[0:02] I'm just laughing at today's man. I did
that all by myself, too.
[0:07] I want that recorded.
>> 199 employees. Wait, bump it up to 200.
[0:13] » We were so close. We were down to 427 at
one point.
[0:18] That means what the good news is
it means that we can add eight more
[0:24] beds.
We're about 124
[0:27] and there she goes. We're going to be
>> Can you get me back?
[0:31] » I want to get you back.
>> It is You're recording. That's not the
[0:33] issue.
>> We need to kick people off the list.
[0:35] » But he never received
>> All right.
[0:38] » [laughter]
[0:43] » All right, everything was fine until you
guys get on.
[0:47] It's Devin acting up.
Devin, keep it under control.
[0:52] » Charles, you have another
>> Hang on. What is this? Who is this?
[0:55] » agenda
Uh if not, let me go back. I don't but
[0:58] let me get you some more coffee.
>> You may have to go Devin, you may have
[1:01] to go on and off again.
>> 2 minutes.
[1:04] » All right. Talk for a second. Let me
hear you.
[1:06] » 2 minutes.
>> And
[1:08] » Devon, you're muted.
You're muted.
[1:10] » We just need an agenda.
>> Okay.
[1:12] » No.
>> Devon, can you talk and I can hear
[1:14] » Hang on. I got an agenda. No.
>> No.
[1:17] » And wait, I need the uh
>> Yeah, I can talk.
[1:20] » Yeah, that's what it It's Devin, it's
you.
[1:22] Whatever
[1:25] » [clears throat]
>> You sound like Mickey Mouse.
[1:27] You're Mickey Mouse-ing so you have to
go off and try again.
[1:30] » Put away the helium.
>> Yeah.
[1:33] » Is that a helium leak?
>> [laughter]
[1:36] » Don't check the tanks.
>> And don't screw it up then.
[1:41] » Devon, log off and log back in. Can you
hear us?
[1:46] Log off.
Totally log off and log back in.
[1:55] No, he's in Randy Hall's office at the
jail, but Randy's computer I don't know
[2:00] I've never seen that office log into
Zoom, so I don't know what kind of
[2:04] » Yeah.
>> technology that's in there. Yeah.
[2:06] » The camera with the little microphone
for sure.
[2:08] » I know.
>> Seeing that it's 8:30, we're going to
[2:11] call this commissioner's meeting to
order. It's Wednesday, August 12th. All
[2:16] commissioners are present. Um going to
start off with public comment seeing
[2:21] that there's no public. I'm going to
move on to elected officials and
[2:26] department head updates.
We'll get to your some of yours in a
[2:30] bit.
Um
[2:33] I know Nick you're here. I don't know if
Devin can have talk and not sound like
[2:36] Mickey Mouse.
Um but we'll we'll test that out in a
[2:40] second. So you want to start Nick and
Devin can join us.
[2:43] » Yeah, just to give an update on some of
the stuff. I'm still I've been off for a
[2:46] little bit, so I'm coming back tomorrow,
so I'm on Zoom from home.
[2:50] But the AC unit is uh it we are getting
AC. One of the hot water heaters is
[2:57] working. One of them is not.
Uh they did put in a claim through
[3:02] Primex. Uh that was Chris's
recommendation, so Steve's been on it
[3:05] with us.
And so they got a lot of the steps.
[3:09] Devin got Steve a time frame of
everything from when the power went out
[3:13] to when the problems were finally
noticed to when the companies were
[3:18] called, the invoices that were given and
everything. Uh Devin did get a
[3:23] quote from
What was it? E&E about if they were to
[3:26] come and do a detailed check on
everything. Uh the quote I think was
[3:30] 26,000.
>> About 27,000.
[3:34] » Oh, okay. Yeah. 27. So he did get that
checked. That that was just the quote
[3:39] E&E sent us. They did when the lead
engineer from E&E came, we asked and
[3:46] Chris asked about what can we do as a
backup in the future and if there isn't
[3:51] really a
a simple backup they could give us.
