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08/12/26 Cheshire County Commissioner's Meeting

Video

I'm just laughing at today's man. I did
that all by myself, too.
I want that recorded.
>> 199 employees. Wait, bump it up to 200.
>> We were so close. We were down to 427 at
one point.
That means what the good news is
it means that we can add eight more
beds.
We're about 124
and there she goes. We're going to be
>> Can you get me back?
>> I want to get you back.
>> It is You're recording. That's not the
issue.
>> We need to kick people off the list.
>> But he never received
>> All right.
>> [laughter]
>> All right, everything was fine until you
guys get on.
It's Devin acting up.
Devin, keep it under control.
>> Charles, you have another
>> Hang on. What is this? Who is this?
>> agenda
Uh if not, let me go back. I don't but
let me get you some more coffee.
>> You may have to go Devin, you may have
to go on and off again.
>> 2 minutes.
>> All right. Talk for a second. Let me
hear you.
>> And
>> Devon, you're muted.
You're muted.
>> We just need an agenda.
>> Okay.
>> No.
>> Devon, can you talk and I can hear
>> Hang on. I got an agenda. No.
>> And wait, I need the uh
>> Yeah, I can talk.
>> Yeah, that's what it It's Devin, it's
you.
Whatever
>> [clears throat]
>> You sound like Mickey Mouse.
You're Mickey Mouse-ing so you have to
go off and try again.
>> Put away the helium.
>> Yeah.
>> Is that a helium leak?
>> Don't check the tanks.
>> And don't screw it up then.
>> Devon, log off and log back in. Can you
hear us?
Log off.
Totally log off and log back in.
No, he's in Randy Hall's office at the
jail, but Randy's computer I don't know
I've never seen that office log into
Zoom, so I don't know what kind of
>> technology that's in there. Yeah.
>> The camera with the little microphone
for sure.
>> I know.
>> Seeing that it's 8:30, we're going to
call this commissioner's meeting to
order. It's Wednesday, August 12th. All
commissioners are present. Um going to
start off with public comment seeing
that there's no public. I'm going to
move on to elected officials and
department head updates.
We'll get to your some of yours in a
bit.
Um
I know Nick you're here. I don't know if
Devin can have talk and not sound like
Mickey Mouse.
Um but we'll we'll test that out in a
second. So you want to start Nick and
Devin can join us.
>> Yeah, just to give an update on some of
the stuff. I'm still I've been off for a
little bit, so I'm coming back tomorrow,
so I'm on Zoom from home.
But the AC unit is uh it we are getting
AC. One of the hot water heaters is
working. One of them is not.
Uh they did put in a claim through
Primex. Uh that was Chris's
recommendation, so Steve's been on it
with us.
And so they got a lot of the steps.
Devin got Steve a time frame of
everything from when the power went out
to when the problems were finally
noticed to when the companies were
called, the invoices that were given and
everything. Uh Devin did get a
quote from
What was it? E&E about if they were to
come and do a detailed check on
everything. Uh the quote I think was
26,000.
>> About 27,000.
>> Oh, okay. Yeah. 27. So he did get that
checked. That that was just the quote
E&E sent us. They did when the lead
engineer from E&E came, we asked and
Chris asked about what can we do as a
backup in the future and if there isn't
really a
a simple backup they could give us.
There's no like easy backup. There's no
double system or anything like that.
This was just kind of a
wild scenario that happened, but it's
not like we could have something on on
hand. So, if it did happen again that we
could just switch to that. It's not
really a simple
thing like that. Devin can talk a little
bit more to it if he doesn't sound
silly, but
>> Yeah,
can you guys hear me?
>> Yes.
>> Yeah, this was a an anomaly that that
just happened. Everybody we've talked to
so far up to this point said this just
happens. There's no no prevention from
stopping uh
power surges from damaging any type of
electronical equipment. Um like Philly
said, we now have one hot water boiler
up and running. Our AC is working. I
think our plan forward from this point
is to get everything running and then we
would like to have the E&E systems
engineers and techs come in and do a
retro uh commissioning of the entire
system cuz we still don't know exactly
what else has been affected
downstream from where we're at now.
>> And one of the things that we did learn
is that one of the issues was that when
every when they had the surge it went
into um default mode. Default mode in
New England is heat.
>> So So, they had to correct that and they
had to it was actually something about
this big
that was really the problem if I
remember exactly. And uh he was able to
pinpoint that, fix that really quick
quickly, and it took probably about 3
hours, correct me if I'm wrong, uh about
3 hours to get us back to where it's uh
comfortable. But, it was a many days
where we didn't have any AC and no hot
water. Or I would should say we had hot
hot-ish water. We had it in the '80s.
>> Correct.
>> It's now over 100 and it's back to
semi-normal. So,
um that's
I think the guys learned a lot out of
it, too, and understand it. They they
they were they were right there with the
team learning as they went about, asking
questions the whole time.
Um and I think they they have a a
greater handle on on the overall
process. Like you said, it was a car
accident, it took out a telephone pole,
it caused a surge,
and there you are. And
>> so, now we know that. We all know, as he
said, that the panel the whole panel is
outdated and will have to be replaced
over time. We can do it piecemeal,
though. We don't have to do it all at
once and is what they said. And so,
we'll take a look at all the all the
alternatives and see how we want to move
forward.
>> So, it was just a minor disruption. It
didn't really cause any problems.
Operation of the UOC, though, right?
>> It [clears throat] created angst across
the the the all departments because they
had no AC for
what, 6 days?
>> Yeah. Yes.
>> 6 days when you need it. So, they
actually I will tell you for not having
any AC and walking the unit walking the
halls in near the pods, I did not want
to go into any the pods because I knew I
would be somebody that everybody would
all of a sudden I could create angst at
a higher level if I would have and they
could all of a sudden have somebody to
direct it towards, but everybody seemed
to handle it well. They had extra water
in there. They had industrial fans that
they brought in. So, they handled it
extremely well. During the night, they
had the the
activity areas windows open so that the
cool air could be brought in to cool
down the area, but from about 2:30 on in
the afternoon if it was a hot day, it
did warm up and you had to shut
everything up and just blow a lot of hot
warm air around the area, but we didn't
have any incidents that I'm aware of. We
had people
wondering what was going on and I think
if Devin walked into a unit, they were
they would ask immediately, "What's
going on? You know, is it fixed yet?"
You know, that kind of thing. He'd say
they're working on it, but then we were
able to get the architect here. It's
interesting. All of a sudden he just all
of a sudden showed up, right?
yeah, yeah, that works.
>> Yeah, real surprising after you, you
know, on the phone you say, "Why are you
here?"
Um, and then
they they turned it around and
everything else is back to normal.
>> I guess my question would be, if
the expert came in and found the issue
in a in a short amount of time, what can
we do to make sure that there's an
expert available when we make the first
call?
>> It's one of It's one of the questions I
asked and it was a perfect storm.
The guy that normally is the backup for
everybody,
the architect that knows the system
inside and out, was on vacation.
>> Yeah, the main Chris, the main engineer
that knows that system was on vacation.
He just so happened to be on vacation at
that time. So, I got the next best
thing, which was who was the engineer in
charge at that point and that was Tim
and Tim
knows the system, but he doesn't know it
as well as Sam does. So, Tim was helping
us work through the problems until Sam
came back from vacation.
>> That was that and when CT came through,
it was within
a
you know, hours. I would say that that
they figured out where the issue was and
and they were able to turn things around
real quickly. So, I said to them,
"Well, he's probably going to go on
vacation again."
>> Or get hit by a bus.
>> And and or retire or whatever it may be.
So and so I received a call from uh some
of the top brass there this week and
they're looking into how to come up with
a solution to those answers. But it's a
good question because we asked the same
thing.
>> All right, thank you.
Any other things that you guys have?
>> No, that's
all we really had.
>> Yeah, I think we're good. I think we're
we're at a good spot right now. Um like
I said, we still don't know exactly the
extent of this. So hopefully if we could
get the engine engineers in here with
the technician and kind of go through
the system and actually find out all the
issues that it may have caused.
All right, thank you. I appreciate it.
>> Yep.
>> All right. Um anybody else? Yes, ma'am.
>> I have a
non FMLA well, an extension of an FMLA
um leave of absence request for one of
our employees at Maple Wood. He will
exhaust his FMLA um effective September
2nd, but he had a non-work related very
significant fracture and he's got some
complications. So they're looking for an
additional eight weeks after his um
FMLA exhaust, which would bring him back
at the end of October.
Um this would be without pay because he
I believe at this point has exhausted
all of his time.
>> motorcycle
>> Is there a motion?
>> I have a friend who's what?
>> I don't know. I try to stay out of
people's way.
>> fell down the stairs
>> motorcycle accident
>> He did something that was significant.
Yeah.
>> That's a long healing time.
