoming and supportive community. May said CCEMS is nearly fully staffed. She said the DOC has four open positions. Superintendent Phillips said one role was filled this morning. County Administrator Coates said there is an RN teaching at River Valley Community College who is interested in working at the DOC. May said that the second annual “Leadership in 3 Acts” went very well and was well attended. Master Agenda Item #1377: Semi-Annual Report, Safety – S. Perrin Action Expected: To receive an informational report on the last six months of operations. 1. Safety Coordinator Perrin said all Primex audits have been completed for the year and the County has received a 2.5% discount on insurance. Perrin said there were 81 reported medical incidents this year from strained backs to bad paper cuts. These are not necessarily workers comp claims. 99% of the time nothing happens, but simply reports that were given to Perrin just in case. He said he completed site inspections at Keene Campus and DOC, with EMS inspection pending, and conducted a water contamination disaster drill at Maplewood, identifying the need for special water dispensers and better handling procedures for water jug transport. Perrin discussed emergency preparedness protocols, including missing resident drills and upcoming active shooter tabletop exercises planned for late August at 86 West Street and the Connected Families Claremont office. He also presented fleet management data showing vehicles traveled 44,272 miles and used 2,925 gallons of fuel in June, and discussed plans to integrate fuel tracking with WEX cards to create a unified account system across all county agencies. He said that every year the Commissioners need to sign off on the joint loss committee and passed on the document for signatures. County Administrator Weekly Operations Report - The County Administrator will update the Commissioners on activities that have taken place since the previous meeting. 1. County Administrator Coates said the Director of GO North informed him funding opportunities would be accepting applications Wednesday (July 29). 2. Coates said projects have been submitted for Maplewood, and others will be submitted for CCEMS, and Southwest NH District Fire Mutual Aid. 3. Coates discussed plans for EMS expansion, including pursuing a study grant through RHT funding to offset architect costs and exploring two options: expanding the current facility (10-15 year plan) or building new (30-50 year plan). 4. Coates said the First Responders Appreciation Day event is on August 16th. III. Old Business IV. New Business V. Consent Agenda Items: Vote to accept the Weekly Manifests and Minutes of July 22, 2026 Commissioner Stewart made a motion to accept the manifest and minutes of July 22, Commissioner Clark seconded. Upon a roll call vote the motion passed unanimously. VI. Calendar Action Expected: To accept the calendar as informational and to make necessary changes/additions. VII. General Discussion for Commissioners VIII. Nonpublic Sessions: At 10:22AM Commissioner Clark made a motion to enter into a non-public session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3, II (a). Commissioner Stewart seconded. Upon a roll call vote the motion passed unanimously. As a result of the non-public the Commissioner’s made no decisions and no votes were taken. At 10:41AM the Commissioners unanimously voted to re-enter the public session. IX. Adjournment At 10:42AM Commissioner Clark made a motion to adjourn, and Commissioner DiBernardo seconded. Upon a roll call vote the motion passed unanimously. Minutes Recorded by: Davis Bernstein Director of Executive Services & Communications Minutes Reviewed by: Commissioner DiBernardo Clerk, Cheshire County Commissioners