[3:55] There's no like easy backup. There's no
double system or anything like that.
[3:59] This was just kind of a
wild scenario that happened, but it's
[4:04] not like we could have something on on
hand. So, if it did happen again that we
[4:08] could just switch to that. It's not
really a simple
[4:11] thing like that. Devin can talk a little
bit more to it if he doesn't sound
[4:15] silly, but
>> Yeah,
[4:17] can you guys hear me?
>> Yes.
[4:19] » Yeah, this was a an anomaly that that
just happened. Everybody we've talked to
[4:24] so far up to this point said this just
happens. There's no no prevention from
[4:31] stopping uh
power surges from damaging any type of
[4:36] electronical equipment. Um like Philly
said, we now have one hot water boiler
[4:41] up and running. Our AC is working. I
think our plan forward from this point
[4:47] is to get everything running and then we
would like to have the E&E systems
[4:52] engineers and techs come in and do a
retro uh commissioning of the entire
[4:57] system cuz we still don't know exactly
what else has been affected
[5:03] downstream from where we're at now.
>> And one of the things that we did learn
[5:08] is that one of the issues was that when
every when they had the surge it went
[5:14] into um default mode. Default mode in
New England is heat.
[5:19] » Yes.
>> So So, they had to correct that and they
[5:22] had to it was actually something about
this big
[5:25] that was really the problem if I
remember exactly. And uh he was able to
[5:30] pinpoint that, fix that really quick
quickly, and it took probably about 3
[5:35] hours, correct me if I'm wrong, uh about
3 hours to get us back to where it's uh
[5:41] comfortable. But, it was a many days
where we didn't have any AC and no hot
[5:46] water. Or I would should say we had hot
hot-ish water. We had it in the '80s.
[5:51] » Correct.
>> It's now over 100 and it's back to
[5:55] semi-normal. So,
um that's
[5:58] I think the guys learned a lot out of
it, too, and understand it. They they
[6:02] they were they were right there with the
team learning as they went about, asking
[6:06] questions the whole time.
Um and I think they they have a a
[6:11] greater handle on on the overall
process. Like you said, it was a car
[6:15] accident, it took out a telephone pole,
it caused a surge,
[6:20] and there you are. And
>> [clears throat]
[6:22] » so, now we know that. We all know, as he
said, that the panel the whole panel is
[6:27] outdated and will have to be replaced
over time. We can do it piecemeal,
[6:31] though. We don't have to do it all at
once and is what they said. And so,
[6:35] we'll take a look at all the all the
alternatives and see how we want to move
[6:39] forward.
>> So, it was just a minor disruption. It
[6:42] didn't really cause any problems.
[6:47] Operation of the UOC, though, right?
>> It [clears throat] created angst across
[6:52] the the the all departments because they
had no AC for
[6:56] what, 6 days?
>> Yeah. Yes.
[7:00] » 6 days when you need it. So, they
actually I will tell you for not having
[7:06] any AC and walking the unit walking the
halls in near the pods, I did not want
[7:11] to go into any the pods because I knew I
would be somebody that everybody would
[7:15] all of a sudden I could create angst at
a higher level if I would have and they
[7:18] could all of a sudden have somebody to
direct it towards, but everybody seemed
[7:22] to handle it well. They had extra water
in there. They had industrial fans that
[7:25] they brought in. So, they handled it
extremely well. During the night, they
[7:30] had the the
activity areas windows open so that the
[7:35] cool air could be brought in to cool
down the area, but from about 2:30 on in
[7:41] the afternoon if it was a hot day, it
did warm up and you had to shut
[7:44] everything up and just blow a lot of hot
warm air around the area, but we didn't
[7:49] have any incidents that I'm aware of. We
had people
[7:53] wondering what was going on and I think
if Devin walked into a unit, they were
[7:57] they would ask immediately, "What's
going on? You know, is it fixed yet?"