>> Yeah, here's so my question
My question would be
by by it, we're not causing ourselves
any great
great issue by I mean it is
>> Um he works in our activities
department, so they're working a little
short, but it's not um they're they I
talked to the manager and she is
supportive of us.
>> And I'd move to extend this request as
>> Second.
>> Second Commissioner Clark.
>> Commissioner Stewart.
>> Commissioner DiBernardo.
>> All right, moving on. I'm going to jump
the calendar a little bit and start with
EMS presentation that we have today. I
want to start off by having Chief Andrew
out to take the time for you to just
leave what he has put together.
Um Mike is here. He's our our architect.
You've met him before
um to really support the the
conversation and answer any questions
that people may have pertaining to to
this, but um just wanted to start with
with the you reading this document that
I think is outstanding that the chief
really put together.
>> How long you guys on? I'll start.
I'll start. I'm the long.
Um so as you know,
we've been, you know, especially now
with the rural transformation funding in
play,
we've been taking a look at our need
across the county, but one of the
biggest needs we have is is is an EMS.
When we started this whole idea, it was
initially with two ambulances.
It was
um
that we were going to be transporting
and facility transfers in West Columbia.
Over time, that grew to three,
uh and then when Swansea became a
reality, it became four, then quickly
five, and that's where we are today.
We built this
this facility with the idea that we were
really going to follow at the max three
or ambulances at a time. We're at five.
We could be at heading towards six in
the near future.
And
uh
and and and we also built it with the
idea of we only had so much money,
so much funds, ARPA funds. So we built
off of what was there and built new at
the same time. The base, as you know,
are new and they are for six
vehicles. Currently, if you drive by,
you'll see that we have multiple
ambulances outside.
Um we're about to take on another new
ambulance and a parent new paramedic
ambulance set
in the near future September I believe.
And that is going to strain us even that
much more.
So we are looking at
at what we need to do and whether it is
you know build off what is currently
there and and is that make sense or
look longer term and build new
and what would that mean and what the
funding would look like.
We have an had an opportunity and we
took it uh
and just because we didn't want to lose
the opportunity to
uh go after $50,000 planning grant.
And so we we we took that so that we
have more time to take a look at the the
capabilities of the
uh uh bus going after this and
uh the need is that we need we will
we're we're needing more beds, we're
needing more
we we do not have right now the
the upstairs which they call the bowling
alley was actually built for storage and
it's what it is you you know what
storage. It is not handicap accessible.
Um we do have community
uh trainings that go on and um it's it's
just reality if you're going to build
something it should be handicap
accessible.
Uh
so there's there's a there's multiple
concerns we have but it really is about
growth
and [clears throat] I want to start
first by just allowing Chief to add any
of his thoughts. I know he's written
down but if you have any other thoughts
that you want to express or add before
we go to Mike and just allow him to give
some insight from what he's he's looking
at and what he goes he Mike was the
architect that built the initial with
what information we had at the time is
is is what we should what it should be.
So
I'm going to start with any comments
that you have.
>> Yeah sure obviously thank you for taking
time to read that. I think most of my
thoughts are in there. I think that
we've done a very good job of trying to
manage
what we have going on and build a
successful
department. Um I think right now,
especially with the
the rural health care funding and things
like that, you know, understanding that,
you know, Church Creek EMS has been
not a
inexpensive endeavor, right? So,
recognizing a a great opportunity and
trying to make sure that we can take
advantage of that. I figured that right
now is a great opportunity to just bring
some of the
I almost felt guilty writing it, right?
Because it's like this whole thing was
built and it's been wonderful and and
things like that. So, kind of pointing
out some of the flaws to uh
it and um our capabilities of operating
within it was slightly difficult. So,
um I don't have much say other than, you
know, I'm hoping that we have the
opportunity to move forward with
planning and and seeing what we may or
may not be able to do with different
funding opportunities. And appreciate
your time and here mostly to answer any
questions that you may have.
>> Yeah, do you receive calls how you all
feel?
>> Can we Can Can we first just hear from
Mike before you?
Oh, is that all right?
>> All right. Sorry.
>> Thanks. Thanks, Carson.
>> I'm Mike Petrovec. I was the architect
for the for the current site. And you
know, we we really did a lot with a
little. There was a lot of funding
available
and really the focus needed to be on
building a new building to house the
ambulances.
We had two existing buildings to kind of
work with and create what we could on a
very, very tight budget and really an
unknown. Like there was a lot of my
doubts about what this this operation
would be.
As we look at expanding that operation
and create a facility for that
operation,
that site is under utilized and pretty a
lot more and so it's we've looked at
ways to
to rethink it and build off of what's
there.
There's a lot of opportunity there and
the existing building, which is the
administration building,
was an existing building that we
essentially put a little bit of money in
to make it so it could function so that
they could get started and really see
what this is. So, there's opportunity
there and to bring that site up to what
it
meeting all the requirements of a true
EMS facility.
>> Hey Jerry, sorry.
>> That's all right.
You got anything yet?
All right.
>> Um okay, as far as you know, the
the call lines.
I I looked over the heat map that you
you sent over.
Okay, so that's a subscription that
we we no longer
Do we still have that subscription to
that with the other company?
>> Yeah, the continuum subscription.
>> Yes, yep.
>> Uh so I I spoke at length with um
over at rescue
asking him about if if he had something
like that. Said he had continuum up
until a few years ago.
Hasn't used it cuz of the cost and
But he did he did say that uh
he was pretty much just going to stay in
Hinsdale and Chesterfield up to the
32
632.
>> Yes,
he'd seen uh
he's been in Keen a lot.
We've been in Keen a lot, too.
>> Why?
Why both of the cities?
>> Well, it all depends on what is
happening Keen in their
uh, run cards if they have major events,
um, they will pull resources from
Cheshire County EMS primarily to,
like if there's a fire, [clears throat]
for example, uh, Cheshire County EMS
will provide the
ambulance for the scene itself and, uh,
the command the EMS operations for that.
Um, often times in order to not
completely uh, Cheshire County EMS of
all of its resources, they'll
additionally request Rescue Wing to come
on to cover additional call volumes that
may or may not present itself.
Uh,
>> Or other communities.
>> Or other communities, uh,
>> So, this isn't a spike. This is just
something that's happened along. It
sounded to me
something that was abnormal.
>> I I can't speak. That would be more of a
question for him. I know when we're
called, we we respond to the city of
Keene.
>> I mean, is it more now than it used to
be?
>> It's fairly well.
>> Uh, okay.
>> The the current chief
revised his run card a little bit.
For a while, we were only sending one
unit to the scene.
And Rescue Wing was back going to the
Keene stations.
They want a quicker response after
they're at Keene station.
>> And I know I know we just entered in an
into an agreement [clears throat] with
them.
>> We're still going back and forth with
that agreement.
It [clears throat] is not.
Uh, they had a, uh,
as you, I'm sure are aware, uh, changing
their leadership. So, I think, uh, we
are still in communication, but we're
just letting the kind of the dust settle
on that transition.
Um, but I have reached out to Chief C
Moore multiple times just to make sure
and assured it's still on the table.
>> We started nice conversation.
>> So, is that likely to increase the calls
in the [clears throat] kingdom?
>> I don't believe it will
adjust their run card.
So, I I can't say whether it would
increase or decrease the call volume in
the kingdom.
>> It It depends on the on the day, too. I
mean, to be honest, I mean, Keene has
pushed forward to add more staff.
Which, when you're adding more staff,
means they have the availability of
adding another ambulance to the the
scenario. So, I believe that at least
they're running at least two a day.
At least.
Unless staffing is is a concern.
>> Or for maintenance, they they've had
multiple vehicles uh
have mechanical failures,
uh not unlike us, and they'll
communicate that. And if they're down
two ambulances, you know, they may only
have one or two running for the city
that day. They communicate that to
Deputy Atkins, and that would be a day
that we're probably going to get called
into Keene considerably more. Uh
>> But they're only I mean, last year they
were only like
80 calls?
100 calls?
>> Our core mission right now is and and
you tell me if I'm off off the numbers
here, but you know, Swanzey's 1,200
calls.
Uh Winchester has the has the ability to
have 800 calls, of which we're in a
month's time we're doing anywhere
between 30 to 60% of those calls.
>> Have two two ambulances right now at
Fitzwilliam for a motor vehicle accident
on Route 119.
>> Right. So, Troy Fitzwilliam is as a
backup. And
>> We're primary, too.
>> And we're probably primary because there
are staffing issues. Um but we also have
a core coming out of Marlborough and
Harrisville right there.
So, that's our that's the meat of a good
chunk of of our our calls right there.
And then you have Winchester, I mean
Fitzwilliam, Troy like you just said,
that adds in a little flavor to it, too.
>> So so
would you say that
in the number of calls, would it be
Swanzey, Winchester,
uh Marlborough,
and and East, and then
North in that order?
