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08/17/26 Cheshire County EC & Delegation

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I just have
[laughter]
>> John and I will talk.
You can start
the executive
county delegation order at 5:30 on
Monday, August 17th.
Okay, we're going to start off just if
anybody could just talk
that they can anybody listening to
whatever reason we may be having some
level of communication problem
but have Cheryl start off.
>> Hey Cheryl, can you take a the camera
with a longer view so we can see who's
see who's in the room and and the like?
>> No, I mean well I'll tell Davis back
he's not in the room. The owl is
supposed to focus when a person starts
talking. The owl will then focus on the
person
theoretically.
[clears throat]
Yeah, you guys should totally I couldn't
even tell who was speaking in there.
>> I couldn't make out a single word.
>> Maybe they up to the microphone.
>> They had a hard time hearing. So whether
it somebody has to go to the mic and
talk
>> when I talk, can you hear me?
Right now it seems okay, but it's still
a little echoey.
>> Right.
>> Okay. Give me a second here. Let me test
something up.
>> That's great.
>> David sounded better. Maybe turning the
mic down a little bit.
>> Yeah.
>> Can you hear us now?
Uh, that was good. That was good.
>> Can you hear me now?
>> Yeah. Yes, we can. [laughter]
>> It's a lot better now. What' you say?
>> That's right. Mary, just speak up.
Everybody speak up.
>> Okay. They open the meeting. You were
asking who's here. Is that
>> so?
>> So, representatives roads, Harvey,
Faulner, Harrisoninski, Marshall,
Rubber, and Fox.
Two of you at home, wherever you are,
>> right now, now we can see the group
photos. That's great.
>> Okay.
>> Okay. And to start off with,
to conduct the second quarter budget
review, Cheryl will be presenting that.
Thank you.
Where do I go? [laughter]
>> Can you hear me?
>> I can hear you fine.
>> Okay, perfect. So, last week I did mail
to all of you um a copy of the uh second
quarter uh budget numbers as of June
30th, 2026. I didn't make extra copies
of that because it's a lot of paper, but
if anybody wants me to make a copy for
them to take with them or even this one,
please feel free. Um the my narrative of
the second quarter budget review is
basically explaining we look um at the
nursing home and the general county
together at EMS separately. So as of
June 30th the expenses um are under
budget by approximately 1,384,000
and the overall county expenses are at
49.27% 27% spent out of 50% and
Maplewood is at 46.18
spent out of 50%. Um, as of June 30th,
the revenues for the nursing home and
the county um are are under
approximately 688,000
with revenues um the county at 49.28%
achieved and the nurse at 48.48% 48%
received. So, combined with the re uh
the shortfall of the the um the the
expenses coming under versus the
shortfall of the revenue, we actually
have about a surplus going into the
second quarter for the county and
nursing home combined at 688,000
or I'm sorry, 696,000.
The EMS, just so that you can look at
that on its own, their revenues are at
46.2 29%
uh received as of June 30th when their
expenses at 48.84 spent. So as of the
second quarter for the uh for EMS, we
are running a slight deficit of about
150,000. There are some things that I I
have not yet accounted for as we're
still working on some contracts um that
are uh we know are primary contracts,
but there are some revenues that we're
hoping that we'll end up seeing in the
last quarter that can um change that by
year end. But as of June 30th, that's
where everything's looking. As far Oh,
>> and and just real jump in real quick,
remember too that we are in the first
year uh first half of the year. We're
not having a true full year of what
towns would be paying us this year or
because we started the the um step up of
cost in July, not in January. That was
your decision. And so in 2028, we'll
have we'll we you know we'll start to
get the full year effect,
>> right? But that this the the factor of
us only having that half year is already
factoring.
So, um, just highlighting some revenues
in some areas of the report just for,
you know, explanation purposes as you go
through. Taxes, probably some of this
you've heard me say over and over, but
taxes are zero. They'll continue to be
zero because we do not collect our taxes
until December 17th of um of the year,
even though we've been operating as of
January 1, 2026. the grant reimbursement
they have only um at the moment achieved
17%. Much of that has to do with timing
and some prospective grants whether we
get them or we don't get them. But on
the flip side the expenses are also down
at the same rate because what what we
haven't received in um revenues we have
also not spent on expenses. uh registry
of deans fees. We're always um at this
time of year uh they're they're
typically always under um and it's a
possibility it could remain under for
year end, but a lot of times as the
second half of the year when the summer
um and then sales just ramping up more
towards the end of the year, this might
uh get better. Uh but right now there's
potential that the revenues for registry
of deeds could come under by about
$100,000 for this year. The connected
families program, I think you speak of
that as well. It's a program where um we
have wraparound coordination that works
with children and families that are of
high risk in out of um district uh
school placement. And that also is
something that we receive um we receive
billing through this through Medicaid.
So we do some billing from Medicaid to
support those services as well as we
have a state contract of a little over a
million dollars that helps support those
services. So at the moment the revenues
are about a half a million dollars under
budget but again on the flip side the
expenses are um even more so under
budget. And that is because we have
additional staffing that we could um we
could hire, but right now the cases that
are being referred to us don't uh
justify hiring up to the level that we
would like to in the event we do get to
that point. So, we've really kind of put
them at a status quo of not hiring any
more case managers until the referral
cases come in to support uh the uh
that program.
>> So, it's it's twofold for us. One is
school's not in session currently. So,
we we expect an uptick once school
begins because that's our referral
agent. And then second is that um the
state of New Hampshire they we have a
process and we do it quite quickly and
we always get uh they come in once a
year and they review it and they always
know that we have um an individual that
goes out to see if the family's
eligible. We get in there right away. We
get the paperwork up to conquer. It's
the turnaround in their process that
takes longer. It's just a reality that
we're facing and and now and again we're
going to see an uptick once the uh I
believe once this and and if that
happens and they can show the numbers
then that's great and remember for every
individual that uh that they bring in on
a case load that's $25,000 each person
carries about a case load of about eight
because they're very serious situations
and we're keeping them in the community.
These are kids that are targeted to go
out out of district placements. You know
about out of district placements. Those
those can cost you anywhere as a low of
200 to a high of $500,000 for one child
um in placement in education. So I think
it's an important program. It pays for
itself. It's showing revenue right now.
That's on the in the very much the
positive of over I think $600,000 if I
remember. Yeah.
>> So that's all good.
>> Yeah. This obviously is an issue very
near to my heart right at the moment
because of Senate Bill 498. So um right
now the whole thing is funded through uh
Medicaid. Is that correct? Health you're
you're not getting any private insurance
reimbursements.
>> Medicaid and yeah a state contract that
is probably additional type of Medicaid
funds.
>> Right. Medicaid.
>> When you talk about how great it is,
it's all because Medicaid is funding
this program,
>> right?
Okay. Well, that's this is the cause of
the $6 million uh deficit that the state
is is operating under, but okay.
>> Could be that you cut funding, too. But
>> the revenue
>> revenue might have something to do.
>> All right, let's keep going.
>> So, the next area to point out is our
miscellaneous revenue line. You will be
seeing a motion here tonight. Um, I
might as well go into detail what you're
going to be voting on, but every year
the county receives money from the state
abandoned property division. And what
that money is is um every every I mean
we even have to do it for our inmates
for our um standing that people don't
cash but everyone's re uh in the in the
county is responsible for sending in
money that they're holding on to that
has been abandoned for over five years
and and on average we get maybe about 35
$40,000 a year. So it's not big money
but we just post it to this
miscellaneous income. Well, we received
our payment about a month ago and we
received a payment um of $58,773
and we've never received an amount such
as that. And so I did a lot of
discussion um calls back and forth to
the state of New Hampshire abandoned
property division because I wanted to
make sure that even though
people have the ability to go get these
monies that have been abandoned if
they're in their name in years later and
the state reductions in in offsets in
future year. They have assured us that
they would never send us a bill. So, we
would never receive a bill that actually
said you owe this, but that if anything,
if for some reason there was more money
that they had to pay back versus what
was coming to us, we would just receive
a zero payment from their work. But, um
that's so this is money that you will
see um we are presenting an amendment to
budget um to um which you'll see pretty
soon. So the next area is the depart DHS
additional credit uh that we received in
July. I'm just reminding you that this
was a 4year payment that we'll only
receive we received it starting in 2025.
It will go to 2028
and the right it's like a $334,000
revenue that right now is zero because
we as June we hadn't received it.
That was monies that back in the COVID
days we are responsible for paying uh
the non-federal share of residents
living in nursing homes and home and
community based services that are on
Medicaid. And during COVID, the federal
government actually gave more money
towards their contribution that should
have reduced the county's portion for a
period of time to help out. And when the
state received that money, they
interpreted it as theirs. And after a
lot of um back and forth with the
counties in the state, they finally
realized that no, this is really should
have gone to the counties as a credit
against their bills and they made an
agreement that rather than paying it
completely out, but they would pay it
back over a course of four years. So I
just wanted to highlight that so that
you understood it. The next three, the
transfer fund, fund, balance, special
revenue, and capital reserve. Those are
all just things that either happen at
year end when when it's actually needed.
The expenses for the general county
going on to that, the um overall we're
running really good in most all
departments. There's a couple
departments, commissioners, I have to
pick on you because your your travel
line um has gone over and that will
likely put you over for the year. But
that's it's not big money. It's not
going to break the bank, but that
department um may not come in under
budget. The medical examiner budget,
this is for anyone that's not used does
not know this, but the county is
responsible for paying the medical
examiner bills. They the bills go to the
county attorney's office, and this is a
statutoily mandated bill that we get
based on um the medical examiner's
travel and going to the scene of an
untimely death. And right now it's a bit
over budget and that's you just never
know from year to year what you're going
to end up getting for illustr
um the end of the year because there we
get a a one-time credit in our July bill
that brings it all back in line. I'm
just highlighting this because it's one
of our largest expenses. And if you look
at it being like 48% or whatever, you
might think, wow, that's kind of, you
know, could have he have to
go over budget, but that will come in on
budget.
Um, that this is the the next section is
just talking about where I had already
spoke about our work grants and whatnot.
Those are all coming way under budget,
but that's also because the revenues are
coming under budget and connect with
families as well. they are um way under
budget and we will be but that's offset
for the revenues coming under budget.
When we talk about the nursing home, the
nursing home their revenues as I
mentioned were at 48%
achieved. Currently they have a census
of 115.
We do have some good news. Their
staffing levels have been getting better
and just now like within the the last
week they have opened up another 10 beds
so that they can accept I think it's 124
to 125. Yeah, we're going to they're
aiming for 124 and if they can get the
25th that's great. But that's that's
from anywhere between a low of 109 this
year to a average of about 115 to now
124 125. So it's taken a lot of work.
we, you know, when we said, you know,
traveling nurses, when we did the visa
nurses, which we have two on the floors
right now, a third in October, all this,
and then all of a sudden, I mean, we've
gone years, not months, years without an
RN putting an application in, and we've
received two, one returning to us. So, I
think I I think overall we're seeing an
increase in staffing across the board.
We've been as low as 424 or at 499. Yes.
>> So, this is this is a it's it's a great
thing to see because it helps all
departments,
>> it's
>> so do we have a waiting list that'll
fill this 120 to get us up to 124?
>> Yes.
>> Yeah, we have a we have a waiting list
that last I knew was over 100,
>> right? So, any any increase is going to
help that.
and then their their their expenses are
well under budget offsetting any
shortfall that they're having revenue
side but we'll see where that comes in
year out and then I've already spoke
about EMS um we we currently staff five
it's we still even though we have
>> five ambulances and one um paramedic
intercept
>> so and currently the the deficit it's
running as of June 1st is 15 We'll
continue to chief report out on that.
>> The chief can correct me if I'm wrong.
When we started this, we were looking to
see we thought we'd be doing right
around 2400 runs a year. We're heading
towards 6,300 runs a year. Am I wrong?
>> Oh, you're correct.
>> That's where we'll be.
And that's my report unless anyone has
any specific questions that they want to
ask about.
>> I just just with the 500 over $500,000
we've received the the uh the
um way that we will be looking at it is
one-time funding. So one-time projects.