[8:00] You know, that kind of thing. He'd say
they're working on it, but then we were
[8:04] able to get the architect here. It's
interesting. All of a sudden he just all
[8:08] of a sudden showed up, right?
>> Yeah,
[8:11] yeah, yeah, that works.
>> Yeah, real surprising after you, you
[8:14] know, on the phone you say, "Why are you
here?"
[8:16] Um, and then
they they turned it around and
[8:20] everything else is back to normal.
>> I guess my question would be, if
[8:26] the expert came in and found the issue
in a in a short amount of time, what can
[8:31] we do to make sure that there's an
expert available when we make the first
[8:35] call?
>> It's one of It's one of the questions I
[8:38] asked and it was a perfect storm.
The guy that normally is the backup for
[8:44] everybody,
the architect that knows the system
[8:48] inside and out, was on vacation.
>> Yeah, the main Chris, the main engineer
[8:54] that knows that system was on vacation.
He just so happened to be on vacation at
[8:59] that time. So, I got the next best
thing, which was who was the engineer in
[9:05] charge at that point and that was Tim
and Tim
[9:10] knows the system, but he doesn't know it
as well as Sam does. So, Tim was helping
[9:15] us work through the problems until Sam
came back from vacation.
[9:20] » That was that and when CT came through,
it was within
[9:23] a
you know, hours. I would say that that
[9:26] they figured out where the issue was and
and they were able to turn things around
[9:30] real quickly. So, I said to them,
"Well, he's probably going to go on
[9:33] vacation again."
>> Or get hit by a bus.
[9:35] » And and or retire or whatever it may be.
So and so I received a call from uh some
[9:42] of the top brass there this week and
they're looking into how to come up with
[9:46] a solution to those answers. But it's a
good question because we asked the same
[9:49] thing.
>> All right, thank you.
[9:51] » Yeah.
Any other things that you guys have?
[9:56] » No, that's
all we really had.
[9:59] » Okay.
>> Yeah, I think we're good. I think we're
[10:02] we're at a good spot right now. Um like
I said, we still don't know exactly the
[10:06] extent of this. So hopefully if we could
get the engine engineers in here with
[10:11] the technician and kind of go through
the system and actually find out all the
[10:14] issues that it may have caused.
[10:19] » Okay.
[10:21] All right, thank you. I appreciate it.
>> Yep.
[10:23] » Yep.
>> All right. Um anybody else? Yes, ma'am.
[10:29] » I have a
non FMLA well, an extension of an FMLA
[10:35] um leave of absence request for one of
our employees at Maple Wood. He will
[10:39] exhaust his FMLA um effective September
2nd, but he had a non-work related very
[10:47] significant fracture and he's got some
complications. So they're looking for an
[10:52] additional eight weeks after his um
FMLA exhaust, which would bring him back
[10:59] at the end of October.
Um this would be without pay because he
[11:03] I believe at this point has exhausted
all of his time.
[11:08] » Okay.
>> motorcycle
[11:12] » Is there a motion?
>> I have a friend who's what?
[11:14] » I don't know. I try to stay out of
people's way.
[11:17] » [laughter]
>> fell down the stairs
[11:20] » motorcycle accident
>> He did something that was significant.
[11:23] Yeah.
>> That's a long healing time.
[11:25] » Yeah, here's so my question
My question would be
[11:29] by by it, we're not causing ourselves
any great
[11:32] great issue by I mean it is
>> Um he works in our activities
[11:36] department, so they're working a little
short, but it's not um they're they I
[11:41] talked to the manager and she is
supportive of us.
[11:44] » And I'd move to extend this request as
>> Second.
[11:49] » Second Commissioner Clark.
>> Yes.
[11:51] » Commissioner Stewart.
>> Yes.
[11:52] » Commissioner DiBernardo.
>> Yes.
[11:53] » All right, moving on. I'm going to jump
the calendar a little bit and start with
[11:58] EMS presentation that we have today. I
want to start off by having Chief Andrew
[12:04] out to take the time for you to just
leave what he has put together.