Taking care of
>> I I I could I could definitely get you
the town-by-town call numbers.
>> Well, I see the heat way it looks is in
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I would think that
Swanzey is by far uh the most prolific.
Winchester depends on the day.
Uh Marlborough, Westmoreland,
then, you know, Harrisville, Gilsum,
Stoddard
are are probably pretty comparable
across the board.
>> Richmond
>> Yeah, Richmond is probably one of the
lower.
Richmond and Gilsum
>> Yeah, so I I've been just trying to look
at the need, the present need, and
see past, and and trying to predict
where, you know, where some of that
that is being taken care of by other
people
will fall on us.
would would you say that
that's that's a possibility?
>> Yeah, I think it should actually is part
of our strategic plan, and Chief Deacon
and I meet pretty regularly. We have
been for
uh over 2 years, even back uh when uh
Chief Burn was here, and looking at
every ambulance service around us, and
some of the difficulties that they're
facing, trying to have uh
open lines of communication with with
them, with their select boards, you
know, and then basically around the
water cooler, uh you know, who's having
staffing issues, who's having budgetary
issues, and trying to identify okay,
it's kind of a
uh not a game, but a strategic move to
say okay, hypothetical situation, this
ambulance department closes tomorrow,
what would our reaction be, and how are
we poised to answer that bell.
thankfully,
you know,
most of those things have not come to
total fruition, uh but we do have, you
know, the the day of the barbecue up in
Summer, right? Uh
Keene got their entire barn. Uh
Fitzwilliam, Troy did not have coverage
that day. Winchester did not have that
coverage that day.
Um we had a full complement of staffing
that day,
uh but that ambulance that was at the
the Summer outing, that was the only
ambulance available for the city of
Keene, city of Keene, all their
contracts, all of our contracts,
Fitzwilliam, Troy, and Winchester. And
we were just with bated breath.
Thankfully, we got through without uh
another major issue, cuz that would have
been I mean, we would have probably had
you know, Alstead coming down
into the area, or uh Jaffrey, Rindge, or
Peterborough needing to be coming over
to cover something.
>> Just one more question on the personal
level of risk.
I'll be here.
This build here,
let's look at
10 years from now, 15 years from now.
Is this Is this
Are we going to find ourselves in 10
years saying that this is
not enough?
Just right?
>> The the communication that I've had with
Mike and Chris so far, you know, we
don't have the exact plans, but that has
been our top priority is to make sure
that this is something that is not only
suitable for what we have going on
today, but well, well, well into the
future. So,
and I'm going to turn it over to Mike in
2 seconds, but this is a ongoing
conversation. There's two ways we can
look at this.
And one and and and it really comes down
to cost. We can we can take a look at
what we have currently and try to build
off it. Is that
that's case in there? No, it's not. That
is a 10 to 15-year look, I would guess
and Mike can Mike can eat me out of it
even shorter. But, um but or we build
new, then you're looking out years.
So, um
uh you know, it's it's going to come
down to numbers, it's going to come down
to One of the reasons that I like that
we go after planning grant right now.
Well, pays for services, I always like
that, but more importantly
is there is rumor
uh from from Go North that they are
going to ask for a waiver for the Center
of Medicaid Services
to forego right now. Right now, they
will pay they will pay for uh
for infrastructure you currently have to
renovate.
They're not doing new.
So, we built a foot new foot footprint,
that would be considered
our footprint. So, we could actually
have the internals built through Go
North.
And I know that for a fact because I've
asked both the director,
the assistant director Go North, and the
where the money lays in CDFA and the
executive director of CDFA. So, they've
all said the same thing. If we build our
enlarge our footprint, that becomes our
footprint, and they would pay for the
internal workings of it. What they are
now saying is that they're going to look
work with the center for Medicaid
services because they're the ones that
control this.
What we can and can't do. And see if
they can
we get a waiver so that they can build
do because what they're hearing out
there there is a lot of people like us
that are in this position.
And so
at
getting a planning grant allows us that
allows us that much more time to look
for us to go in the next round to go
after full funding of the project.
Instead of 50% of the project. So
that's that's my my thought at this
point.
And it's going to come down to whatever
it is. I'm taking time away from you,
Michael.
>> Yeah. So,
my background is that we do public
safety facilities. Several fire stations
and
obviously this facility and
and I speak at a national conference for
public safety building design. And the
the way that we look at this is that we
like the ambulance facilities they're
not that is a 50-year building.
We want to build a 50-year building, but
we don't want to build out
for a space for 50 years. So as we plan
this site, part of the reason we want to
look at removing that existing admin
building and kind of creating a campus
there is that we can plan out to towards
10 to 15 or 20-year growth.
And then where does it go after that and
how to plan that site for expansion so
we're not kind of redoing things in the
future. The other thing is that when a
building is built, try to make the
building as flexible on the interior as
possible so that things can change over
time because how we address these needs
can change in 20 years. So we don't want
to have to do a major renovation or tear
down at that point. So we're looking in
the future and how to address these
things and spend money wisely and be
good stewards of taxpayer dollars.
As I had to build these buildings.
>> And and if you were to do new,
how would that coexist with us
being able to do our service?
>> So, we've looked at the site a little
bit, and one of the things would be to I
my idea is to One of the issues they
have is getting from the administration
building to the ambulances in inclement
weather, particularly in the winter,
it's dangerous. So, how would we add on
to the ambulance facility and create an
one interior space? So, we would build
from the ambulance facility to the
existing facility while it's still in
operation.
Get them into that new section, and then
tear down and build the rest of the
building. If that's the way we go. But,
we've thought through how we get this
thing up and operating. We can't be
We're doing this in Walpole now. We tore
down part of the existing station for
the new for the new section, and then
they continued to operate out of the
base full function out of the fire
station.
So, this that is a capital goal of the
sites.
I hope that answers your question. Oh.
Oh, Walpole right there.
>> Okay. So, they're So, they're increasing
their their capacity.
>> They are.
They're only adding one ambulance. It's
just that they did We had They had no
decon. They had no interior space to
service their No staff support. Right?
So, that part of what that new set
station is is addressing.
They're only adding one ambulance, but
it's also how are they staff How are
they servicing their staff?
They We've actually got future growth on
the second floor for
uh for both of them.
To go into a partial career department.
>> And is there No, is anybody else
expanding? Do you know?
>> I'm aware of They're all coming to you
guys. So, we're working Winchester,
Hinsdale,
Charlestown.
That's it. They're all
>> Um
>> So,
>> Yeah, Jim, you're good.
>> And some of the others have already
expanded.
>> We have a new station we did in in Palm
and they're they don't have they don't
have any plans. So, they have any plans.
>> That was more than what is nice. Thank
>> They don't have any more?
>> I toured it.
No, they don't.
>> No, they don't. They have no plans.
>> And we just one thing, can we all just
speak up just a little bit? I want to
make sure that it's recorded because
the agency is going to take notes from
this.
>> You better turn off the volume.
>> If I may.
>> The future is unknown basically
as we all know.
It would seem
>> that
going with the what I got short-term 15
or 20 years planning at the moment
would be
easier than trying to look
further out
because there's just too much
too much is changing. Right? We really
don't know who else will pick up or what
will happen.
So, I think
at the moment I think that just
doing what we can with the existing
[clears throat] facility would make more
sense to me.
>> The existing building is
is is the the part that we renovated for
staff is done. Right? There's nothing I
can
>> I'm sorry. I meant I meant the building
building on that property. That's what I
That's what I meant. My apologies.
>> Yeah, working on that piece of property.
>> Okay. So,
I'm envisioning some sort of a
horseshoe. Is that kind of thing?
>> You need a job because I need to hire
some people. Now, that's worth thinking.
>> We're looking at a horseshoe right now.
>> So, that we can connect and keep people
inside.
>> That's right.
>> So, right now we're just talking about a
planning grant to see what's even
possible to do and to flush out that
plan as well.
>> What What was the question?
>> I said, right now we are just looking at
the planning grant.
We see what it is that's possible.
>> We put in for the planning grant
as it was a time-sensitive,
and then that would allow us to actually
get greater details on what we're
looking at, and then then we can move
our decisions from that.
>> Right. So, right now it's just planning,
I started to blueprinting and figuring
out all the things that are possible,
and looking at if whatever plan this is
has its own limitations.
>> And thinking about how we would address
that later.
>> But my our my my desire is to walk with
you guys every step of the way, so that
when we take our next step, you're going
to hear us again, and it's going to be
repetitive on some of the things, but
it's just that I
I I think this is of a dire need for the
department.
Um, we
In a second, I'm going to have Chief
Reed a letter that he received
yesterday, an email he received
yesterday.
And it really brings home why we do what
we're doing.
I would have never When we were in the
midst of all this, I didn't have I
couldn't think
where we were going to land.