I know that the commissioners, the
executive committee, and the de
delegation may look at it differently,
but we're going to try to identify those
projects that are coming up this year
that are one time because it's it's it
is we know it's one time and we may not
get it next year. And if it we do put it
someplace where we have continually
paid, we've only created a whole.
>> Okay, moving on. If that's all right,
>> we don't have to do that now. We're
going to do that in the next year's
>> That's correct.
Yeah. Yes. Um, next would be to present
budget amendment recommendations to the
executive committee due to the exceed of
prochure funds and other necessary
amendments. And I know Cheryl, you have
them and can talk to them, but Barry,
you have them too. If you want to read
them off, then Cheryl can talk down.
>> Motion
recommendation to increase the revenue
line number 3404.10.
10.0
State of New Hampshire proportional
share funds by $67,05
for the receipt of State of New
Hampshire proportional share funds not
previously budgeted and to authorize the
use of ProShare funds for the following
to reserve $67,05
by applying to fund balance for future
year budget considerations to offset
taxes to be raised.
Okay, second
there motion
made by representative Harvey and
seconded by
>> so I'm looking at the spreadsheet now
and that that column A is empty so I
don't this is the 607 05 is
>> oh yes yes you were right I I kind of
created this at the last minute so when
you look at that spreadsheet they're not
looking at it let me just um the 607
7005.
>> Okay. The 607005
the uh oh okay is revenues is revenue
for fund balance. So we would
essentially put this into fund balance
which reduces what we originally
budgeted of 4 million475,000.
So it's an increase to the proshare
revenue but a decrease to the use of
fund balance.
>> Right. So we're we're taking the pro
share and allocating it to our fund our
reserves.
>> Yes. Yep.
>> Okay. Any [snorts] other questions?
We everybody knows I usually like to put
that money to reduce taxes but I
understand uh the pressures of keeping
our reserve our reserve high enough so
that if we again we ever did float
another bond we have good numbers
>> it'll be it'll be fine next year however
we budgeted for next year
>> you say there's a question over
No, the clerk is over here if you're
going to do the vote.
>> Call the roll. You have the sheet.
>> I don't have a sheet.
>> So, we're going to go ahead and vote on
these these three, four, five line
items. Is that what's happening here?
>> Yeah. One at a time. Yes. Separately.
>> So, we're voting on the 600,000 of the
one share ballots. Okay.
Representative Falner,
>> yes.
>> Representative Hunt,
>> Representative Harvey,
>> Folks, yes. Representative Rhodess,
>> Representative Newell is not here.
>> Representative Guber,
>> Representative Burch,
Representative Harshall.
>> Hi.
>> Representative
Sinski.
>> Representative Baxton is absent.
>> So that's nine votes in favor
against
>> next motion.
uh
made by
far motion to recommend to the
delegation to increase the revenue line
number 3509.00.00
00 which is county miscellaneous revenue
by $476,668
for the receipt of state of New
Hampshire abandoned property not
use of these excess funds for the
following to reserve 4676,668
Second.
>> Seconded by Harvey.
>> Are we ready for a vote?
>> Representative Faulner.
>> Representative Hunt.
>> Representative Harvey.
>> Votes. Yes. Representative Rhodess.
>> Representative Newell is absent.
Representative Frober.
>> Yes. Representative Burch.
>> Representative Partial.
>> Representative Kerosinski.
>> Representative Faxton is absent.
>> Those in favor, none against. Motion
passes.
Next motion. Turn this around.
Representative Gruber
moves to recommend to the delegation to
increase budget line number 4211.03.00
which is sheriff's [clears throat]
deputy payroll by $11,200
to increase a current 28h hour position
to 40 hours effective September 1st 2026
and to further increase taxes to be
raised budget line number 3111.00
00.00
by $11,200 to offset the increase in
expenses.
>> Second,
>> Representative Faulner, that can that
motion should be amended that it's going
to be offset by fund balance, not taxes
to be raised
>> offset by balance.
>> Want to raise the last phrase again
budget line number 311
000.00 00 by $11,200
to offset a fund balance.
Any other discussion or questions about
that? Yes.
>> Uh we have if it gets a second I'll the
sheriff is here to talk to it.
>> It's maybe a 28 hour position or a
40hour position and sheriff if there's a
the sheriff come up and speak to it.
>> Thank you.
>> Second.
So um we are we've been in conversation
with the manach school district about
potentially providing a dep there for
say true and that's a average of 28
hours a week uh throughout the year. So
it's going to be for the school year. Um
so we're um what we're asking that
remaining 12 hours be given to us so
that we can add a deputy full time to
[clears throat] our to our roster. And
the reason behind that because we have
seen a steady increase on transports and
and paper service. Um we on track of
having about additional 700 transports
this year. The way we going we've had
days that we've had 25 plus uh uh
transports to and from the courts. Uh
that means it takes away uh the deputies
from doing our contracted services to
the towns that we have contract with.
And um so what we are hoping is that
with this person that we bring on board
that when he's not working the school
he'll be working as a deputy and help
some of the issues of transport vacation
times off because most of the deputies
take them off and some working as well.
So uh and it's also been very difficult
to find a part-time person to come work
because before they were everywhere now
it's very difficult one was part time
and I've been been working with a banana
school for about almost two years trying
to get this done but
if I not able to bring somebody out full
time I can't find somebody who wants to
do it on a part-time basis and u be
department be hired on a part-time
basis. So, this will alleviate some of
that extra load that we've had uh on our
transports. Um even our paper service is
going to be going up. We uh serve about
145 a month. We're going to be serving
about 160.
That's that that's the average that
we're doing right now. The transport we
do about 160 uh 62 a month. We're
right now averaging at 220. So that's,
you know, we seen that increase on the
need of having um an additional person
at least part-time helping us when
they're not working to school. So that's
why I'm asking for the additional uh 12
hours so I can make that position a
40hour week.
>> Yes, sir. Is there somebody now being
hired at 20 working at 28 hours or so?
This is basically the fun position in
order to fill a position that's now
vacant.
>> Correct. So 28 hours of that 40 hour
will be hope um if hope will be
contracted which will bring the revenue
to us. The other 12 will be from for my
use as they're not a contract. So
>> the Nanak school district would pay us
for the SROs
and then anything above and beyond that
the county would have to pick up what I
think the sheriff is saying. So
>> and having
that conversation I'm sorry.
>> Yeah. The question I have is um the
11,000 seems really nice small nice
number. Well, obviously the now you
taking a part-time person and put him as
a full-time. So now there's that much
more added benefits that we have to now
cover. So um I would assume this is
going to be a full-time position come
next year's budget. And so how much more
are we actually going to be spending to
bring this 28 hour to 48 hours in the
next year's budget in terms of the this
added position?
>> Well, this position won't be filled
unless I have a actual commitment signed
with the school and of course
[clears throat] I'm not going to bring
somebody on board without a commitment
signed, you know, because they're
guaranteeing 28 hours, you know, then
that will open it up for me to do that.
Yes, they're right on that part. But
they will pay um they'll pay 28% of
that. I mean 28 which is what it's a
7030 I think um combination 70% the
school and 30% US um cost for that
person. [snorts]
>> Right. All I'm just saying is that when
we when we get the budget next year I
assume this you're you're hoping this
position is going to be there and this
is you know a bump in our The the
problem, John, the problem with that
ferry, John, would be that
>> I mean, then you would have to pull out
of the contract that's signed with the
SAU
um and whatever the the the date would
be that you would decide that that
wasn't going to be moving forward. So,
this is almost like making a decision.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
>> Yeah. Basically, if you vote to increase
this position to 40 hours, this would be
a midyear increase of a 28 hour,
whatever that is, FTE, up to a 40
full-time. So you will see in the 2027
budget that we just write from the
get-go budget for the 40 hours.
>> So you'll be adding 12 hours.
>> That's what that's what that's what I'm
fearing because 11,000 seems great, but
it's really going to be more than that
because then yes,
>> you'll be adding 12 hours to the ease
that I have allocation right now because
I already have a uh a line for
contracted services that is based on
contract. So we can look at that 12
hours one night.
>> Um so
correct me if I'm wrong. You you do not
have a contract with Manavadok High
School for an RSO right now. You're
waiting to see if you can get somebody
and then
have that contract or that deal between
school and sheriff's department. Am I
correct? We we we have a draft contract
that they have and we've been going back
and forth, but we haven't signed it
because we haven't we haven't I haven't
been able to find someone who wants to
who wants to come work part-time.
>> Well, it just that just seems like such
a catch 22 to me. Like, well, we don't
sign with the school because I don't
have a person, but I don't have a person
because I don't sign with a school.
>> I'm saying that school's willing, but in
order to get somebody, you have to hire
them full time. Just just for clarity
sake, the school actually came to the
sheriff and asked if we could fill this
position. This position had been filled
through a different manner and that
individual left that position since that
has not been filled. They came to us
asking for this. We said 180 days or is
the school year that would be 28% uh or
70%. Yeah, that's what I meant. And so
he tried to fill that but he couldn't
find anybody. It's been two years he's
been trying to figure this out. They
have a contract ready to give us because
they've had this position in the past.
And we we told him what the true cost
would be and it changes yearly. But at
this point he's feeling if he had a
full-time person, he'd have a better
chance at getting this position. That's
all right or wrong.
>> Right. But when the point of what she's
making is shouldn't it say in this
motion pending that the contract gets
signed?
>> Absolutely.
>> Absolutely% 100%. I couldn't I wouldn't
be able to split um without having a
signed contract.
>> So John
has that in there.
>> Yeah. John, we wouldn't be we're not
Yeah, that's not the sheriff's
intention. He's talked to me at length
about this. It's only if we get the
contract to help offset the cost.
>> I I hear you. So So you I saw you amend
the the other one. Can we fix this one
and amend it so that it says pending
the contract with the Madak school
district
>> with the school?
>> Yeah, that's fine.
>> That would be fine.
>> You need to reward the motion or is that
just a general understanding? Is that
>> pending contractual agreement with with
manic
>> last line reads?
>> $11,200 to offset fund balances pending
by the knock.
>> That's motion.
>> I feel a little better.
>> Discussion.
>> Ready for a vote?
>> And I'm sorry, one one last question. So
if if we voted no,
it doesn't mean this is gone. It just
means it would have to go through the
regular budgeting process. Correct.
>> Well, people have known that this
>> now, right? You can't do it now, but you
could do it through
next year, right?
Ready
for a vote? Representative Falner.
>> Representative Rhodess.
Representative Gver.
>> Representative Burch
>> at this time.
>> Yes. Representative Parshel.
>> Representative Thaxton is absent. Vote
is nine to zero.
>> Zero against. The motion passes.
>> Thank you. Back up.
>> Right. And we'll we will be discussing
this again come January.
Right. [laughter]
Not a problem.
All right. At this time, the those are
the motions that we have brought
forward. If there's any other motion
that you'd want, um, then you can do
that at this time.
>> So,
>> I have one more here. Yeah,
>> that's only
>> um I would like to bring forth a motion
to make the recommendation to increase
the budget line 4454.0000
which is the community kitchen by
$20,000 and to offset this with the use
of fund balance number 3911.00
>> John.
>> Yes, I I'm making that motion because um
people are hungry. They uh we need this
money. This is not costing any um
additional funds from the county and as
you all saw their food truck um gas has
gone up. Uh personnel to to run that
food truck. The food itself
has gone up considerably and this money
is needed by the community kitchen. It
goes out to all of our um towns and
outlying towns and so forth. Um, we've
had a chance to see what they can
produce. I don't think anybody here
thought it was not good food tonight and
um, it's the right thing to do for
people who are hungry.
>> So, and your money would come out of the
fund balancing.
>> That's right. It's not costing us
anything.
>> Moving in different direction.
>> Questions or discussion?
>> Yeah. No, this is a precent incredible
impression that I'm shocked that you
want to do this that you know that you
know because this is obviously when we
come do take the budget up next January
you know it's going to show that this
plus 20 is there. I mean, this is not a
one, you know, one, you know, are you
really? This is a one-time deal because
of their gas truck bill.
>> I think at all of the county
departments, gas is a real problem. Um,
we heard the sheriff talk about doing
700 transfers and the the cost of that
is is going up too because of the um the
gas prices. Um, I have no trouble
looking at it in January, but I know
they need this money now.