[12:09] Um Mike is here. He's our our architect.
You've met him before
[12:14] um to really support the the
conversation and answer any questions
[12:18] that people may have pertaining to to
this, but um just wanted to start with
[12:24] with the you reading this document that
I think is outstanding that the chief
[12:28] really put together.
[15:43] » How long you guys on? I'll start.
I'll start. I'm the long.
[15:47] Um so as you know,
we've been, you know, especially now
[15:53] with the rural transformation funding in
play,
[15:56] we've been taking a look at our need
across the county, but one of the
[15:59] biggest needs we have is is is an EMS.
When we started this whole idea, it was
[16:06] initially with two ambulances.
It was
[16:10] um
that we were going to be transporting
[16:14] and facility transfers in West Columbia.
Over time, that grew to three,
[16:20] uh and then when Swansea became a
reality, it became four, then quickly
[16:26] five, and that's where we are today.
We built this
[16:31] this facility with the idea that we were
really going to follow at the max three
[16:36] or ambulances at a time. We're at five.
We could be at heading towards six in
[16:41] the near future.
And
[16:44] uh
and and and we also built it with the
[16:48] idea of we only had so much money,
so much funds, ARPA funds. So we built
[16:55] off of what was there and built new at
the same time. The base, as you know,
[17:01] are new and they are for six
vehicles. Currently, if you drive by,
[17:08] you'll see that we have multiple
ambulances outside.
[17:11] Um we're about to take on another new
ambulance and a parent new paramedic
[17:16] ambulance set
in the near future September I believe.
[17:20] And that is going to strain us even that
much more.
[17:25] So we are looking at
at what we need to do and whether it is
[17:32] you know build off what is currently
there and and is that make sense or
[17:36] look longer term and build new
and what would that mean and what the
[17:41] funding would look like.
We have an had an opportunity and we
[17:45] took it uh
and just because we didn't want to lose
[17:49] the opportunity to
uh go after $50,000 planning grant.
[17:54] And so we we we took that so that we
have more time to take a look at the the
[17:59] capabilities of the
uh uh bus going after this and
[18:04] uh the need is that we need we will
we're we're needing more beds, we're
[18:09] needing more
we we do not have right now the
[18:14] the upstairs which they call the bowling
alley was actually built for storage and
[18:19] it's what it is you you know what
storage. It is not handicap accessible.
[18:25] Um we do have community
uh trainings that go on and um it's it's
[18:31] just reality if you're going to build
something it should be handicap
[18:34] accessible.
Uh
[18:37] so there's there's a there's multiple
concerns we have but it really is about
[18:42] growth
and [clears throat] I want to start
[18:44] first by just allowing Chief to add any
of his thoughts. I know he's written
[18:48] down but if you have any other thoughts
that you want to express or add before
[18:52] we go to Mike and just allow him to give
some insight from what he's he's looking
[18:57] at and what he goes he Mike was the
architect that built the initial with
[19:02] what information we had at the time is
is is what we should what it should be.
[19:07] So
I'm going to start with any comments
[19:10] that you have.
>> Yeah sure obviously thank you for taking
[19:13] time to read that. I think most of my
thoughts are in there. I think that
[19:16] we've done a very good job of trying to
um
[19:20] manage
what we have going on and build a
[19:24] successful
department. Um I think right now,
[19:27] especially with the
the rural health care funding and things
[19:32] like that, you know, understanding that,
you know, Church Creek EMS has been
[19:36] um
not a
[19:39] inexpensive endeavor, right? So,
recognizing a a great opportunity and
[19:44] trying to make sure that we can take
advantage of that. I figured that right
[19:47] now is a great opportunity to just bring
some of the
[19:51] I almost felt guilty writing it, right?