>> I you know, we just built what we needed
to build at the time. Remember, we had 6
to 8 months to build a building because
we knew that we were being told that the
other other vendor was going to be
closing um in in that period of time,
and that we had to be up and running.
So, we did everything, and the reason we
couldn't do everything we wanted at the
site is because we were buying
ambulances, because we were buying
supplies, stretchers. All the other
costs had to be We were are
startup, and our firm money is the only
way we've been able to do that. I've had
multiple conversations. I'll be in a
conversation and a week from now with
people from Bedford, New Hampshire who
are talking about some crisis they're
having over there and they've and
they've asked the Dupont group to ask us
to to sit in in that meeting, Chief.
You're going to be in on that meeting.
but we couldn't done this without it,
but it only had it had its limits.
And so we could only spend so much at
the end of the day we did what we could.
I mean even the kitchen itself was it's
just a and you've been in there it's
it's a tiny little thing and it doesn't
really serve the purpose and and it
really needs to be industrial and it
needs to be something that where people
can gather even easier and uh because
it's it is it is important that they
have that culture there. And and then
the office set up with the captains and
all that, I think we just need to take a
look at this. So, yeah, we're going to
tell you the story along the way the
whole time.
And and and just make sure you all are
aware of everything that we're doing.
>> So, with this planning grant
>> and we're looking at 10 to 15 years.
>> Um how much does that increase our
capacity? What we're planning on doing
in terms of because you know when I look
at the amount of growth that's happened
in such a short period of time and I see
how
towns are not able to keep up with their
own needs.
That's only going to snowball.
And is this thing that we're putting
together for the 10 or 15 years, is it
going to build that capacity
for us to hold on for that time period?
Or are we going to fall short with our
10 to 15 year plan on and I know nobody
has a crystal ball, but if you look at
how fast things are moving, will this 10
or 15-year plan keep up? Because you
didn't expect what happened
when you started to where we are now.
And it just means that if that is going
to continue to happen, will whatever
we're going into
keep up with that, or are we going to
blow through this a lot faster than we
think? Just looking at the towns that
you know are going to come online in the
next 5 years because of their own
financial or staffing problems.
>> I'm sure Mike can speak better to this,
but I I would like to comment. Uh I
think that we were uh
I I know we weren't
fully prepared, uh but we had prepared
uh considerably for different um
things that may or may not happen in the
region.
Uh yes, and I'll let him speak more to
the increased uh capacity of the
building.
But there is a finite amount of
expansion that that site
>> will have to
absorb, right? Because certain towns, if
they were to come on board, that is not
the geographic location to respond from,
right? So at that point, we would have
to start looking at, you know, uh either
sub con you know, substations or or
things like that because of geographic
My understanding, and I'll let him speak
definitely more to it, is that this
would maximize our opportunity that
every place that is possible to be
reached from that location, this
expansion would allow us to
be ready to take any and all of that,
including
the logistical
um [clears throat] and operational
um needs for that location, as well as
any or all
>> So right now, it's building to the
capacity that that location can reach.
>> Sure. Yes, that's that's Can I Can I
just add in before my
>> Yeah, go ahead. You go.
>> Um a few things. One is
And and Mike, you can tell me I'm wrong,
uh but
we're building for 10 to 20 year growth,
but we're also building building this is
a 50 year building.
Okay? Just so you know, we're building
something that's going to stand the test
of time. May need to be painted a few
times in that period of time or whatever
it is, but the bottom line we're
building a building that's going to
stand.
And it will allow us also in that period
of time to
um sort of like we did with the DOC, we
know if we ever needed it, we have the
ability to add another pod up there.
That is our hope at the station down
there is that we do what we need to do
with the idea if there is still
availability when we're done, we're
going to know what that availability is
and how to build on it. So, we will have
>> that room.
>> Two is I believe that
substations are going to have be
occurring naturally.
That over time there these certain towns
are going to see, and when they do,
we're going to go in because it makes
the sense because of the of the call
numbers to have an ambulance in that in
that area.
And that will happen naturally. It
happened naturally with Westland because
we needed a place to put an ambulance
when we didn't have a facility yet. And
we kept it there and we built out for
that so that we had something in that
area right away.
Um so, I think there are
two possibilities of naturally happening
um over time, and in non-public they'll
be talking about some other things that
I can't really talk about right now
because it's negotiations.
Um but but the bottom line I see that
this is whatever we decide,
the building that we build is for 50
years with the idea that we understand
that we're looking at 10 to 20 year
growth.
And it could be
in the middle of that it could be 15.
But we'll we'll see. So, Mike.
>> We will
We will So,
Chief has laid out a certain amount of
criteria here. Part of our our planning
process is that we were a very extensive
programming discussion with the folks.
Look at
based upon this what that translates to
be today.
Interpolating into the future.
10 to 20 years. And then even looking
beyond that it could be added to this
site without having to do major work to
the to the building. So, there is a
process that we go through to look at
that. And then this may say this
actually builds out the site or maybe
this phase takes it to three quarters
and this is a little bit more that could
be added down the road. Then we know
that it's built out and then it goes to
substation. So, part of our process is
looking at that with the department to
understand how does that translate to
the site? What can we do to maximize it
in all in all ways?
We also through this process budget look
at budgets and what this does budget
wise. So, maybe that building two-thirds
of that site now
takes you to where you want to be budget
wise. But we've reserved that that we
show this is how this would be expanded
in the future.
Without tearing down half the building
to do that.
>> The idea is that that they're going to
give us both scopes of what we can do.
And then
it'll be first and foremost your
decision and then we take it on to the
executive committee and the delegation
or
because we may have to bond we may not
have to.
So,
we'll see. So, how much of that
land there
can we
put a building on and still have room
for parking?
>> So, that's the balance that we do,
right? So, kind of provide parking for
staff.
The other thing that we have there is
it's a site that's governed by some of
the state road.
And and they're they're right about
there
how they want this type of vehicle
traffic entering into that mix of
traffic. So, we went into that some of
that last time. We have that data going
into this. Uh but that site's got some
some space on it for building.
Uh it And and it looks like do we want
to front it on the road and have all the
parking behind but whatever works in
terms of
passing through the site. We definitely
need to maintain that in inbound access
and exit onto Wake Street and minimize
only entering onto the site from the
state road.
I think there's there's but I we did
some preliminary sketches just for
discussion.
>> How many acres is it?
>> I don't recall off the top of my head.
But it's got some fairly lenient
setbacks.
Um and the town of Swansea when we went
before the planning board last time just
as a courtesy, you know, a wire or two,
um it was very lenient on what we could
do there.
>> What are the questions?
>> That's where we're at. That's what we're
looking at. Um well, it What we did is
if uh
we submitted a opportunity to go after a
planning grant. I don't know if there's
more work that we'll have to do. We'll
see.
Um and it's like with everything that
we've submitted to go north lately, it's
you submit and then they're going to
maybe send us uh something more that
they want more questions to answer. And
then we see if we get the grant and we
move forward. So, that's where we're at
at this point, moving forward. Submitted
last week
and we'll go from there.
Okay, and we'll keep reporting out. And
I I appreciate you taking the time.
>> Oh, absolutely.
>> Do you want Mark to read that?
>> I would like Mark to read the letter. If
uh I just think it's uh
he sent it to me last night. I was out
walking
um and I had music on and it it it
just about wrecked me. So, go ahead.
>> All right, [clears throat] so I've just
got to uh obviously the patient's name
isn't here, so I'm going to redact that.
>> And the And the issue
the issue probably, too, right? That she
suffers from.
>> long as I don't say the name, it's okay.
>> Okay. All right.
>> Uh so, dear Chief and Deputy Chief, I'm
writing to express my sincere gratitude
and appreciation for the two paramedics
and EMTs who cared for my and
transported my mother
on August 10th,
uh 2026,
from Troy to the hospital and later
during her transfer to
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
I would be incredibly grateful if you
would pass on the message along to the
three providers who cared for her.
I understand the demands of the job and
the importance of professionalism,
communication, and compassion in patient
care. Because of that, I want to take
the time to recognize these individuals
for the exceptional care they provided
to my mother.
My mother has aphasia, which makes
communication very difficult for her.
Unfortunately, I have become accustomed
to healthcare providers speaking
primarily to me, sometimes as though my
mother is not present, even when she is
sitting right in front of them. Your
team was completely different. The
paramedic spoke directly to my mother.
They asked her for her the questions,
gave her the opportunity and time to
respond, and only turned to me for
clarification when she was unable to
answer appropriately.
That may sound like a small detail, but
it meant so much to both of us. They
recognized that although my mother has
difficulty communicating, she is still
an active participant participant in her
own care deserves to be treated with
dignity and respect.
I also want to specifically recognize
the EMT who stayed with me
at my mom's bedside while the paramedics
were receiving a report from the nurse
prior to the transfer. She was a She had
the kindest words. It truly I truly
appreciated it.