>> Yeah. Just and just so
uh, Representative Harvey came to me and
asked about this. Um, so I was I wanted
to make sure I did my homework um and
went over there and asked them how their
year has looked and like everybody else
that's dealing with the issues of uh
funding and gas prices and food and all
that, they've seen the same spikes
across the board. Um, so there some of
the some of the backup facts. Global
Pantry expansion up last year. They were
visiting four towns, Gillson, Richmond,
Fitz William, and Winchester once a
month for four months. This year, we
have worked with Gillson, Richmond, Fitz
to strengthen our infrastructure in each
community and establish a keen uh
community kitchen pantry in each town.
This these satellite pantries can now
offer food distribution monthly year
round. This expansion provides much
greater stability and consistency in
food access for all residents in those
areas, trucking and regional food
distribution. At the end of the year
last year, we also started a truck
initiative to move more food resources
into the region. We learned that many of
the small volunteer run pantries
receiving food from the New Hampshire
food bank only once a month because of
the transportation limitations. We hired
a full-time driver and purchased a 20
foot refrigerator box truck uh which now
makes almost daily trips to the food
bank in Manchester. Year to date, we
have delivered more than 90
of food to 12 agencies throughout the
region, including agencies in Jaffrey,
Range, Troy, Chesterfield, Malro, King,
Gilson, Richmond, and Fitz William. The
mobile pantry bus. We purchased the
mobile pantry bus to allow us to get
food into the areas that do not exist
have existing food access
infrastructure. It gives us the ability
to be more nimble in responding to
community needs and assess where future
mobile pantry expansion may might make
sense. Taking together, these efforts
are really about building a stronger
regional food access system, supporting
the small community pantries that are
already here. And if if we have any more
greater detail, I can just walk out in
the parking lot asking them to come up
and ask answer any questions you may
have. But the bottom line is they have
seen an increase across the board at a
time when none of us were planning at
the levels that we've seen.
>> So, how much is the county contribution
now current budget?
>> No, 40.
>> 40. 40. They asked for six. I think they
actually asked for 60 last year. We gave
them 40.
>> And this refrigerator truck allows them
to make fewer trips. So that cuts down
on gas and also um to get more food at
one time. So that because they're not
>> the the the truck what the truck does it
it's actually cost them more money but
it doesn't cost the the towns. And what
was happening is they used to bring all
the food here, then a Subaru would pull
up from a town and they try to get in as
much food as possible. Now they can take
that truck, drive to the site, drop that
food off and it's a new system to the
point where the New Hampshire Food Bank,
if you is looking at that the community
become a distribution center and they
have that a facility over in this area
so they don't have to do it over all,
you know, have the truck going over on a
daily basis. It's just the reality we're
facing right now. So that's that was my
homework that you would ask if you
>> Thank you. So
my concern is and I think this is a
worthy cause but I think our
responsibility
we have a budget process where we can
compare
what goes to this organization versus
what goes to another organization and we
can make
u you know some decisions based upon the
various needs and introducing one thing
in the middle of the year kind of uh
short circuits that process. I think
that there's a good reason we should do
it, but I think we should do it
carefully so as not to make this a the a
normal course of events.
>> Yeah. The the the only thing I would I
would say is that you did actually do
this last year, but you you actually
said, "Let's revisit this because you
gave them last less than what they
requested last year and then you
revisited it in the August meeting and
you increased it by $20,000. That's
all."
>> Which was less than what they were
asking for because they were asking us
to increase it in August by 40 and we
did 20 because it was half the year.
This is 20. I I guess um I what I might
take us
this isn't new. The community kitchen
has been uh um part of the county budget
at least in the 10 or 12 years that I've
been in the legislature. So, it's not
like it's a new department coming in and
asking for money. If if that were the
case, I agree with you, Representative.
I would say no because there is a a
regular budgeting process. But the
community kitchen is a is a is a
regularly funded department of the um uh
of our county and as such they have the
right to look at their funds and come
back to us in August and give us a
report as to where things are and what
they need as does any count as does any
of the departments that we work with.
So, um I I feel that
this um the community kitchen is
we've looked at their budgets year after
year after year. I feel strongly that
they are um fiscally responsible and
that they would not be asking for this
money if if it wasn't an absolute
necessity for the constituents of our
county.
>> Representative Brunson. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman. Um, so two questions. One is
did they ask for this? So why wouldn't
it come to everybody up versus just one
person? And my second question would be
what what is their expenses up till till
now?
>> What's their census?
>> Their expenses up till now like do we
have that to to now? Are they over
budget? Are they under budget? Are they
come like where where are they right
now? Okay.
>> They don't really report a budget to us
anyway. They have their own board of
directors, but
>> I can I can I can go down to the parking
lot and have the executive director come
up and answer those questions if you
like. We can we can hold on this for a
second if you'd like.
>> Would you like to do that for you? Glad
>> that would be great.
>> We can we can wait on that.
>> So, let me understand this. You're
saying this we the same thing happened
last year that that the 40
>> I recognize representative Kerosinski
I'll get
>> I'm sorry.
>> Thank you John. So
we don't have any numbers on their
revenue or expenses.
So we don't know how they're doing this
year.
I mean, they could have gotten
some really good donations
>> and now we're just going to give them
20,000 because we didn't give it to them
earlier. So,
>> one of the reasons I invited the
executive director to be here tonight,
not the not because of that. I asked her
to be here to answer those questions.
>> Right. Well, should I get some answers
that
John do? Do you have another question?
We're waiting for the
>> right. I just want to understand the
history because I I don't remember doing
this with any grantee that that all of a
sudden we're going to give them a was it
33% increase right in mid year. I mean
normally
>> when I did that I made that motion last
year
>> and we and we approved it.
>> Yes, we did.
>> But and I agreed.
>> Are you [laughter] sure?
>> Yeah. I just think this I mean I don't
know maybe with the I don't know what
the storyline was back there you know
two years a year ago but um I mean to me
this is a pressing so so here here pro
proven pudding is that you if we do it
oh well we should do it again this year
so it doesn't matter what we vote for in
in the j you know in the budget you know
we're we can expect them to keep coming
back every every June end excuse me
every July August and and and
in giving back the money we didn't give
them before.
>> I think they were
>> there were information about
what you know they got a whole new slew
of clients that they had to serve or
something else that they didn't
anticipate or couldn't have anticipated
back the beginning of the year we did
the budget that would be interesting
information.
>> I think the obvious the obvious answer
is what unexpected is that gas prices
went through the roof. Now with that
being said, the question is okay, how
does that how has that affected your
overall operations revenue and
expense-wise?
So that's what I think needs to be asked
when she comes up.
>> And additionally, I did ask for this or
is it something that that you're asking
for because you think it's a good idea?
That's what I'm that's like that's what
I really want to know. No, I I'm not I'm
agreeing with what they asked for, but I
didn't come to Chris and say, "Gee, I'd
love the county to give away $20,000."
>> So, they So, they asked for this
increase.
>> And And I think they've been making the
pitch to a number of different
organizations.
>> I think if you want to just take a seat
where there's I think right next to
right there. Yeah. So, the question
would that the question do you want to
ask a slide?
>> Yeah. How are the numbers going this
year? Revenue and expenses.
>> Revenue and expenses. Um, we are doing
our best on the expense side. We cut
every corner. We repurpose everything we
can get our hands on. Um, but the
increase in service numbers is
definitely driving our expenses up. Um,
revenue, we're holding strong. I'm doing
my best. I'm writing a lot of grants.
Um, we're hanging in there on the
revenue side. I wouldn't say that we're
in trouble, but it's a constant, you
know, we are scratching every bean we
can get a hold of, but on the expense
side, I wouldn't say that there's
anything out of the ordinary except that
trying to keep up with demand. Um, as we
are doing more and more regional food
access system building, so pushing out
into delivering food into rural areas,
um, we're needing to hire. Um and
obviously our facilities and labor are
our most expensive assets. So we're
needing to hire um adding to our vehicle
fleet and those are things that are
driving expenses. And when I was your
fiscal year, the calendar year or
>> calendar year
>> and and just so when I talked to you,
you did say that one of the issues that
you're seeing which is probably driving
your numbers is that the increase in gas
is an increase cost to you for
transportation vehicles bringing things
back and forth and also because food
costs are going up just like everybody
else is seeing. Is that would that be
true?
>> That would be true. And so we've
actually taken on um a really big
initiative since the end of last year
that we sort of started calling our
distribution initiative, which is we
started realizing that if resources were
going to become tight, um I started
telling our crew, I need you to stock up
our warehouse. Make sure we've got
everything we can get. Don't leave
anything on the shelves in Manchester.
Get it in our warehouse because if times
get tight, I want to make sure that we
are stocked up. And then we started
asking that same question about the rest
of the region. What about all of these
little volunteer-run pantries all over
the region in Jaffrey Ring,
Chesterfield, Troy, uh, Malbero? Are
they also stocked up to their raptors?
And the fact of the matter is they don't
have the facility to stock up. They
don't have the vehicles. Um, and so when
we started asking that question, we
realized that no, they were getting food
from Manchester once a month when
Manchester was bringing it into town
here. So we said, "Well, what if we go
every other week and we deliver pallets
of food to your doorstep?" Um, so now
all of those pantries are now delivering
for 12 agencies. A year ago we were
delivering for one agency ourselves. Now
we're delivering for 12 different
agencies. Um, and so we've really raised
the amount of food resource in the
entire region. So that's really silent
work that you don't see or hear about so
much. But when we talk about when when
we started doing that work, we did not
know or think ever that diesel fuel
would cost $6 a gallon. So our truck
that's now going out to Manchester
sometimes five times a week like year
ago was going once a week. Um we've
moved over 90 tons of food just since
January 1st. Um only half of that is for
use in our facility here at 37 Mechanic
Street. So again that's Chesterfield,
Troy, Ring, Jaffrey, Malboro, other
pantries here in Keen and now in our
mobile sites Richmond, Fitz William and
Gilome um as well as 100 nights and St.
Vincent to Paul.
>> Has your demand for services been
affected by changes in federal
SNAP program andor general increase of
grocery prices that people are facing
other things like that that we know at
the national level? We have to presume
so because we watch the news and then we
watch our data and we see the numbers
increasing. You know, we don't really
have a lot of time or facility to sit
and ask people as they come our door.
So, this is your first time coming to
us, why are you coming to us? You know,
what's happening for you in your life?
That you know, we're not collecting
those stories. We're collecting some
essential data from them when they walk
through our door and then inviting them
in to get some food. So um I would say
that the correlation is there that you
know we are seeing the increase in um
home heating fuel in transportation
costs in food costs um and then we see
that the need not just here at 37
mechanic street but across the region we
see those numbers going up. So we have
to assume that
>> just to understand what portion why your
total budgets the order
>> 1.2 2 million.
>> I have a question from Representative
here.
>> Thank you. Um, and my question doesn't
imply any lack of support for the hard
work that your organization does. I I I
want to quantify a bit if you can. Uh,
we have a budget process. You come in at
the beginning of the year, you present a
budget uh we uh and a request and we
agree on how much the county should
contribute towards it.
As I understand it, you are now coming
in in August and saying we would like an
additional $20,000.
I I'd like some clarification because I
haven't heard any numbers at all. I'd
like some clarification as to
does that $20,000
represent
unexpected
costs
from the budget that you gave us in
January?
or does it reflect an expansion of the
program since the time that you came in?
What's the 20,000 going towards? What
percent of your budget? We ask this a
lot. What percentage of your budget has
been expended
of the budget that you
uh presented to us has been expended?
That kind of information.