Because it's like this whole thing was
[19:54] built and it's been wonderful and and
things like that. So, kind of pointing
[19:58] out some of the flaws to uh
it and um our capabilities of operating
[20:04] within it was slightly difficult. So,
um I don't have much say other than, you
[20:09] know, I'm hoping that we have the
opportunity to move forward with
[20:12] planning and and seeing what we may or
may not be able to do with different
[20:16] funding opportunities. And appreciate
your time and here mostly to answer any
[20:20] questions that you may have.
>> Yeah, do you receive calls how you all
[20:24] feel?
>> Can we Can Can we first just hear from
[20:27] Mike before you?
Oh, is that all right?
[20:30] » No.
>> All right. Sorry.
[20:32] » Thanks. Thanks, Carson.
>> I'm Mike Petrovec. I was the architect
[20:35] for the for the current site. And you
know, we we really did a lot with a
[20:40] little. There was a lot of funding
available
[20:43] and really the focus needed to be on
building a new building to house the
[20:47] ambulances.
We had two existing buildings to kind of
[20:50] work with and create what we could on a
very, very tight budget and really an
[20:55] unknown. Like there was a lot of my
doubts about what this this operation
[20:58] would be.
As we look at expanding that operation
[21:03] and create a facility for that
operation,
[21:07] that site is under utilized and pretty a
lot more and so it's we've looked at
[21:11] ways to
to rethink it and build off of what's
[21:16] there.
There's a lot of opportunity there and
[21:19] the existing building, which is the
administration building,
[21:23] was an existing building that we
essentially put a little bit of money in
[21:27] to make it so it could function so that
they could get started and really see
[21:30] what this is. So, there's opportunity
there and to bring that site up to what
[21:35] it
meeting all the requirements of a true
[21:38] EMS facility.
>> Hey Jerry, sorry.
[21:43] » That's all right.
You got anything yet?
[21:46] All right.
>> Um okay, as far as you know, the
[21:51] the call lines.
Uh
[21:54] I I looked over the heat map that you
you sent over.
[22:00] Okay, so that's a subscription that
we we no longer
[22:04] Do we still have that subscription to
that with the other company?
[22:07] » Yeah, the continuum subscription.
>> Yes, yep.
[22:11] » Uh so I I spoke at length with um
uh
[22:16] over at rescue
asking him about if if he had something
[22:20] like that. Said he had continuum up
until a few years ago.
[22:25] Hasn't used it cuz of the cost and
But he did he did say that uh
[22:33] he was pretty much just going to stay in
Hinsdale and Chesterfield up to the
[22:39] 32
632.
[22:41] » Yes.
>> Yes,
[22:45] he'd seen uh
he's been in Keen a lot.
[22:50] We've been in Keen a lot, too.
>> Yes.
[22:53] » Why?
Why both of the cities?
[22:56] » Well, it all depends on what is
happening Keen in their
[23:02] uh, run cards if they have major events,
um, they will pull resources from
[23:08] Cheshire County EMS primarily to,
like if there's a fire, [clears throat]
[23:13] for example, uh, Cheshire County EMS
will provide the
[23:19] ambulance for the scene itself and, uh,
the command the EMS operations for that.
[23:27] Um, often times in order to not
completely uh, Cheshire County EMS of
[23:31] all of its resources, they'll
additionally request Rescue Wing to come
[23:35] on to cover additional call volumes that
may or may not present itself.
[23:41] Uh,
>> Or other communities.
[23:43] » Or other communities, uh,
>> So, this isn't a spike. This is just
[23:47] something that's happened along. It
sounded to me
[23:52] something that was abnormal.
>> I I can't speak. That would be more of a
[23:57] question for him. I know when we're
called, we we respond to the city of
[24:00] Keene.
>> I mean, is it more now than it used to
[24:03] be?
>> It's fairly well.
[24:05] » Uh, okay.
>> The the current chief
[24:08] revised his run card a little bit.
For a while, we were only sending one
[24:12] unit to the scene.
And Rescue Wing was back going to the
[24:16] Keene stations.
They want a quicker response after
[24:20] they're at Keene station.
[24:25] » And I know I know we just entered in an
into an agreement [clears throat] with
[24:29] them.