All three of them were exceptional. They
were professional, patient, passionate,
and incredibly kind, not only toward my
mother but toward me as well. They
demonstrated the kind of patient care
centered care that makes a lasting
impression.
I cannot emphasize enough how impressed
I was with the care that they provided.
They didn't simply transport my mother,
they made her feel seen, heard,
respected, and cared for.
As someone who works in EMS myself, I
know these things matter tremendously
and I wanted to make sure their efforts
did not go unrecognized.
Please pass along my heartfelt thanks
and appreciation all three of them. They
represented CCEMS with the highest level
of professionalism, compassion, dignity,
and humanity.
Uh they are a wonderful reflection of
your organization and excellent example
of what EMS providers can be.
I'm incredibly grateful that my mother
was in their care and that she was
treated with respect and compassion that
every patient deserves. With sincere
gratitude, and then signed.
>> And this is somebody that actually is an
EMT of some level, I don't know what,
and works for
uh somebody another agency.
Um and for all of us that have started
from day one, I think that's what it
struck struck me last night, maybe I
don't know, but from day one and all
that we've gone through to to actually
hear something like that was a powerful
powerful statement cuz, you know,
>> Well, it's good training.
>> Good job.
>> Right.
>> Thanks.
>> Sorry.
>> But uh if I may,
quite a while ago, but I didn't write a
letter, but I I did follow up with
rescue of similar feelings.
Appreciate what they did.
>> I think not only is it incredibly
important that our individuals
understand the skills
associated with EMS, you know, such as,
you know, starting IVs, things like
that, but that human centered
thing is is something we really focus on
and try to make sure that individuals
are, you know,
understand that they're being advocated
for.
And I [clears throat]
I won't say that other places don't
or anything like that. I just think that
all of our training has a lot of that
effective um
part of it.
We have to walk the walk and talk the
talk that we're on, take care of the
people, and that the family members, for
example, are
in our care, too, you know,
these are very highly emotional,
emotionally charged situations
that
get out of hand if if
it's not treated with kindness.
There's a famous saying in EMS that
BLS before ALS, right? So, it's you
know,
every, you know, medics save patients,
but EMTs save medics.
You know, and we take it one step
further where it's yes, BLS before ALS,
but human kindness before BLS.
So.
>> I like to also add though that, you
know, the work that that points out that
every call they go on, they need to be
able to deliver that level of care, that
humanity, and they've got call after
call after call after call on a shift,
and we're getting tired, and you're
getting rushed.
You need to be able to go back to
recharge between calls. So, wherever
wherever they're going to, the facility
that they have to live in for however
many hours in every shift, you You
looking at the at the HR aspect of this,
it's about care and health and safety of
the EMTs and firefighters and all public
safety. So, that's why that that
facility becomes extremely important in
how it how it serves them. And
currently, it really doesn't.
It's it's it's been working for a short
time, but it's it's lived its life
already.
>> I think it's simply put, it's
it was the dream from day one
be able to ensure that those in our care
get the best quality care possible and
are shown the greatest level of care of
respect in that home of need. So, I I I
just I don't know what I got me last
night, but it got me, man. I'm like, you
you I don't can't say what I said.
>> Oh, I can read that too, if you like.
That's all.
>> All right, moving on. Thank you very
much.
>> Yeah, you're welcome.
>> Nice to meet everyone.
>> I'm going to bounce back, guys. Um
I'm going to bounce back to the agenda
and I'm going to give master agenda item
number 137A, second quarter budget
review. Cheryl Tremblay is here. Action
expected. Receive informational report
on second quarter budget.
Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Oops. Thank you.
>> So, this will be going before the
executive committee next Monday night
about where we stand at as of the um
6-month mark of 2026.
the combined expenses for the nursing
home and the general fund are
approximately um
1,384,000
under um um expenses
with the county expending about 49% of
their budget and the nursing home at 46%
of their appropriate budgets. And as far
as the revenues for the nursing home in
the um general fund, they're under about
688,000 of their projected revenues with
the general fund having achieved about
49% and the nursing home at 48%. So, the
combined the shortfall are are sorry.
And then where where we look at this is
basically our expenses are under our
shortfall of our revenues of about
696,000. So, that's a good thing. Um
and perhaps if you if we continue on
that trend come year end, that should
about double. But, things change over
the course of the year because
um you know, the first half we only
started giving cost of livings as of
April 1st. People start getting
increases throughout the year. So, that
could go down. Um but, hopefully we'd be
on the mark to about double that. As far
as Cheshire EMS, um they are currently
have achieved um as of June 46% of their
revenues um and expenses are at 48%
spent. Um currently I'm showing a
deficit on the EMS at about 150,000.
I you just never know from month to
month where their
um call volumes going to come in. Like
for instance, the the the month of um
July, which is not part of this, I had
about $340,000
of revenues versus some months being
low 300. So, you just never know, it
could uptick. We also have other areas
haven't accounted for because we haven't
gotten there yet, such as a contract
with um a the city of Keene to to start
bringing some revenues in.
I don't know what Winchester is. So,
there are some things that could happen
over the last 6 months that could start
narrowing that gap, but as of 6 months,
that's where we're standing at 150,000
in the bank.
>> 46%?
>> I'm sorry, what?
>> Billing
receipts.
>> Um no, revenues are at 46% received, but
there's multiple
as far as the um
the IFTs and the 911s, they they're
right at their mark. We're we're
achieving what we need to there, but
there are other components of the
billing. We've got the town contracts,
which that's going to come in exactly as
we budgeted because we knew exactly what
those were. The Cheshire Medical Center
um I there's no reason why they wouldn't
be paying us come year end. It's these
other areas such as what we were um
anticipating
I think happening sooner rather than
later is to start getting these um
contracts that are reimbursable through
the City of Keene
and also having deeper conversations
with the towns that we provide back up
to that are currently only getting
charged for when there is a an intercept
uh paramedic intercept. So,
those are things that the conversations
need to be had that we did have a
placeholder
anticipating money coming in um
so,
>> And we also the towns
only are paying half
of
their contracts this year because
>> As of
>> of July was when they they they changed
over.
>> Yeah, July 1st, they'll start paying 100
they'll go to that 100%. So, we for
2026, we only get half of a year of the
impact of this now ramped up amount with
the first half of 2026, but that's how
we budgeted it. It was budgeted knowing
that there was only going to be half.
So, um you know, that will have an
impact uh a positive impact on the 2027
budget budgeting being the budget for
the year.
Um, but
>> It's about $350,000.
>> So, there are some things that are
potentially hopeful over the last 6
months because I do know that there is a
contract in the hands of the city of
Um, but I haven't yet factored that in.
Um, so hoping that this will end up
starting to close the gap.
Um, just areas I These are a lot of
these things are um,
said over and over and over some of this
just to be able to educate or re-educate
people why when they get when they look
at these reports
um,
that I'll be sending to the executive
committee why some things might be zero
because you know, for instance, the
municipal reimbursements we don't get
those until December.
Um, registry of deeds fees or I'm sorry,
I just skipped one. Grant reimbursement
it's the same way that
the the expenses for the grant
reimbursements
pretty much mirror the revenues. So,
when you see revenues falling short,
you're also seeing the expenses falling
short at the same level. So, it's not
um, a negative impact um, on fund
balance. It's just the both of the boats
haven't are rising at the same speed.
Registry of deeds fees, this is always
one that about this time of year they're
really looking to be off the mark, but I
never know what's going to happen um, as
we get to year end. Um, we just she had
a phenomenal month in the month of July.
I mean, the biggest payment to the
Department of Revenue ever over a
million dollars, which unfortunately
tripped us up last night because
we didn't have clearance to even make a
transfer of a million and it got
returned.
What's that?
It I'll probably that's probably what
did it. So, I actually have Misty
working on that right now.
Because the payment got returned to us.
That That's our protections that we
Connected families, that's another area
where their revenues and their expenses
are um basically
coming in their expenses are coming
under, whereas their revenues are also
coming in under as well. There is much
more room in the program to hire more
people.
Um and so
by hiring more people, that would also
produce more revenues for the billing.
But, I don't know that necessarily the
reason why the the the um the hiring
or the vacancy, I think the vacancies
are more there because I think the
caseload
it it would not support hiring more
people. So, I'm not saying that this has
any bearing on
um HR not getting people in. This has
more to do with that we've kind of put a
halt on filling those vacancies until we
can see that the state has more cases
that they're going to actually pay us
for the services that they provide.
>> Yeah, we've had conversations
with Dennis in that
there's an expectation that they get
every staff up to eight cases per
individual.
And um
on some situations they can hire, but um
it's rude and so until that happens
we're really just saying
>> You got a halt.
>> You got to You just got to do work with
what you got. Get those people that are
new up to speed so they can get standing
in play.