So to answer your questions, um I'd like
to go with yes, expansion of programming
as well as increased cost. Those two
things go together. So as I was just
laying out for you, when I came in and
chatted with you around the time that we
were, and I know that we're already into
our next year's budget request, um when
I sat and chatted with you, we had some
ideas um and some future plans and some
dreams. We put those into practice
really quickly. Um it became really
evident when SNAP got defunded at the
end of last year that we couldn't just
sit around and talk about our ideas and
our dreams for the future. We had we
were pushed to act quickly. And so this
idea that we had about building food
access systems regionally, um it was a
great dream. And instead of me saying,
"Well, let me wait till next fiscal year
to really get this on the budget in
front of you all and bring it to your
attention again. I'm not going to not
bring food to these places. I have the
truck. I have the means. The food is
sitting in Manchester. I'm going to do
it." So we started doing it. So again,
that 90,000 that 90 tons of food that we
have moved since January, we weren't
moving that last year when I came and I
sat with you. Um when I sat with you
last year, our mobile pantry was four
times a year. We are now and we had this
dream of expanding it. Well, we did
that. We've expanded it so that now we
have a year- round model. So we're going
into those three rural towns 12 months
out of the year instead of four months
out of the year. So all of those things
cost us money um that we had not
budgeted for. So yes on on both counts
that we are expanding. So three counts
actually we're expanding services. We're
building regional food access systems.
We those things cost us money and at the
same time demand and need is rising for
all services. Our flagship services,
regional services. Um, and it tells us
we're on the right track, that we need
to be expanding these regional food
access systems to reach folks where they
live. You know, people, we can't just
say it's good enough to do what we're
doing here at 37 Mechanic. We need to
build this access system, this network,
and make sure that it is resourced so
that folks can get food closest to where
they live. Um, we believe that we're
playing a major role in that that hasn't
existed in the past.
So, that's work that was not being done
when I came and sat in front of you and
and we're super grateful for the funds
that we received and that allowed us to
be in a good position to take on more um
without the guarantee of that funding,
you know, to say we've got the ability
to do it. We've got the resources to do
it. We're going to do it and I will find
the way to make it work.
>> Thank you. Are we ready for the
question?
Motion is to increase the budget line
item for community kitchen.
>> I'd like to make an amendment. I'd like
to uh reduce it to just 10,000 and so
that we can u review the whole impact of
this program uh come next January.
>> Motion order. We have a second
that motion.
So the motion is to reduce the to amend
the mo the first motion by substituting
10,000 instead of 20,000.
Uh is an increase to the community
kitchen budget item still coming from
the fund balance.
People understand what the motion is. So
we're only voting on the reduction of
the amount and then we would vote again
on whatever the amount is that we
decide. I
I understand the motion.
I don't understand the reason for it
because
>> 10,000 or 20,000 it's not costing us
anything. It's coming from the fund
balance. If if reducing it to 10,000
saved us money someplace, then I would
say yes, but neither one is costing us.
So
I would vote that.
>> Okay. Like can I respond?
>> I got a job.
I'd just like to offer that the fund
balance reduces the county tax. We can
use it for that. So whether it's 10,000,
20,000 or 1.2 million,
we take it from the fund balance and we
put it to the budget.
County taxes are
>> still tax money,
>> right? That affects next year.
>> It is tax money and we're sitting in
this room. responsible for not just the
people that would like tax relief, but
for every person in Cheshire County,
including the uh the uh 11% that uh
right now are currently uh using your
are eligible to use your um thing. And I
we owe the community kitchen a big debt
of gratitude because they're making it
easier for us to serve our
responsibilities.
Um and I'm also we're talking about next
year. We don't need to talk about next
year. You don't know. We weren't we
weren't planning on gas reaching $4 a
gallon this year. All of this is
blindsiding us when we all have to
adjust personally and we have to adjust
our county budget as well. I do not see
a problem. I think 10,000 20,000 we're
still why 10,000 why not to five or $5
or say they're going to commit to this
program and I really need to commit to
the program. And I guess that's all I
got to say. And it's it's tax money
going to taxpayers.
We made that point. So
good point. Uh just a great great point.
I think this is a critical program that
food is not a luxury and it's a critical
program of services that for this county
that uh we are very fortunate to have
organization who does so much to raise
other funings so that it doesn't hit the
taxpayers in other ways. These are the
most vulnerable people in our county.
I'm calling a question on the
John.
>> Yeah, there's someone who made the
motion. Listen, all I'm trying to do is
I mean, I personally give money, my
family foundation gives money. We all
support the community kitchen. It's a
very important organization. And this is
not about them. It is about the fact
that they created this new program. It
turns out that this maybe wasn't the
best time to do it given gas prices or
whatever, but that I absolutely support
what they do. I absolutely but at the
end of the day, you have to remember
back in in March when we decided the
amount of money we were going to give,
we were trying to be consistent to all
the other nonprofits and all the other
guarantee organizations. it. I'm willing
to treat this as um
my my proposal compromise is simply say
okay that now we we realize that uh what
is going on with the
econom
um and and 20,000 is when we when we
take this up
next winter. Okay.
>> It's going to be
>> um I Well, I'm sorry. I There's nothing
I can do about that. Okay. Next winter,
the proposal is going to come in at 60.
And all I'm saying is is that that's a
half a year. Let's just do 10,000 now
and then we can have a full analysis and
appreciation of what they do.
for the year. And so all I'm saying is
let's just do half of what this of this
20 half just do the 10 now and then we
can have this full discussion when we do
all the nonprofits
and then because we know they're going
to come in and ask for 60 next year.
>> Can I just add one thing? When you asked
me previously why I'm asking for more.
In fact, when we submitted last year, we
did ask for 60, you all granted us the
40 for which we're grateful. So when
when I came in and I said, "We've got
some big ideas." And I laid them out in
front of you and I asked for 60,000 and
you granted us 40 and we said, "Thank
you so much." I had an opportunity to go
back and say, "Okay, well, I guess I
need to hold on the big ideas. That's
just not my style." I said, "Thank you
very much and I'm going to do it
anyway." Um and and we're going to find
a way. So yes, I am back saying we're
doing these things. They are bearing
fruit. I respectfully disagree with you.
I think this was exactly the right time
to do this. This is exactly what we were
afraid was going to happen happened. The
reason I said to my staff, I need you to
stock up that warehouse, it happened.
And so the reason I turned to our
partners throughout the region and said,
I need you to have more resource. We
need to not leave anything on the shelf
in Manchester, it happened. And so I'm
glad we did it and I will continue to do
it. I hope that you'll partner with us
in doing it, but we're not going to stop
doing it. Um, you know, I may be
shooting myself in the foot here to say
whether you fund me or not, I'm going to
keep moving forward. I also going to
keep coming back and asking because I
think that this is work that we need to
do together. Um, and I'm going to keep
inviting you into that work
>> and I'm okay with that. And we'll
probably approve 60 come next winter,
but let's just get through this next six
months.
All right. Question is going down to 10
from 20.
>> We'll get to
amend it to $10,000.
>> No.
>> Representative Fox votes no.
Representative Rhodess.
Representative Newell is absent.
Representative Brewer,
>> no.
>> Representative partial.
>> Nose and four. Yes.
>> So now you go to the initial 25. Now you
go to the original the original.
>> Now we go to the original motion. Uh
I'll say that I
voted
yes because I thought it would be
important to have a more unified
position when we go to the full
delegation.
pass that house.
>> I'm ready to vote on the $20,000
>> Recommended a delegation to utilize
$20,000 of the opate funding.
>> No, not the sorry
increase the budget line by number 4454
community kitchen by $20,000 to offset
with use of fund balance. Count number
399 3911.0000
00.
>> Clerk votes. Yes. Representative
Rhodess.
Representative Gruber.
>> Representative Burch.
>> Representative Marshall.
>> Representative Terasinski.
>> No. Representative Paxton is absent.
So I go to 63 motion pass.
>> So now the overall
>> and she's gonna give it to you in two
seconds.
She's doing the math. She said
>> I'm gonna do it. She figured I run
pizza. I go get it. Could
I
>> would it be all right if I if I gave an
explanation as to my vote?
>> Paul, you're gonna have to say that.
>> Tell me on Wednesday.
>> I'm not around on Wednesday.
>> So, so Paul,
>> you had something you want to say?
>> Yeah, I did. I voted for it essentially
for what Representative Gruber had to
say. We're talking about food and I
think food is
is in a category with a few other things
that uh need um we need to pay a whole
lot of attention to and be supportive of
people who need it. I can't say I'm
thrilled with the process. I can't say
I'm thrilled with an idea that any
organization would come to us during our
budget season and say these are our
needs for the year and we like you to
support it and we think about it and we
support it to the extent that it's
proper and then organizations go out and
say regardless of what we told you
regardless of what the budget is we're
going to go out and um spend more money
and then it's like doing something and
apologize you know, apologizing later,
whatever the phrase is. I don't think
that's a good way to proceed. I don't
think it builds credibility for
organizations. Nonetheless, because of
the subject matter here, I felt it was
important to vote for it.
>> Thank you. So, we have a motion to
recommend to the delegation to amend the
2026 budget for a total amount of 78
million 564,332
which summar which includes all of the
things that we've noted on. Is there
anything else we should
explain? The
>> 20,000 for the food pantry and 11,200
for the increase of the sheriff's deputy
from from 28 uh by 12 hours to a 40hour
work
>> and then proshare 600
change.
So, are we ready to vote?
>> Ready for the question.
>> Representative.
>> Representative Harley.
>> Yes. Representative Rhodess.
>> Representative Marshall,
>> Representative Kerosinski,
>> Representative Fax is absent. Vote 9 to
zero.
>> Nine to zero. The motion passes. We have
any other business to go before us?
>> So, we got a few things that we want to
run through. They're not things that we
need to vote on. we want we'd like to
make you aware of them. Um
and so we're going to try to get through
them as fast we can as we have about 17
minutes to go. So the first one is as
you remember we um in 2016 we we changed
from group two for the corrections
facility to group one. Uh the
superintendent came to me this year
earlier talked about the fability for us
going back. I said it's your homework to
really look into it. Work with your
affiliates of other superintendents work
to see if you can make everything work.
There's some things to it that that need
to be done. The commissioners were made
aware on multiple occasions and and felt
comfortable to continue to move it
through because it's got to go through
the the uh the budget process anyways
because there is a cost to it. We are
not making any decisions tonight but we
wanted to make you aware of it. So up on
the screen, I believe we're going to be
able to do this. All right. Well,
he'll be here in a second.
>> Um, but we can talk about it in the
meantime.
>> You want to start with the difference
between the group one or the
>> So, in prior to me working there, I
worked at the jail now for about eight
years. I worked as a floor officer for
five and I was a second ship commander
for two years. Last September, I took
over as superintendent. Um in 2015 2016
we transitioned like he said to from
group two to group one. The decision
wasn't made on the basis of
retirement. It had to do with the
corrections academy that we send our
officers to. Back pre-day there is a
fiveweek correctional academy that is
made up of all the correctional uh
facilities in the state. So it's made up
it was made up of all 10 counties. 2015
there was some differences of opinions
but also some differences in training
opinions between Cheshure and some of
the other departments. So I can't speak
to all the details around that group two
back then
sponsor decision make but the reason
that we transitioned out largely came
down to the training aspect of it. We
felt we could do the in-house training
more at better than and as well as the
other departments do with a fiveweek
training academy. helps save us a lot of
time and money in sort in terms of
overtime as especially in terms of the
cost of sending officers. We're sending
if we send three officers to an academy,
it pulls us down in staff. So, it it has
a lot of costs associated with it. Um,
when they did that 11 years ago, I do
believe that our training was right on
par with it. And I'm not trying to say
that our current training is subpar to
where the other departments are, but in
11 years, corrections, believe it or
not, changes a lot. And we have to adapt
with the times. And I think we do an
incredible job with that. Former
Superintendent Yaz was very good about
keeping up to date with times. But when
we cut ourselves off from the rest of
the counties, we lose a lot of valuable
resources. we kind of isolated ourselves
on a bit of an island. Whereas putting
us back into the academy would kind of
open up a lot of channels. It would give
officers better, more in-depth training.
Looking at what they recently did with
the academy, they did revamp it in a lot
of different ways. And there's a lot of
trainings that we don't have, but I
would like us to get the other
superintendents are very supportive of
my initiative in this and trying to help
us get through this and they want to
offer us the training that we can get.
Um, as far as the difference between
group one and group two retirement, so
Cheryl can talk more on the costs of
associated that the county would pay
into group two versus group one. Uh,
group two is it's group one pays into
social security and then it also pays
into the retirement system. When you can
start when you can initially retire is
30 years, group two is 25 years. When
you can start collecting is I want to
say it's 60 for group one. for group two
is 52 and a half. So group two is
generally police, fire, EMS, correction,
state prison. That's generally group two
retirement system. Group one is
generally teachers. And so we transition
from the group two with most which is
most made up of most law enforcement to
group one which is made up of the
teachers. So, it's still not a bad
retirement per se, but it's not as it's
not what someone goes into the field of
corrections desiring. A big draw to
corrections or law enforcement in
general is the retirement. It's okay, I
can do a very hard, strenuous job for 25
years and then get a good retirement.
Right now, it's okay, I can do this for
30 years and I can I still have to work
till I'm 60 or so. So, we kind of took
away that retention that we want from an
officer or what officers might look at.
And Sullivan County, I spoke with their
superintendent. They're the closest jail
to us. They hire a lot of individuals
from Keen that would rather drive to
Sullivan County because that is their
retirement. It's they pay a little bit
less than us, but there's more to look
forward to. And if a lot of people use
corrections as a stepping stone to
police departments and Sullivan's
another example of they have an officer
that went from Sullivan County now he's
working for Keem PD. So he can take his
retirement and transfer it to Keen PD
and keep it running. Whereas if you go
from group one to group two it's not
quite as smooth a transition. It's still
a good transition but not quite the
same.
>> So there's there's going to be a lot of
questions on this but we just wanted to
introduce it to you that this is
something that the superintendent has
been working on. it has to go through
the budget process. So, you will have
time, but we didn't want to spring it on
you at the budget process. We wanted you
to think about it. If you have
questions, you can always reach out to
them prior to the budget process to to
get more in depth so that you understand
it better. So, we just wanted to bring
it forward uh for an introduction.
>> Yeah. And real quick, one more thing is
it's required to be certified to send
your officers through the academy, the
fiveweek academy. with this the help of
the other superintendents they agreed to
wave officers that have been employed
with our jail for three years through
that academy need I went to them with
the logic of if someone's been employed
for three years they've they've
experienced enough where there's no
really amount of fiveweek training
that's going to necessarily equate to
that level of experience which they
agreed to. So, if we were to go through
this transition, I I have about 43
officers right now that are group one
that would need to transition to group
two. I wouldn't have to send all 43
through the academy, which is a
requirement to be group two. They agreed
to wave that. It would drop the amount
that I would have to send through the
academy significantly. I believe I would
have to send at this point in time
roughly 12 or 13 officers through the
academy as opposed to the whole 43. So,
if I wasn't able to get that waiver, I
wouldn't have come here or wouldn't
>> that was one of the breaking.
>> Yeah. I wouldn't have been able to move
forward with it because I couldn't find
I can't find a way to send all 43 staff,
myself included, through a fiveweek
correctional academy. It just would put
our facility too far under. It would put
a really heavy burden on officers and
the overtime flow of everything. So,
this is just kind of give you a little
background of some of the work that I've
done, some of the progress that we've
made with it. There's a a lot of support
throughout the rest of the counties.
They'd like to see Cheshire kind of
rejoin the NHAC Corrections Academy. I
think it just makes sense for the sake
of continuity between the state and
corrections to have all the same
training. Gives us more leg to stand on
when it comes to any sort of lawsuit.
Again, as far as jails go, I'm
incredibly proud of how we're run
whenever it comes to lawsuits. I know
for a fact that we're doing things
correctly. So, it's not that I think
we're doing something wrong. It's just I
think we can be doing more in the grand
scheme of things and 10 years from now
if we're still on our own island where
all the other jails are doing something
else and they're further progressed than
we are then we're just going to stay
stagnant. So I'm just trying to keep us
up to date with the time. So that's kind
of where we're going with this.
>> And and again there'll be plenty of time
for questions but I'm going to move on
if that's okay because I've seen the
clock and I know I'm under under the gun
here a little bit.
It will be it'll be all electronic on
our on our website and we can send it to
you directly too.
Um I'm going to jump uh if you don't
mind because some of this is going to be
repetitive because I'm going to be
saying it later on at full and some of
it's about what we're doing around gas
prices. Some of it's about um how we are
going after about $4 million worth of um
uh funding from the state through the go
north program and um and how that's
going to affect us. And so I think I
think it makes more sense because uh
getting close to time to go right to the
clarity question I need. And um
so
in January or actually in February at
the wrap-up meeting you you
and it was John because we have minutes.
If you want to reflect on the minutes,
you can see that um John made a motion
in reference to restorative justice at
that meeting and and it being
discontinued as of December 31st, 2026.
And so I
and with the with the idea in the
minutes, it clearly says that we would
review this in August.
And one of the things that was was asked
of me is that I would meet with the um
Patrick who's here tonight over there in
the corner. I'm well in the middle sort
of um and talk about grants
possibilities, meet with Suzanne Bansley
about grant possibilities, help see if
there's any way we could offset costs.
At that point, we did all of that. What
we found is there is no grants to fund
the program itself. this grants to grow
the program out, but there's nothing
that funds it at the administration of
the program. Uh we also looked at
schools and to be honest with you, we
can say that we're going to do it.
Whether the schools then are going to,
you know, go into contract with us, we
don't know that. I can't sit there and
look at you in the face and say that. So
Patrick knew that. Moving forward, he
continued the program. In midMay, he
came to me and stated that uh he was
retiring and moving back to uh Nova
Scotia with his wife who's been a doctor
in this region for many, many years. And
that um the last day, his last full 20
40hour work week would be June 26. he
would continue to work on with us
because he had four cases that he's
probably finishing up in the next week
or so that he wanted to follow through
with as he went back and forth between
here in Nova Scotia. He's done that and
we've continued to pay him that. Um
so I made a decision at that point
because of what I heard from the the um
delegate uh the executive committee to
go to the commissioners and say at this
point it makes no sense for me to hire
somebody because it's going to be hire
who would I be hiring that would
actually think about taking the job with
a three-month grace period before it
ended.
That was how I started to work uh
forward with that. The commissioners
agreed with me on that and that's how I
I I went and intended it. So the program
was going to officially end like it had
been planned. Um I did start hearing
that there may be people that would want
to reconsider it. So I looked into the
matter or and you can't really
reconsider. You have to either amend the
motion or resend it. And I realized this
this vote was never moved on for
whatever reason. It was never moved on
to the full U delegation for a vote. It
did come out on a document that we sent
out that said down there that would but
it never was officially brought forward.
So what I'm asking for for tonight
because I've been going on to the idea I
read the room. I understood what John's
motion was. I understand what my duties
were. I went to the commissioners and
told them what I thought. So I would
like to have clarity on how how to move
forward with this and somehow have a
motion whether it's John he does a
motion so that we can bring it to the
full delegation to be able to then move
forward so that I'm right in my thinking
or not and and how I proceed because
right now I'm not I'm not 100% clear on
that even though I've been working off
an assumption that the program ends
December 30th 31st 2026.
>> I'd like to speak to this.
>> I mean your your your show there.
>> So I I think the question one question
is whether we're going to make a
recommendation as an executive
committee. I think definitely the needs
to be a
vote of the delegation one or the other
just to
>> that would be correct
>> just to cement whatever the intention
is.
Um John you were You want to speak?
>> Yeah, Paul. Paul,
>> I I think Paul and I have already we've
had a conversation on this, so I I'll
let Paul speak.
>> Thank you. Um I I can't see anybody but
John, which is generally okay by me. Um
I I just want to clarify a couple of
things and the it's not that there's an
open question about what the status is
now. There is no open question. The
delegation approved the restorative
budget as
every other similar kind of program
uh by uh its vote at the delegation
meeting. That's the status quo. The
status of the delegation of the
restorative justice program right now is
no different than any other program.
That is not subject to debate or
clarification or anything. However,
some people may have labored under a
misinterpretation or their own opinion
about what was happening.
I am supportive
of this body
uh taking a vote on whether it wants to
kill a program as of December 31st or
not. And I think that's an appropriate
motion. If somebody wants to make it,
nobody m makes it, so be it. But somehow
I think that that John is probably going
to make that motion. It's entirely
appropriate that we do that and then we
could just simply vote thumbs up or
thumbs down as to the issue of killing
it December 31st. I think John and I
both understand. We're not here to
discuss how the program could be
improved. We're not here to discuss the
parameters. All of that can be done in
January, February as part of the normal
budget process. We're just trying to
decide tonight whether the uh the
program ceases to exist December 31st or
not. Is that how you see it, John?
>> Good. Um
>> yeah. So I I guess I'll speak now. It
just is simply the way I made the motion
was that come this meeting we uh that we
would charge the the
um Chris to figure out you know how how
this is going to work and how this is
going to make economic sense and and you
know the fact that the the the person
who is administrating is willing to move
on and and uh they're wrapping it up and
taking care of the the two cases they
had. Um I think I think this was this
was a good way to do it.
>> I suggest we make that motion to the
entire delegation given that
>> I so I move
>> the motion. Yes, I move the motion. I I
assume you guys have printed copies of
the motion.
Is that
>> Are we gonna are we going to try to make
a recommendation? I think if we want to
executive committee to make a
recommendation to the full view of the
delegation,
>> it's going to involve
discussion of the merits.
Might as well let full delegation here
because they're here. We're almost at
the
>> on John's behalf. John, do you want me
on your behalf and then you can Okay.
>> It's fine. Thank you. Motion to
recommend to the delegation to reinstate
budget funding in the 2027 budget for
the restorative justice. As such, this
will allow the program to continue past
December 31st, 2026 and be revisited.
No, not it.
>> No, that's that's not [laughter] it.
>> Rolling my leg, man. motion. [laughter]
The motion would be a motion to
eliminate the to recommend to the
delegation to eliminate restorative
justice program effective January 1st,
2027.
>> That's the correct motion. If any
>> question committee is that do we want to
have a discussion of the merits here?
>> Or do we just want to pass this on to
the WH?
>> I think it's out of order to discuss the
merits. I think as Paul said, uh that is
something that would be taken up in um
our regular deliberations in January as
we um look at as we do with each of our
programs. We look at it there. I don't
think that this that is um
>> I don't think that is in the purview of
our um our job. I think what we need to
do is
>> take take up the motion as read and make
a vote as to whether the program is
going to move on or not and let the uh
people who uh do the budgeting in
January and March look at the program
the way it stands and if they want to
make changes.
>> So the motion to the executive committee
which we're still in executive committee
meeting is to recommend to the full
delegation
January eliminate program as of January
1.
>> Correct.
>> Can I speak?
>> So the senator understands that when we
took this discussion up, we knew that we
were already three months into the
So the issue was you couldn't just Oh,
I'm sorry. My dog is
>> [laughter]
>> express her opinion. Okay. So that we
had assumed that we could not at that
moment, you know, just do a, you know,
say, you know, just dissolve this
program. Notwithstanding there were a
couple cases still pending.
And so we thought what the best way to
do this was to have this
meeting to discuss what the department
you know the the the Chris could could
find and find some grants or find
something to make this program work and
that if not if if it's if the reality is
that there's not much we can do to make
this you know the terms of as the
viability of it and that if at that
point we would then make a decision on
whether we should recommend it. So the
key element here is it's is it's the
it's the timing problem. The timing
problem is we as a delegation don't vote
until March. So if you're going to
initiate, we didn't we said no, we're
not going to discontinue the program for
the for the 2026 budget, but when the
2027,
you know, that that's when you we would
pull the plug. And so that was the idea.
>> Exactly. He heard this argument and
discussed it back in February as it the
delegation hasn't seen it yet. So I
think at least
>> hold it. Let let me respond to that if I
can because I think it's fairly
fundamental
to say that whatever the executive
committee did, whatever motion is
referred to from before
was never approved. It was never
adopted. It's no different than in the
legislature. If a committee makes a
recommendation on the bill and it
doesn't pass the House or the Senate, it
doesn't exist.
So, where we are right now is in a
program that all along
needed to have somebody appointed
interim or permanent or whatever a month
ago, two months ago, whatever. But it
didn't happen. So be it.