And um if somebody leaves and you can
replace that person, but otherwise we're
we're just looking at holding it tight.
Um I mean, they're they're looking good
for the end of the year, but still we're
we're just having them do that and at
the same time working with the state
because the it's the
it's it's multi-layered.
School's not in session.
School's one of the biggest referrals.
it's you know
goes right here, but even when they do
come in, the state turning around like
we can turn around and go visit a family
and get every all the paperwork into the
state, it's now up to the state then to
turn around and send the case loads out.
>> They are
>> that's where the hiccup is a little bit.
It's better than it was.
>> And they're also looking at some more
potential funding that they're going
after that could
it would be temporary though, so it
wouldn't be like long-term, but there is
a population of um
people that they take care of that are
called under um uninsured. And so this
these uninsured people essentially are
how we get reimbursed through the state
contract. Well, the state contract has
been at 1 million 150 per many, many
years. And so therefore, they're trying
to get some other funding and it might
be through these older
>> It's rural it's rural it's rural it's
rural health.
>> that would allow for them to start
giving us more money.
that would be wonderful, but it is not
permanent. It is um but we'll take it
while we can get it. So, we'll we'll let
you know when that comes to fruition.
>> And and I know that Genesis and the
other company that that does this
there's only two in the state of New
Hampshire that are doing this.
Uh and uh they are our working with the
state to have them understand
that the level of intake that we do
should be enough for them to move
forward quicker and not have to repeat
everything that we've done
through their intake.
So, it is a conversation that's going
on.
We'll see how it works. You know, it is
the state of New Hampshire, so sometimes
it gets a little bogged down. Uh but we
love you.
Um but so that's where we're at.
>> Um the miscellaneous revenue I'm just
noting here because the miscellaneous
revenue shows a huge credit and that is
because of that is cheap money.
That
basically we got 476,000 more than we
ever would have expected in that area.
That will be going pre before the
executive committee based on your
discussion a couple weeks ago that we
will hopefully have it allowed to go
into
fund balance so that we can consider
using in future budget years if
necessary to help offset taxes to be
raised.
So, that um
is the explanation and also so the
executive committee understands where
this unexpected money came from.
The DHH's additional credit this is
something we got last year for the first
year it came in in 2025 and it will
continue on to 2028. We did budget for
it but currently the budget the the line
items at zero. We did receive it in July
so the next time around that will no
longer be at zero. These are those
monies that
the counties
worked hard to
to convince the state that during the
COVID years when the state received more
money from the federal government
that was specifically
to increase the feds portion towards the
Medicaid
contribution for residents in nursing
homes and home and base community care
which we pay 50% and the feds pay 50%
but by the feds increasing their
percentage it should have decreased the
county's percentage and the state did
not do that. They
they kept the money for themselves. So,
after a great amount of persistence and
convincing, the state finally realized
that they were not right in keeping the
money.
Um although I think it was going to bust
the bank if they gave it all at once.
So, there was an agreement that they
would divvy it out over a course of 4
years and our share is this 334,000
per year.
Um and that's just again more or less in
education because this will go away as
well in 2028. Um up to 2028. Um then
again just explaining why fund balances
at zero, special revenue capital reserve
funds are at zero.
Um and then as far as the general county
again the commissioner's budget um is
slightly over budget with 45% remaining
and that's mainly because of the travel
line but I think
>> It's two things.
>> that should um
wind down pretty well. I mean unless
you've already paid for NJCAA annual
conference.
>> Yeah, we already have.
>> Okay. So.
>> Yeah, two things. One is the 300 that
you were just talking about that was the
nursing home, right?
>> That was No, the 300,000
No, that's a different thing. I can talk
to that but it's not something that is
evident. So, each year the
each year
if the state did not expend
all the money
out of their account
to pay nursing homes throughout the
state
for their Medicaid rate reimbursement,
they do a distribution to all nursing
homes.
we haven't gotten one in many years
because the state
have hit the cap statewide and there was
no extra money in this 504 account. So,
they call it some some specific account.
This year they had excess money. And so,
what it actually what it means is the
rates that they assign to all the
nursing homes,
they they they could have gone higher
and divvied it out with the the daily
rate, but because
they set the daily rates and the census
must have come in lower, they had excess
money, and so they have to then
divvy it out to all the nursing homes,
and we received um
I think it was like 223,000
or whatever as a one-time payment. It's
not in here because the nursing home
revenues are already short. So, it's we
don't have to amend the budget. It's
just it's helping us to meet or get
closer to the budget projections, but it
was a the one-time payout that
we get
periodically, and we actually have not
This is the first time in several years
that we've got a payout from this that
line item. So, we
Um as far as the expenses back on the
expenses, uh the medical examiner, that
hasn't come up in a while, but that's
it's not major money, but just to point
out that this line item or this budget
area is
oh it's at 37% remaining, and this is a
statutory requirement that the counties,
through the county attorney's office, is
responsible to pay the medical examiners
for untimely deaths. So, it's really one
of those un
you know, you don't know what it's going
to be, but we have to pay it. We get the
bill.
human services, that will come back in
line. Uh
there is a particular
one-time credit that we get um in
July, but that's with it being um
a bit
over budget as of June, one might think
that could be a big dollar amount, but
it's not that big. It comes back in
line.
as far as the nursing home the nursing
home, we are currently at a census of
115 with a budget of 120. As Chris
mentioned, um they are working to open
more beds with a hopeful clinical to get
what?
>> Uh 124.
>> 124.
>> Which is one person below where it was
before COVID.
>> We're actively moving residents
>> Um which will open beds on two and four.
So we can start
>> And it
>> And we just hired or we just internally
promoted one of our um nursing
supervisors to that unit um manager
position that has been vacated for a
long time because it wasn't needed. So I
think that's going to be hopefully a
good thing cuz there are a lot of people
knocking on the door trying to get in
and calling Chris asking me, you know,
is there anything we can do to
>> Last I knew.
>> About that.
>> I mean it it it it it just we're we're
we've worked
all of us and I look at Kim
on a lot of this, too. We've worked
extremely hard
to get staffing
back to where it is. I don't I believe
one of the things that people are
finding is we're consistent about how we
go about our business. We offer a
competitive salary. We offer other
things that people And so, you know, we
were at one point down to 427 for
staffing or they're about.
We're now 499.
>> We're at a point where we are in a scary
situation cuz as you know, we are trying
to get live on a new payroll system that
we are so close, but there's just
hiccups that keep happening that we're
not willing to allow it to go live until
they get these things fixed. But the
problem is is the old system that is end
of life.
We've run out of licenses.
So, we're having to get creative and we
have not hit that I mean, we have to
sometimes here and there but we have to
manage it like because we just have a
lot of agency people. But now we are at
the point where we are
we're having to get really creative
potentially.
Um so, it's it's a good problem to have.
We have not been here in a long time
with
having the number of actual full-time
staff employees in the as we are now.
Yep. Yep.
>> Which is So, so we go years
years.
And so all of a sudden and you would you
think about adding through the visa or
people RNs coming back to us locally and
with with on the horizon a third visa
nurse. The other two nurses are doing
well. Um
Yeah, we're just trying to tackle it in
so many different ways and then slowly
but surely is going to start showing
that we can get to 124. Maybe we can get
at some point down to 130. And when I
first came through the door, we were at
133. That's the highest I remember being
maybe 136. You guys might
>> I remember 148.
>> Yeah. So, so you know, but we're we're
slowly getting there and so I have to
thank everybody that's involved
especially Catherine and her staff
because it's so important like you said,
we are getting calls or emails all the
time about, you know, my my father is is
there anything it's like it's you know,
you just got to go through the process
and hope that that they can get you in
sooner than later.
>> I Isn't it county-wide about 120 people
turnover?
If I don't know what area that was come
from.
>> Um well, simply I mean, simply because
Maplewood is 50% of our
>> um, overall staff. The the turnover
there's higher, but we're under the
patients.
>> patients
>> Oh, patients.
>> Oh, residents. Oh, okay.
>> I don't really want to just, you know,
there if they're if they're only it's
yeah, I don't want to
>> I actually have that information, but
>> So, she'll look at look that up. Is
there anything else while you're looking
at up? Is there anything else you want
to add in?
>> I really don't. I mean, I there the
nursing home expenses are coming in far
under what their revenues are falling
short. So, they're um, they're in good
shape. I mean, Catherine really watches
her expenses
um, as it
pertains to her revenues and
holds off on things if necessary or
really kind of looks at the staff and so
that um, if they're not able to achieve
the the revenues because of the level of
census that they can maintain, then she
uh, holds off on
filling positions. Um, but because well,
not holds off.
Ideally, she wants them coming through
the door, but as she could has a health
home door, that's how she's releasing
the um,
and her staff take on more beds. So,
>> that's that's a a good thing. We have
been saying this.