But right now
what we're deciding is the next six
months, next half year essentially of a
program because John is right. The
program as it goes now we all for all
the other programs and so far this one
it they all end December 31st and then
there's a grace period of three months
that the state provides. So, we're
talking August, September, October,
November, December, January, February,
March, which is plenty of time to help
people uh through the restorative
program, and it's plenty of time to give
victims their rights. So, I urge people
in the strongest term possible is to
vote against the motion.
And if people want to reconsider the
program and how it should function and
what it should cover and not cover,
that's what we do in January.
>> Well, I think we we made that point. So,
follow the question.
>> That's it.
>> This is just the executive committee
voting on whether to recommend to the
full delegation that the program that
the restorative justice program be
terminated as of January 1st. Madam
clerk.
Um, so it was moved by Hunt. Did anybody
second it?
>> This is a negative question. So a vote,
a yes vote is to kill the program.
>> Yes vote is to kill the program. No.
>> Representative Faulner,
>> Clerk votes. No. Representative Rhodess.
>> Representative New Oh, no. Got the wrong
Oh, no. Representative Newell is now
>> Representative Ruber, no.
>> Representative Partial,
>> Representative Faxton.
>> Three to seven.
Seven
executive council.
>> Three votes in favor, seven against
motion.
>> Three in favor, seven against.
>> Other business come before the second.
>> Now, a lot of the other things that I
was going to talk about, I can talk at
the whole delegation.
>> You have a motion to adjourn this
meeting. So
>> second
bathroom [laughter]
She has to give her a moment.
>> We need about five
minutes be able to change some of the
things for the delegation.
bottom line.
>> Oh, yeah. That's right.
Is
>> that all one?
work.
>> It helps every
email list now.
>> Hey Kathy.
>> Kathy.
>> Asking you asking you as chair.
Could
I speak to Kathy for a moment?
>> Oh, Kathy
Davis.
mobile.
>> Please leave your message for 63.
>> Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all for
coming this evening. Thank you for your
patience. Um since our executive meeting
ran a few minutes early, thank you very
much for um being patient while we got
things transition from one meeting to
the next. Uh my name is uh repres
Representative Katherine Harvey. I'm the
chair of the Cheshire County delegation
and um uh we're here tonight on August
17th to review the uh county budget. So
the first item on the budget is exactly
that to look at the appropriations to
the 2026 county budget for the use of
prochair funds and other budget
amendments. And I would ask Cheryl to
please speak to that.
>> Good evening everyone. So what we
typically do in this August meeting is
we bring forward some expected revenues
that we have and um present them to
amend the budget. And the first one that
we are proposing is our proshare funds.
So this year in prior years we had you
know a much more sizable amount but this
year we did get $67,05
more than what we had originally
budgeted. So we are presenting in
support of the commissioners and the
executive committee and the delegation
to take those excess funds and apply
them to fund balance to um consider for
future year years taxes to be raised.
So, I'd like to make a motion to
increase the revenue line
3404.10.00
by
607,000.
You have too many zeros here. Cheryl,
>> is it 607, 005?
>> 675.
and $67,0005
for the receipt of state New Hampshire
um proportional share funds not
use of pro-chair funds for the following
to reserve $67,5
to fund balance for future year budget
considerations to offset taxes to be
raised. Can I have a second to that
motion, please?
>> Thank you. Any discussion?
>> Yes. Can I get a copy of the motion?
>> Sure.
>> Any discussion? The clerk will call the
roll.
>> Representative Weber is absent.
>> Representative James,
Marshall,
>> Representative Quley,
>> Representative Rose,
>> Representative Dana,
>> Representative Jones,
>> Representative Newell,
>> yes. Representative Baxon.
>> Representative Rock.
Nevilleeno.
>> Neleno.
>> Representative Murphy.
>> Representative Jacobs.
>> Representative Guber.
>> Representative Matson. Yes.
190 motion.
>> Thank you. The next motion that we have
that was recommended by the executive
council concerns um abandoned property.
And again uh before I make that motion,
I'll let uh Cheryl explain what that
abandoned property means. So every year
the county all 10 counties in the state
of New Hampshire receive money that um
has been estated to the state of New
Hampshire and that has been deemed
abandoned. I mean no different than us
as the county if we have any outstanding
accounts payable vendor payments or
payroll pay payments or even inmate pay
um monies we have to every five years
send anything that has been abandoned
over five years old.
What happens is anything that originated
from Cheshure County, the state after so
many then years then sends it back to
the county in which it originated.
Most years we get about 35 to $40,000.
It's, you know, kind of a minor um
payment. I mean, not chump change, but
it's small in the scheme of things. This
year we received a payment in the amount
of 500
um
well I I had it written somewhere about
the oh it's in my here 58 $8,773
and so that amount we budgeted some of
it but the excess of what we didn't
budget was that $476,668.
this. We've never in the history of me
being with a county have ever received
anything of this magnitude. I did speak
to the treasur department at the state
of New Hampshire to assure that in the
event um somebody came forward to um re
to claim this abandonment property that
we wouldn't receive a bill. And it's not
one. I think it is multiple payments.
They can't tell us who or how it
originated. But they did assure us that
we would never receive a bill. If
anything, if they had to offset a future
year, they would just keep um offsetting
zero payments until it was caught up.
So, this is um definitely unexpected
revenue that we are also recommending is
um applied to fund balance for future
year budget considerations to offset tax
experience.
>> And uh I'll get your question in a
minute, but I'm going to uh do the
motion in a second and then we can
discuss it. Uh motion to increase
revenue line 3509.00.00
by 476,668
following to reserve $476,668
by apply applying fund balance for
future year budget considerations to
offset taxes to be raised. Can I have a
second to that motion, please?
>> Thank you. And now discussion.
Representative.
>> Could you give us uh roughly the nature
of uh you know some of the bigger chunks
of what what the abandoned property
consists of?
>> We don't know where it's the dollar
amount. [clears throat]
>> Yeah. It's just the the cumulative
dollar amount of what the state had to
send back to Cheshire County for their
obligation to send it back. The state
gets a percentage of this, too. I'm not
sure exactly what the percentage is, but
it this is like it's one person. Any one
of you can go on to the abandoned
property division and search for your
name and it will tell you if you've got
any unclaimed property out there that
belongs to you. So,
>> but just for clarity just for clarity
purposes,
Cheryl did her due diligence with the
the Treasury in New Hampshire and they
were like it's it's not one, it's
multiples and and it just happened to
hit us this way this year. It's never
been that's why we only took out
initially 38,000 and set it aside and we
put this put the money aside because
we're like we're not touching this
unless somebody tells us we can touch
it. She did her due diligence. They came
back and said don't worry about it. And
so we have it in an email. And so we're
saying this is something that as the
budget goes, we're going to look at
this. We are going to look at this as a
one-time project type opportunity. Um,
of course, the commissioners, the
executive committee, and the delegation
can choose to do whatever they choose
with it, but we feel like this is an
opportunity. It's if there's some things
that we can do, we'll do it.
>> This is a one-time revenue source,
>> right? Well, we get it annually, but
we've never something this large of it.
>> Yes. Representative,
>> I was going to offer my observation and
through this with several things that
these are not big chunks of money. These
are thousands and thousands of uncash
checks, you know, for $20 or, you know,
$47.
>> Hundreds of thousands of people that
have little bits of money that end up
going to the state because they've
moved and forgotten. We all we've all
gotten excited by it and then get on
there and said, "Yeah, you have an old
account $22 or $2 or 5 cents or whatever
it is, you know, but not a million
dollars."
>> Just a follow-up question. So,
>> yes,
>> the information that you get from the
state is just a number or what what form
>> that's all we get. we get that
references the RSA
um and with the RSA is 47 471- C col 31
um final disposition I mean I can read
the um the RSA but all as as used in
this section appropriate county
treasurer means the treasure of the
county where the folder was located at
the time the property under this chapter
was delivered to the administrator under
another RSA following On completion of
the proceedings specified in RSA 471C30,
the administrator shall pay or deliver
all property as cheated under this
chapter to the appropriate county
treasur shall deposit such property in
the county treasury. Provided, however,
the administrator shall not pay or
deliver the income earned from the
working capital fund or any amounts
received from out of state holders.
That's what the state can't do. And then
it goes on to say, "The administrator,
meaning the treasurer, shall reduce
amounts paid to the counties under this
section for subsequent claims asserted
under this RSA if such amounts have
previously been estuted to the
counties." That was the last sentence
that concerned me was that they have
they they will reduce future amounts if
they've already sent us money, which we
don't know who the individuals are. We
don't get any backup. It's they do their
what they're supposed to. And that's
where they said that they would only
reduce down to zero and they would keep
a running tally in the event. But he
kept assuring me I doubt you're going to
see that we're ever going to have to
there won't be enough to um make an
offset.
>> Follow up.
>> Yeah. Follow up, please. So I'm I'm just
uh imagining that this is mostly
financial instruments like uh for
example somebody doesn't cash a
uh income tax uh dividends and income
tax return check or but doesn't involve
any real property or the sale of any
real property
>> or if it turned into cash.
>> It could be anything. We just don't
know. just
>> we asked those questions because we had
the same questions you had.
>> Yeah. Merry Christmas.
>> So, the bottom line is we don't know
what we don't know. Um we don't know how
many what they are or the amounts of it.
Oh, but we do have an email that says
in the future if by some rare chance we
had to pay something back, they would
simply
make their payments zero until the
balance was paid off. That's that's as
much as we know. So, the motion is to
allow us to accept that money.
Any further discussion?
Uh, clerk, would you please call the
role for me?
>> Representative Ames,
>> Clerk votes yes. Representative Partial,
>> Representative Rhodess,
>> Representative German,
>> yes. Representative Jones.
>> Representative New?
>> Representative Fax is absent.
Representative Bur.
>> Representative Brook.
Nabaleno.
>> Yes. Representative Gruber.
>> Representative Matson,
>> 190. Motion carries.
>> Thank you. Uh the third uh motion that
we have before us um and it was brought
forth as a recommendation from the
executive council concerns increasing a
current 28 hour position um as
for a deputy for the sheriff to 40
hours. and I'm going to ask the CPS
going to ask the sheriff to briefly um
uh discuss his request and then I will
make a motion we'll second it and if
there's any discussion from the
delegation we can do it then. So share
if you could briefly explain your
request.
>> Thank you. Um we've been in conversation
for some time with the Manadoc school
district. um they've been asking to see
if we can help them with SRO or Tency
officer at at their school um since the
Swansea Police Department had a pull
out. Um and we've been trying to fulfill
that position and we've been finding it
pretty difficult to do with just the
hours that they're asking for asking for
the uh the school year which is an
average about 20 hours 28 hours a week
with like 70% of a full-time person. So,
what I'm asking is that we uh
authorize increasing my FTEEs by 12
hours so I can actually hire a full-time
officer uh deputy um for our office so
that we can find someone who's willing
to uh come join us and serve as a as a
deputy at the max school district. We've
also seen an increase in our in our
transport of prisoners back and forth to
the court. um not just not from the
county jail but from the state prison
from other count other jails throughout
the state. Um we're in we tracking at
about 700 plus this year more than last
year. Last year we were just under
2,000. We're about ending uh going to be
about two um two 2700 this year based on
the um the averages that I came up with.
So that's another increase. So we will
hope that when this deputy is not at the
school um he can help us with the part
of part of that transport as well. So in
order for me to attract somebody who
wants to work at the school and also be
a deputy under time that the school is
not in session I need to convert that to
a full-time position because I cannot
find anyone who wants to work part-time.
>> Thank you. The motion is to increase
budget line 4211.03.00
00 by $11,200
to increase a current 28 hour position
to 40 hours effective September 1, 2026
and to offset that with the use of fund
balance account 3911.00.0
and before somebody asks yes that 11,200
um includes benefits.
Can I have a second to the motion?
>> Thank you. Any discussion? Hearing
none or seeing none, um I would ask the
clerk to please call the role.
Oh, representative
Bur, did you raise your hand? Did I just
>> No,
sorry. Go ahead. Representative Hunt.
>> yes. Representative Bronx votes yes.
Representative Marshall,
>> Representative Whe,
>> Representative Thaxton is absent.
>> Representative Oor,
>> yes. Representative
Nala Vanco.
>> Representative Brewer.
>> Representative Matson.
18 to one. Motion carries.
>> Thank you. And the next motion is
concerns the community kitchen. I no
longer see the director in the room. Um
so I I'll
let me make the motion and then we'll
discuss. Um, and I'll ask Chris to uh
pretend he's the director of the
community kitchen. So, the motion is to
increase the budget line 4454.00.00
by $20,000 and to offset this with the
use of the fund balance account
3911.00.00.
I would um emphasize that this is not
costing the county anything. It comes
from fund balance. Can I have a second
to my motion? Thank you. Uh,
Representative Jamana, um,
uh, Chris, would you like to address
this or
>> it's been brought forward that they're
looking for they've seen an increase in
need. Um, they've seen an increase in in
in their census significantly. So, um,
they have seen a cost increase. They've
also um doing have started doing more uh
to help support outside communities
outside of Keane and uh they they have a
trucking and regional food distribution
that has that they felt was needed. They
talked about this last year but they
really keep them to gear. At the end of
last year we also started a trucking
initiative to move forward with food
reser resources in the region. We
learned that many of the small
volunteerr run pantries were receiving
groups in New Hampshire food bank only
once a month because transportation
limitations. We hired a fulltime driver
in person to 20 foot refrigerated box
truck which now makes almost daily trips
to the food bank in Manchester year to
date. We've delivered more than 90 tons
of food in 12 uh to 12 agencies
throughout the region including Jaffrey
Ring Troy Chesterfield Malro Keane
Gilome Richmond and Fitz William it's
been that aside from their everybody
always thinks community kitchens down
here but they have grown to the point
where they're they're reaching out
across the region to the point where the
New Hampshire food bank is looking at um
them becoming the distribution center
for this this region on regulation and
getting a facility over here so they can
they can food bank can support that and
and make that even easier for people. If
you've heard the stories before in the
past when people would come from
pantries they'd come in their Subaru or
their Volkswagen and put in as much food
as they possibly could. Now they have a
truck dropping it off on a daily if not
multiple times a week and it's really
made a huge difference. and um their
mobile pantry is really ramped up to the
point they're really supporting Gilam
Richmond Pit and Winchester and Gills
from Richmond and Fitzville and they're
working to really make a a community
kitchen pantry in each town really a
satellite pantry that really will you
know help them. My understanding too has
been that a lot of these communities are
really struggling right now because
aging out factor and there's not people
to take up that that service and so
they've really felt the need to really
do what they can for those communities.
Is that enough?
>> Yes. The only thing I would keep you
going.
>> Thank you. I always hesitate when I ask
you.
>> Oh, thanks. Yeah. However, I the only
thing I would add that the and the
director was at the executive council
meeting is that um this has come at this
request has come at a time when SNAP was
eliminated and so the need is even
greater and unfortunately it's also come
at a time when gas prices are you know
over $4 so a gallon. So that has
increased their cost as well as
the cost of food skyrocketing. I know we
can all tell horror stories about the
price of a dozen of eggs and um none of
none of those things could have been
foreseen. So they are asking us to um
help the citizens the constituents of
all of our communities by granting this
uh 20,000 which comes out of fund
balance not tax ceremony. So, um, any
other discussion?
Representative Shiama.
>> And just very quickly, I want to, you
know, second kind of what what you said,
Representative Paul, that that we've
seen the impact of of SNAP cuts. About
3% of New Hampshire residents who were
receiving SNAP benefits are not,
including over a thousand children in
the state who are no longer uh receiving
those benefits. If you volunteered at
the community kitchen, you see the
number of families, number of young
children who come in and use their
services. If you haven't volunteered
there, you should. Uh, and this is
obviously become much more of a county
service because of the need. And so,
this is, I think, a responsibility that
we have to help uh make up for the
irresponsible shortfall that has been
forced on us by a federal government. uh
and
teachers.
>> Thank you, Representative P.
>> Uh yes. So, um I have no problems with
the King Community Kitchen. I think
they're a wonderful organization. I
support them in many ways.
The issue is that uh we made the
decision, they originally requested the
60. We made the decision to go with 40
because we wanted to be flat with not
just this organization, with all the
nonprofits that we funded.
I guess I
I'll go forward with what I I propose to
the uh the executive committee and maybe
I'll get a more sympathetic audience
here and that is that I think that um
given that uh they keep coming back and
asking for more that uh let's least uh
make uh make a motion to uh to reduce
the 20 to 10 and Then when it comes to
next January, Feb, you know, when we do
with the budget, we can decide whether
60 or maybe a hundred, who knows how
much you guys all want to give to the to
the Key Community Kitchen, but that at
at least that this is half what they got
what we they proposed. They requested
60, we gave them 40. This is a half a
year. we'll give them an extra 10 and
then we can take it up again in the in
next winter. So my motion is to uh to
reduce the amount to 10,000.
>> Thank you, Representative. Is there a
second to representative Hunt's motion?
>> Second it.
>> Um
there discussion.
>> Yes, Representative. I just want to make
a a comment in response to
Representative German's comment. I sit
on the uh DHS
section uh of the finance committee at
the state level. There are all kinds of
issues with the SNAP program as you may
be aware at the federal level with the
waste, fraud, and abuse that's going on
and it's documented.
Uh, and that penalizes
everybody, you know, penalizes taxpayers
for funding the waste, fraud, and abuse
that goes on. I'm not saying it occurs
in New Hampshire. They haven't looked at
that real closely in in New Hampshire.
But it also penalizes people who are not
receiving the benefits from the funds
that are that are going for those uh uh
for those services. Uh the other aspect
of this is is that clearly part of the
one of the motions that came before the
committee this year was to increase by
about $4 million to make up for the
funding uh that was so so-called cuts to
the federal program.
>> Okay. I I'm actually going to inter
interject here. The motion is to reduce
this from 20,000 to 10,000. We're not
really here to discuss the SNAP program
and you know
>> I understand that but I just want to
make the point that you know the
expenditures I'm clearly with uh
Representative Hunt you want to make
sure that people that uh need the
services are getting them and that
they're being efficient. And I object to
the comments that representative
>> and again I'm going to stop that because
our our comments should be limited to
whether or not the amount should be
reduced from 20 to 10, not to um
>> Representative German.
>> Yeah, I'll vote against the motion. This
is documented need for people right here
in our county. Um and leave it at that.
This is not a guess. It's not an
estimate. This is based on actual
documented need serving people.
>> Uh yes, Representative Jones.
>> Procedure question. I believe this is an
amendment to your motion.
>> Yes, it is.
>> Any further discussion?
>> And
>> okay, so we just Oh, Representative
on uh Phil's question. We're voting yes.
Yes,
>> you're voting in favor of the amendment
to reduce the amount. Yes, the amendment
is to
voting.
>> Let me Excuse me.
>> Excuse me. I'll explain. Thank you.
>> Yeah, let's have one person explain
because if we all do, we probably all
will have different um things in our
head. So, the motion was to reduce the
amount given to the community kitchen
from fund balance from 20,000 to 10,000.
A vote yes
is in favor of that reduction. A vote no
is a vote against that reduction. And we
would back be back to our original uh
Clerk, would you please call the role?
Representative Faulner. No.
Representative Harvey. No.
Representative Ames,
>> Clerk votes, no. Representative partial,
>> Representative Cleley,
>> Representative is absent. Representative
Burch,
>> no. No.
>> Representative O'or.
Malavano.
Vote is 7 to 12. Motion fails.
>> Thank you. We're back to the original
motion to um let me make sure correctly
to increase budget line 4454.00.00
00 by 20,000 and to offset with the use
of fund balance account 3911.00.
I think we've discussed this. Clerk,
would you please call the role?
>> yes. Representative Fox votes yes.
Representative Partial,
>> Representative is absent.
>> Uh, I forgot.
>> Yes. Yes. [laughter]
>> Representative Harrisinski.
>> Representative Ruber.
>> I'm sorry. What was that?
>> Oh. [laughter]
154 motion passes.
>> Thank you. Is there any other business
that should come before the delegation?
No. Um Chris.
>> Yes. Thank you.
>> We're gonna repeat, but I asked them to
actually for those that already heard
it. I'm gonna
>> motion.
I'm ready.
>> So close. [laughter] So close.
The motion is to
>> Excuse me. I want everybody to hear this
so that there's no doubt about this
number. Motion to amend the 2026 budget
to the amount of 78,564,332.
May I have a second to that motion,
please? Thank you. Uh, Representative
um Faulner. Um, any discussion?
And clerk, would you please call the
role on our final budget?
>> Yeah. Yes.
>> Representative Weber is Natson.
Representative Falcon.
>> Representative Ames.
>> Representative Fox votes yes.
>> Representative Saxton is absent.
>> Representative Malivan,
>> yes. Representative Murphy,
>> Representative Jacobs,
>> Representative Mask.
>> 18 to1. Motion passes.
>> Thank you. And now I will yield the
floor to Chris House.
>> Great. And anything I'm going to say
here is moreformational. There is no
vote needed. So I'll try to get through
it as quick as possible. you. We want to
make sure we do our due diligence in
telling you everything that's coming up
so that you're aware of it and if you
have questions prior as we go into the
budget season, you're able to ask the
questions and then we get into the
budget season, you're going to be able
to ask all the questions there, too.
Soup, come on up. So,
2016, we um the Department of
Corrections uh looked at
where they were in group two. there was
some issues they felt at the time with
super superintendent Ben Wickler at the
time um felt that it was time for us to
get out of group two and join group one.
In talking to uh Superintendent Nick
Phillips, he has said that it's time for
us to maybe reconsider that and take a
look at it. What I said to him is at the
time then there's a lot of homework that
needs to be done. There's a lot of work
that needs to be done and we've been
working also with the commissioners so
that they've been made aware of the
process that we're going through and the
work that we're the any work that we're
getting done and answering some
questions. So, there's going to be a lot
of questions. I understand that. But
tonight, it's really just to inform you
where we're at so that you're you're
made aware of it. Anything I'm showing
tonight, we'll be sending to you
electronically or we you can get it. It
will be posted online there, too.
So, uh, just a little bit of a
refresher. So, my intention is to
transition the Czech County officers
from group one back into group two. In
2015 before that, we were group two,
which is standard for law enforcement,
police officers, fire, EMS, and Cheshure
is actually the only county correctional
facility in the state that is not group
two. That is group one. Um the
differences between group one and group
two uh it's generally it's more
municipal employees teachers for group
one the retirement is a little bit
different employee contribution 7% of
the pay full service retirement is 60 to
65 depending on your hire date pension
is one and a half to one 1.7% final
compensation
um group two again permanent police fire
positions more hazard duty um roles and
corrections falls into that a lot of
what a corrections officer experiences
their tenure at a department is it's a
lot different than what most would face
in the real world. Uh what comes with
group two is employee contributions 11
and a half% retire at the age of 52 and
a half with 25 years of service in group
two or at the age of 60. So the
differences is a matter of years and
when you can retire. And as far as
retirement goes, that is a benefit to
working in corrections or law
enforcement in general. A lot of people
when they go into that field, they go
into it with the intention of this is
going to be a difficult job. I'm going
to miss a lot of family hours, a lot of
holidays. I'm going to be working a lot
of overtime, but it's going to be worth
it in the long run because at the end of
it, I'll be able to retire early, maybe
else. I've seen a lot of people that
work group two retire at the age. It's
gone through some changes over the years
but retired and move on to separate
careers where they can kind of start a
new um [clears throat]
to be certified in group or to be a
member of group two for county
corrections you have to be certified
through the New Hampshire Association
counties corrections academy in 2015 we
pulled away from the correctional
academy academy academy we used to do
in-house training as well as sending
some officers to the academy in 2014
2015 there was I think some tension
between all the superintendents of the
state. You can't really speak to all of
it um and some differences of opinions
and it was made that to be certified it
has to be send your authors to this
fiveweek academy. The decision was made
that that was not feasible for Cheshure
by that superintendent. I'm not saying
that was right or wrong. I you know it
was 11 years ago. I can't speak to it.