>> Well, we got it in 2024, she opened 10
>> And now we're opening
another 15 to
I think she kind of inched up to 15 and
then now she's going to
>> 24
>> So, we're getting there slowly.
Um,
and we're doing it the right way. We're
not We're not pushing a side care.
So, that's important. Uh, the only thing
I'll throw out in the all this report is
remind you that I don't understand
what in the big beautiful bill or the
triple B as I call it, uh,
there was cuts to Medicaid
at some levels.
But it was after the midterm elections
that they're that we're going to be
looking at. And I don't know what that
means yet or we're going to be watching
to see what it means. I've asked
actually Katie at the DuPont Group, Kate
Organ, to see if there's, you know,
people that can talk to us about what we
should be looking for, what it could
mean to us because
uh, I'm still not I I I've looked at it
and I I don't want to panic or I don't
want to be chicken little
um, if I don't know if it's real.
So, you know, some people say this, some
people say that. I don't go on those uh,
on that level. I really want to research
and get more facts into it then we can
prepare ourselves as best we can what
that could mean to us.
>> Is there is there some sort of
summary executive summary kind
>> There is. There is and that's what we've
asked we've asked for something more
than that, you know, a little bit more
in-depth. And maybe Nate Nate could
somehow, you know, give us something
from their perspective.
So, we'll see.
>> I do have a question. Has anybody from
the executive committee or the
delegation um, brought forward requests
to uh, change or add anything to the
budget? Would you tell us what it is?
>> It's on my thing, but I'll do it now.
Um, so the only
the the two there's two things that I'm
aware of.
Um, I have a meeting at 2:30 today about
one of those things.
But um, one of them is they're concerned
for cost of food and cost of
of gas for what um
It's right here. It's a community
kitchen. So, they're looking at adding
$20,000
to the community kitchen.
the
I've asked Barb Weisman
to be there for both meetings so she can
answer any questions if they're going to
bring it up. Um but, you know, mobile
pantry expansion, you know, that's been
going on
in Gilsum, Richmond, Fitzwilliam, and
Winchester once a month for 4 months of
a year. It's now turned into um a
situation where Gilsum, Richmond, and
Fitzwilliam they have strengthened their
infrastructure to each community to
establish
uh King Community Kitchen pantry in each
town to help the towns because they were
aging out. They didn't have the
facilities.
Uh these satellite pantries can now
offer food distribution monthly
year-round. This expansion provides much
greater food storage building consisting
food areas for residents.
Um the trucking and regional food
distribution
at the end of the year last year they
bought a truck. That truck now goes
weekly multiple times to the pantry to
receive free food from the New Hampshire
Food Bank. Um they hired a full-time
driver to do that and and which now
makes daily trips to the food bank in
Manchester. Year-to-date we delivered
more than 90 tons of food to 12 agencies
throughout the region including Jaffrey,
Dublin, Troy, Chesterfield, Marlborough,
Keene, Gilsum, Richmond, and
Fitzwilliam.
The mobile pantry bus, they purchased a
mobile pantry bus which will be here on
Monday. It's really cool
um because now they have it so that
it's new to them. It's not new new. It's
new to them. It was a food truck of some
sort that would go to festivals that was
online and they thought this was much
better for people and they could put the
food, bring it down, you'll see
everything because they're going to
be giving us the dinner on Monday.
Um, roast beef sandwiches, you know,
turkey,
potato salad, all that stuff.
So, um,
it allows the this pantry bus allows
them to be more nimble and existing food
two existing food access infrastructure.
let's see.
And then she's broken down, you know,
how much pounds per town they've given
out to
and the cost and all that. So, I'll let
her talk about that, but that's the one
and we I reached out to Anne Fetty,
uh, who's the deputy attorney general,
to see if uh, I was right in my thinking
and uh, feeling at this point we have
that he came came back and said if it's
within the RSA, blah, blah, blah. We
reviewed the RSA. We did AI to see if
the if we were right in our thinking
and it came back that we could actually
use opioid funding if we chose to and
not and and because who are they
serving?
>> Which funding? Opioid
>> Opioid
>> Opioid funding if we chose to because
who are they who is some of the biggest
audience that they're doing we choose
to.
if but that's up to the delegation if
they choose to.
Uh, that's one I'm hearing and then the
other one is
restorative justice
and they there's
If you look at the minutes, the minutes
say in it that then August they would
take a look at where things stand.
In the meantime, if you remember, they
asked me to work with Patrick to take a
look at what grants are out there. We
did that.
We looked at grants and there weren't
really any grants that administratively
would pay for that what needed to be
paid for. It was that he would could
take on more responsibility and within a
a new grant to create something new
and that would help pay a period of
time, that doesn't make sense to me.
And so we went we will move forward with
knowing that um
if he couldn't somehow or find some
money that it was going to stop in
December 31st because that's what the
delegation had said.
If you remember too,
um in May
uh he came to me and said that his
family, he and his wife who she's a
doctor, has been in the doctor in the
region for years,
um they're formerly from Canada. Had
they chosen and they have children back
up in Canada. They chosen to move back
to Canada, which they had planned to do
anyways.
Um so at that point and his last day was
June 26th. If you remember we had a
a thing here for him.
so
I went came to you all and said it
doesn't make a lot of sense because
he's remember he
last day technically full-time was the
26th. He had four cases that he's still
finishing up that he's working
minimal hours but he's working on
closing up those cases.
For me to think that I could put a thing
out saying I want to hire somebody
by September so that they can work
September, October, November, December
and you agreed with me at that time that
it did make a lot of sense
even though I did have an application
um from somebody who works full-time
didn't doesn't understand the the the
setting of what we were working with at
the time.
but she works full-time over in
Brattleboro Retreat.
So she would come leave that position to
come over here for 4 months cuz that's
what we have.
So that's the discussion is that they're
they're wanting it to go through the
They want to reconsider it so that they
can put it back in so we can go through
the budget process and if it passes the
budget process then for another year,
but if it doesn't it doesn't and and it
would stop in March of next year. Or
April 1 of of next year.
>> There'll be a motion that if if the
executive committee
agrees because of course it's got to be
majority of them.
It would be a motion to recommend that
delegation reinstate the budget funding
in the 2027 budget for the restorative
justice program.
So that it will allow for the program to
continue past December 31st and be
revisited for approval March 2027.
Because right now the way that they the
the motion came out of the March of 2026
there's no permission to even create a
budget for restorative justice
out of the department or the county or
the budget. It's
it's um
it's it's no funding after after
December. So this would
allow for it at least get considered
again
in the 2027.
>> And I'm expected I'm going to make it
very clear that it was my decision
come to you and you agreed with my
decision and I'm expected to get spanked
by some on the delegation side on Monday
because it you know they're thinking
that we're stopping a program which do
we technically have the authority to
stop. My thing is is reality is is
I just felt like
why go through the process of hiring
somebody when you made the decision in
the first place? So if I'm wrong then
I'll get on it right away and I'll go
through the process, but
>> I don't So I don't I don't know I think
once the money's been appropriated
commissioners then have the decision to
spend it. So
>> I mean but do they have it? Do they have
The argument's going to be do they
technically have the power to end a
program.
>> The The Patrick ended the program. It's
I mean
>> Well,
I just We You're talking to somebody
that made it.
>> We just have a vacancy.
>> Now, we're choosing to
fill. Now, we're not choosing to fill.
>> Yeah. [clears throat] We got a vacancy.
>> Until, you know, we
get direction on whether or not
we're going to be able to hire a
full-time employee. Cuz it's not
reasonable to think that we're going to
be able to hire a full-time employee for
months.
It's just not reasonable.
>> Yeah. So, So, that's going to be my I
think that's great wording is vacancy.
Because But But the bottom line is is
it it is what it is. Uh Paul's going to
come in and meet with me today.
And so,
>> So, let me back up a minute.
>> How many cases
went through restorative justice last
year?
Did you say seven?
>> This year? This year?
>> 2026. How many
seven? So, for nearly $100,000,
we did seven
cases?
>> That's a yes or no question. Then you
can follow up.
>> Now, I feel like I'm ON CAPITOL HILL.
>> YES. YES, YOU'RE YOU ARE correct in that
when it comes to restorative justice,
legally, you are correct 100%. Now,
I would argue that it's the program's
been bigger than that. Patrick's been
doing a lot more work in a lot of other
areas besides that. But there are a lot
of people that are stuck on this. 100%
you're correct. We would probably would
have been closer to
If we stopped referrals, I know Chris
has has come to me since he took on the
prosecuting role for the city of Keene
with five cases that he probably could
have sent down to us. So, that Let's
just say 12. So, again, is 12 to 16, you
know, a year worth $100,000? That is
going to be the question, too.
>> Well, the other question is is they want
for the food pantry, which serves how
many people?
versus seven for $100,000.