And at the time, our training was
identical to what they're doing in the
academy. Our training is still adequate,
and I'm comfortable saying that my
officers are well trained, but in 11
years, a lot changes in corrections and
in the world in general. And I think
it's important that we as a jail don't
isolate ourselves from the rest of the
county. sending our newer officers to a
five-week academy gives us with more of
a leg to stand on when it comes to
continuity of training throughout the
state. So, I like the idea of sending an
officer to a fiveweek training academy
where they can go over more rigorous
trainings and they can have more
resources and open a lot of channels to
other departments. It's helpful when
myself I go to superintendent affiliate
meetings every month and it's nice
having those resources.
retirement the case for group two. So I
mean I've already talked a little bit
about this so I won't get too much more
into it. I know there's a lot of a lot
of other stuff to discuss and everything
like that today. Um I kind of want to
get into skip through the slides a
little bit. I kind of want to talk a
little bit more about um
the need for it but then also what steps
have already been taken. So, as I said,
to be certified or to be a group two
member, you have to be certified through
the New Hampshire Association, which
requires all officers to go through this
fiveweek academy. And by their current
bylaws, it would if we were to
transition, I would have to send 43
officers, myself included, through this
fiveweek academy. While working with the
superintendents who make the decision as
to they decide on the bylaws, they are
very supportive of my initiative to try
to get Cheshure County back into group
two and back in with the rest of the the
counties in their correctional academy.
So, they agreed to wave all officers
that have been employed for three years,
which reduces the amount of officers
I'll have to send through the academy
significantly. As it stands right now,
we have 43 officers. I believe it's only
12 or 13 that I would have to send.
Obviously, if this happens, I think our
ideal date would be July 1st, 2027. That
number can change between now and then,
but it wouldn't be a significant amount
that I would have to send. If they
weren't going to make a waiver, that
three-year waiver, I wouldn't be pushing
this forward because it just wouldn't be
reasonable for me to try to send that
many officers through. Um, so because
I've had their support and they've been
doing so much to aid me in this
transition, I've been able to push it
further along, I've been able to bring
it to the commissioners, been bring it
to them each and every step, every time
a little bit of progress has been made
just to keep them well informed of it.
And Chris has been well informed of
everything. So this is the steps that
I've taken so far and the next budget
cycle, you'll see what the difference is
for cost for us to try to get that
transition made. And there'll be ample
time to go through all the questions
that are going to be asked in the
process. But we wanted to give you a
heads up so you didn't say, "Has a train
left the station?" I've heard that many
times in my political career. Ah, the
train's already left this station. Um,
>> yeah. Next would be um fuel costs. I've
been asked by multiple people if we seen
an increase in fuel. So, we put together
something. Thank you, Cheryl and her
team to be able to pull some some of
those numbers together. So, food costs
are up sharply since February. Average
price per gallon paid across county
departments. We've seen an increase of
over on what we would normally pay based
on a $268
had it stayed there instead of what
we've been paying. And you'll see in a
second the average over time
[clears throat] $17,860
more than what we had projected.
Next you can see that in February that
we are at a low of $2.68
and as and you see it gradually went up.
Uh what changed in February the low
price through May climbed to $4.31 peak
June east of 405 still above added cost
7 again 17,860
since February. What departments are
affected? What how are we gathering this
information? This is through the
sheriff's department, Cheshire County
EMS, Maplewood Nursing Home, and
Department of Corrections. These are
where we're getting our numbers from.
And I will tell you right now, we've
seen an increase in our calls. I said
earlier in and when it comes to EMS, you
heard from the sheriff that he's seen
some increase in deliveries. That's all
vehicle driven and transports.
We've seen an increase in one month in
June.
We had uh we averaged 26,000 miles in
our ambulances for the month just one
month. So that's where we're getting
those numbers from. So we'll continue to
monitor that. We're also seeing food
increases because trucks, everything and
everything's made with oil. So we're
just seeing the increases. We're trying
to do what we can. It has, you know, you
heard today we got 1.3 million prior to
what the monies we put in there. But
that's eating away at at our overall
fund balance, too. So these are things
that we're thinking about. So those are
gas prices. We will be talking more
about that in the budget process too. So
you have time to ask those questions.
And if you after you want to ask me more
in depth about some of these, I'm I will
see what we can do to look into those
things.
Um pursuing rural health transformation
funding.
As you know, the state received $24
million
from uh the the real for the real health
transformation funding. Came out of this
big beautiful bill or as I call it the
triple B. And in that we said we're
going to be as aggressive as we possibly
can. So when it came out, you know, and
you can read it up here, you know, well,
first and foremost, I want to say one
thing. 204 million this year. So G North
is doing everything in their power to
make sure we spend that money down
because if we do, we get 204 million
next year and the year after we do it
for five years, we have the opportunity
to bring $24 million into the state of
New Hampshire through the federal
government. If we spend 180 million and
don't get to the 204, that's what we get
the next year. If we spend 120 the next
year and that's all we get. So you know
us here we we start thinking how do we
go after the money next please. So we
asked Chester County EMS to take a look
at what can you what would be in the
budget? What are things that we are
going to put in to take a look at it?
They came back to us and said replace
life end of life cardiac monitors
defibrillators transport transport
ventilators, rugged tablets, point of
care diagnostics and frontline am
frontline ambulance and and because we
have already some that are aging out. We
have u upgrade to dispatch consoles,
portable radios, incident command
technology, backup backup generator
generator. These are all things that
we're looking at.
and is helping also with our training
technology for our pipeline for our
staff. Next, Maplewood Nursing Home.
We've asked for 1.9 uh one
1.96 million.
Um 1.43 for the water treatment plate uh
plant replacement if we go down this
route. Remember you you gave you allowed
us to go do a study. We said we're going
to go after the money now. So, if we get
it, it's there. restoring existing
space, assisted living, if you remember
last year, activities and all those had
all kinds of some renovations. We put in
for all of those things to go after HVAC
replacement for the activities. OTPT
space is safe and unable um it's unable
to yearround accessible bus replacement.
We're looking at all those those things
as a reality. We'll know soon enough.
And but those are things that we're
doing. We didn't stop there though. As
you know, we're in the process, we'll be
in the process in the next week to get
get um because we've been actually in
talks with actually Go North itself to
the the director of the go north and she
is you know we're working with her to to
really take a major project and that
would be the partnership we have with
with uh Southwest Fire Mutual aid, the
Capitol Regent Mutual Aid and the Lakes
Regent Mutual Mutual Aid. We would be
the we would be the person that would
get the grant money. It would be a
five-year spend. It would hit eight
counties, over 150 communities, and 43%
of the land mass in the state of New
Hampshire. And what it would do is
upgrade the tower equipment in each
community so that when they have a
crisis because it's they're all at the
end of life. They're all dealing with
the same thing we're dealing with. And
so we're working on that. That that will
have be in in the coming few weeks. And
the last one that we're looking at,
the growing needs of EMS
when we moved into when we moved in and
I Mike Petravic is here tonight. He's
one of the architects did the design
right here and Chief is here over here
in the corner. And so if I miss
something, they can jump in. But the
bottom line is is that when we moved in,
we moved in very quickly because
everything was falling apart. If you
remember, sadly, the company that had
been in place for over 60 years, they
they had hoped that we would take them
on, but they the leans that they had
against them, especially from the IRS of
now over $2 million, um when when we did
open up is was too great for us to be
able to do anything. So, we decided to
go on our own. We opened up with the
idea that we're going to run two to
three ambulances. We're at five plus a
paramedic intercept currently, right?
And
we built it for six bays
we've got those all filled and we've got
ambulances. If you've driven by, we have
ambulances outside and we have, you
know, our numbers are going up and we
have we built what we did what we needed
to. We only had so much money to spend
on this to get this up and running
quickly. And so we had to spend it on
the vehicles. We also had to build the
new facility, the Bay Area. Everything
else we built was in buildings that were
beyond they they were what we needed at
the time because that's the money we
had. And Mike can speak to that um in a
in a second. But the bottom line is
we've looked at all this. We're growing.
We know in the next year there's a real
there is
how do I say this? There is very good
chance that we will be primary in other
towns in the near future. And that's not
because we are going out and soliciting.
We are not. We never have and we never
will. It's because communities are in
such great need to the point where we're
probably going to need to go to a sixth
ambulance. We have we have coming in in
the near future another ambulance and a
paramedic intercept new paramedic
intercept coming in and we have three
vehicles already outside. So we have to
f build more base. We have to think
about and we can do that all on this
property. we have the ability to do so,
but we have to think for the future. And
and so we've put um rural health
transformation funding has a grant for a
$50,000 planning grant. And we want to
take our time and think about this and
how we knew it need to do it. But the
rural transformation funding also has
the ability for us to get funding. If we
have a building built, they can renovate
the inside of it. That that money
there's monies there to renovate the
inside of that building. So, we're
looking at those opportunities, but we
also I took it a step further and I
said, "If we build a shell,
is that a new footprint? And do you then
pay for the inside of the work?" And
they said, "Yes." They said, "Wow, we
hadn't thought of that." Yes. So, if we
did all those, we could we could have a
portion of that. We'd have to bond and
that bond would fall under the EMS
program, but but we could cut it in
half. Now, with that being said, we've
also pushed it forward that the reason
they can't build new is because the
Center for Medicaid Service said they
couldn't build new. They are asking
currently for a waiver is what I've been
told so that they can have opportunities
for agencies to do this. And so we're
thinking if we get a planning grant and
we are able to get the architect to do
the designs the way we need to and he's
already working. We're already utilizing
some funding to do that. But this would
really help us along to really give you
guys a good picture of what we're
thinking and how we want to move
forward. And in the meantime, if they
get the waiver, it's sort of like when
we said don't we don't want to bond yet
for the for the sheriff sheriff's uh
towers and the work that was a 4.4 4
million and they came back to us and we
were able to find all the grant money.
We're hoping in reality we can do the
same thing here. I can't promise you
anything. I never would. But if we could
at least get half of that so the burden
isn't that that hard on on the EMS
budget overall, we might be doing what
we need to do in the future. Man, we
have a list of people that want to work
for us. We do we we have we are we are
fully staffed or pretty darn close to
being fully staffed down there. We have,
you know, we are in primary towns, but
we are in communities that have services
that don't have the people to work those
services more than we ever thought we
would be. We thought we were going to be
22 to 2400 calls. We're now heading
towards 6,300 calls. And again, we
haven't ever gone into a town. We never
will. Towns recently have come to us to
ask to see if they can we can give
[clears throat] services. We are mulling
all those how we can do some of those
those towns and we applaud those
communities that actually have strong
ambulance services because we need that.
We do not want to be the answer for
everybody. We want to work with
everybody. We are in the city of Kee. We
are we are we have a great relationship
with the city of Ke and I applaud um
Walpole Stad. They have strong services
you know um and there there's others
that are strong out there too probably.
I just can't think of them off the top
of my head, but those those two really
stand out to me. They got their act
together. So, that's where we stand. We
meet the demand every single day. I
applaud what the chief has done down
there to make this a reality. The the
the the the feedback we're getting. If I
had time, I'd read a letter that I'd
have him read a letter and you'd be in
tears about somebody that wrote us
recently about their service. But the
reality is is is we were asked to step
into something. We're doing the best we
can and and I think we're we're we're
doing well. But so we're going to study
how to expand this. Any questions?
Anything that Mike I miss?
>> Oh, great job.
>> Thanks for sitting here tonight for
that.
>> That's okay.
>> Anything I miss?
>> Thank you, Chris. We One thing I've
learned with uh county government is
we're never blindsided. you're always
good at keeping us up to date as to what
might be coming down the pike and we all
appreciate that. Uh before we adjourn
for this evening, just a couple things.
I'd like to publicly thank uh
Representative Fox for uh filling in for
uh Representative Weber tonight. She
didn't know she was going to do that.
She walked in the door and somebody
said, "Kathy, he gonna appoint as
clerk." And I went her. So we we
appreciate you filling in. Uh Lucy had
to be in welcome a bond vote this
evening and um personally I would like
to thank you all for the privilege of
serving as your chair this um bianium
and hopefully I'll be back and can do
the same thing in the second next
bianium. May I have a motion to adjourn?
So, we'll go
>> so eager and thank you. We're
>> good.
in.