That when I look at taxpayer money and
the benefit,
right? Um do you serve more people
through the food pantry or seven people
for $100,000?
>> people. I think
Excuse me, but you're wrong. It's not
seven people. It's It's How many How
many students in Keene High School are
going to detention?
How many students, you know, how many
how many people in the neighborhood are
fighting
>> How? That's a different pot of money.
>> No, it's not the same It's the same
>> same pot of money that Patrick works on.
That's
>> That That position was expanded to
$100,000.
>> Let's think about I'm looking at this
from You look at the money for the food
pantry versus restorative justice and
the impact.
That's what I'm looking at. That that
massive amount of money
and you're saying that the food pantry
needs all this money because they
increase families' hunger issue.
And it can be solved with $20,000,
but we're going to use $100,000 for this
other thing.
Taxpayer money doesn't make a lot of
>> But the argument's going to be not with
us.
>> I understand that.
>> You're doing just I just think because
>> I understand that, but
>> I said you.
>> THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING IT.
EXACTLY, BECAUSE this is, you know, if
the commissioners
and you make a decision about a
particular project
using taxpayers' dollars and we're
supposed to be good stewards of the
money that I have to look at the value
added for $20,000
helping X number of families and X
number of communities versus
this other $100,000.
>> I think it's simpler than that. I look
at it as the body as a whole that makes
the decision around financial for the
county made a decision that as of
December 31st this program no longer
would exist.
Based on that knowledge and based on not
having any other knowledge but that in
May and June I made a decision and came
to you to say I don't believe that once
he is officially finished with
everything he needs to do that
I would would make sense for me to
expend energy on and having people come
in and telling them yeah this job is
only for 4 months.
It it just doesn't make a lot of sense
to me so that's why I didn't vote.
>> I also think that I know you we've got I
also feel like the
the the heart of the motion when it was
made was because they knew that they
were dealing with an individual and
rather than on March 17th or whenever we
passed that budget
saying we're ending this program April
1st we're cutting the funding out and
therefore you're going to have you know
this really and that that it was
to be able to provide time for a person
doing the program to know well in
advance that the program was over as of
January 31st and that it was to get the
cases closed out and figure out what is
going to happen next. I think because
they didn't want to be there again next
year cutting it out so that's what I
think the heart of the
>> initially there was there was there was
a push to cut the program.
And I know exactly who was pushing that.
I think that then there was another
person John who came in and said, "No,
no, no. Let's just make sure this
person's aware that as of December the
my motion would be that December 31st
that that this that this program would
no longer exist."
That's what I remember in the
conversation. And that's what I based
every all my information and and and my
decision-making on that. It was that,
and that's when I came to you all when
Patrick I made you aware
>> I I agree with Carrie.
We did what we did. It made sense any
anybody running a business would do the
same thing. Why why advertise for the
for the job?
>> [snorts]
>> But it isn't just
>> to go from there.
>> But it isn't just about advertising for
the job.
It's
getting rid of the program.
>> Yeah, that's what I'm
>> That's the piece that I'm focusing on.
>> I I felt like I was finishing the
program when I when you guys gave me the
already not to move forward and bringing
somebody else on that the program as a
whole was stopped
officially when when Patrick finished up
his last cases.
>> As set by the delegation, basically.
>> They agreed to stop
>> So
any pushback
any pushback is what it is.
But we made in my mind
it it was you had the final decision,
yes, but it was my my thought that it
just administratively made didn't make a
lot of sense to me that we move forward
in filling that position for a period of
time that the delegation set.
>> Right, because the program was going to
be out of business as of December 31st,
period. Not on hold.
>> Did you get any pressure to fill the
position?
>> I think there may be comments on Monday
that say that that they that we that we
and I'm going to make it very clear.
It's not we, it's me.
I made the initial push. You had the
ultimate decision, but it was my
bringing to you that I didn't see
that it made any sense because they made
the decision.
>> And I think the body as a whole will see
that and I just think I just wanted to
just tell you.
I just want to say
I think you're about ready for Capital
Hill based on you ran there
for the yes or no answer.
>> That was a five-minute yes or no.
>> That's why first make it
>> But I got it in.
THE ONLY THING
>> WHAT YOU DIDN'T recommend is you I
believe neglected to thank her for the
question.
>> Happy advice of counsel.
>> But I
I do think that that
>> Well, with the community kitchen and the
added money is appropriate with all the
work that they're doing. I think Barb
and her team over there are sensational.
It's It's they're
Yeah, they're making every penny count
over there and they're doing what they
can to bring it to the communities and
that's what we wanted from them. I
believe in the next three years you're
going to see them have a distribution
center over here that
you know, and I think that they'll be an
example. They'll be a test pilot for the
rest of the state and that it will be a
good thing because what they're doing
right now is they're getting pantries
more food than they've ever had before
to get out to families and I think
that's a good thing.
>> What about gas for?
Sheriff, EMS,
and EOC.
>> Yeah, did we work on a contract for
that?
>> Do we have enough money?
>> to to go through
>> You're just killing me. You're killing
me.
>> Are we working
>> Thank you for the question.
you know, since you know, we we've
looked at it and
if you look since February, and I want
to thank uh Cheryl and her team. I want
to thank Davis and everybody that had uh
helped make this start pulling this
together cuz it's not an easy task, and
I think Linda was
was one of the individuals who really
worked down in the finance office to
make this happen.
We've seen since February
that unleaded fuel has
been up by a uh plus 47%.
And diesel's up by 28%.
So, the blended average between the two
is about a 36% average increase. You
need to remember uh that we do have a
WEX fuel card. It's a 15 cent savings
on every gallon
that we got.
Um see.
So, if you look at it uh in February, we
were at we were at uh gasoline $2.88.
And uh diesel we're $4.09.
In March, we were at $3.58.
And uh diesel was $4.95. In April, we're
at $4.07.
Um and uh for uh $4.07 for gasoline and
$5.96
for
for diesel.
We were um in May
uh $4.47
uh for gasoline and
$5.90
for diesel. And then in June, we're at
$5.26
and $4.23.
So, you can do which is which by then.
The Sheriff's Department
and you know, we're seeing that the
uptick there and their road road shifts
that they're doing uh covering the
county around the clock. Uh ambulances,
it's obvious that we are I think last
month alone we averaged all ambulances
combined 26,000 mi.
and if you look at the gasoline within
that, you know, we're we're up there. Um
Maple Manor nursing home transportation
and DOC, uh although although we do get
uh reimbursement from our transports
we're still utilizing, you know, it's
out pacing it's going to outpace the
pricing of price of gas is going to
outpace our cost.
>> Do we have
>> So that's not that didn't answer my
Do we have enough money in our budget to
last the end of the year to absorb those
increases?
>> Well
>> Overall
>> they asked the delegation.
>> We will find other areas of the budget
to cover it.
>> You just you just heard her say 1.3
million
uh is where we're where we are currently
and for the end of the year.
And this is going to eat into those
monies that we then apply for next year.
>> And what about the increases food costs?
>> Same thing. It's going to eat into
>> We have We're not going to have to ask
>> No, we're not going to ask for We're
we're going to We have access money that
we can utilize, but it's going to leave
us less when we look at next year's
budget.
>> Do we know how many gallons per used all
total for gas and diesel separately?
>> I can get that in
>> Because the thing is
>> Yeah, well that's going to be going
>> But here's the thing. If if we're not
negotiating with the company based on
the number of gallons and I come back to
Irving, which is everywhere, because
you're saying that with the WEX card, we
get a 15%
and with Irving, they already give a 10
cent discount to just the average
citizen. So, why aren't we trying to
negotiate for diesel and gas for all of
our pieces based on the volume?
>> It's also the excise tax.
>> No, I understand that, but I'm just
saying if if if Irving is already giving
the average person 10 cents, we're only
getting an extra five from this company,
right? Why aren't we trying to go for
more based on the volume that we use?
And Irving is everywhere throughout the
county.
>> Yeah, well, actually they're Yeah, even
throughout New York.
>> Right, but you know what I'm saying. So,
they they would have easy access.
>> I think it's I think what we're finding
is
this is a new thing and we've had these
conversations and we are going to start
exploring like we just came back to and
said that we locked in our propane cost.
>> That we're going to be doing the same
thing, looking at if there's an
opportunity for us to get a better
pricing than what we're initially
paying, but it was you know, it's it's
it's
to be honest with you, we're we're just
really starting to wrap our heads around
this whole thing. Yeah.
All righty.
>> I I guess I don't understand why we
don't ask the delegation
of the authority to
take money for the gas. I understand
what you said that
you can find
the budget as such,
but
it's got to be
I think it's important enough that we'd
ask the delegation
to cover the increase in the
>> So, so if you look throughout the
budget,
>> Mhm.
>> you're going to see lines already
overdrawn, not just the gas.