>> We're still going back and forth with
[24:32] that agreement.
It [clears throat] is not.
[24:36] Uh, they had a, uh,
as you, I'm sure are aware, uh, changing
[24:41] their leadership. So, I think, uh, we
are still in communication, but we're
[24:45] just letting the kind of the dust settle
on that transition.
[24:49] Um, but I have reached out to Chief C
Moore multiple times just to make sure
[24:53] it
and assured it's still on the table.
[24:56] » We started nice conversation.
>> So, is that likely to increase the calls
[25:01] in the [clears throat] kingdom?
[25:04] » I don't believe it will
adjust their run card.
[25:08] So, I I can't say whether it would
increase or decrease the call volume in
[25:12] the kingdom.
>> It It depends on the on the day, too. I
[25:15] mean, to be honest, I mean, Keene has
pushed forward to add more staff.
[25:21] Which, when you're adding more staff,
means they have the availability of
[25:24] adding another ambulance to the the
scenario. So, I believe that at least
[25:29] they're running at least two a day.
At least.
[25:32] Unless staffing is is a concern.
>> Or for maintenance, they they've had
[25:36] multiple vehicles uh
have mechanical failures,
[25:41] uh not unlike us, and they'll
communicate that. And if they're down
[25:46] two ambulances, you know, they may only
have one or two running for the city
[25:51] that day. They communicate that to
Deputy Atkins, and that would be a day
[25:55] that we're probably going to get called
into Keene considerably more. Uh
[25:59] » But they're only I mean, last year they
were only like
[26:03] 80 calls?
100 calls?
[26:06] » Yeah.
>> Our core mission right now is and and
[26:11] you tell me if I'm off off the numbers
here, but you know, Swanzey's 1,200
[26:15] calls.
Uh Winchester has the has the ability to
[26:20] have 800 calls, of which we're in a
month's time we're doing anywhere
[26:24] between 30 to 60% of those calls.
>> Have two two ambulances right now at
[26:28] Fitzwilliam for a motor vehicle accident
on Route 119.
[26:31] » Right. So, Troy Fitzwilliam is as a
backup. And
[26:35] » We're primary, too.
>> And we're probably primary because there
[26:38] are staffing issues. Um but we also have
a core coming out of Marlborough and
[26:43] Harrisville right there.
So, that's our that's the meat of a good
[26:48] chunk of of our our calls right there.
And then you have Winchester, I mean
[26:54] Fitzwilliam, Troy like you just said,
that adds in a little flavor to it, too.
[26:58] » So so
would you say that
[27:02] in the number of calls, would it be
Swanzey, Winchester,
[27:07] uh Marlborough,
and and East, and then
[27:11] North in that order?
[27:15] Taking care of
>> I I I could I could definitely get you
[27:18] the town-by-town call numbers.
>> Well, I see the heat way it looks is in
[27:23] » Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I would think that
Swanzey is by far uh the most prolific.
[27:28] Uh
Winchester depends on the day.
[27:33] Uh Marlborough, Westmoreland,
um
[27:38] then, you know, Harrisville, Gilsum,
Stoddard
[27:42] are are probably pretty comparable
across the board.
[27:46] » Richmond
>> Yeah, Richmond is probably one of the
[27:49] lower.
Richmond and Gilsum
[27:52] » Yeah, so I I've been just trying to look
at the need, the present need, and
[27:58] see past, and and trying to predict
um
[28:05] where, you know, where some of that
that is being taken care of by other
[28:10] people
will fall on us.
[28:13] So
would would you say that
[28:16] that's that's a possibility?
>> Yeah, I think it should actually is part
[28:20] of our strategic plan, and Chief Deacon
and I meet pretty regularly. We have
[28:24] been for
uh over 2 years, even back uh when uh
[28:29] Chief Burn was here, and looking at
every ambulance service around us, and
[28:35] some of the difficulties that they're
facing, trying to have uh
[28:39] open lines of communication with with
them, with their select boards, you
[28:42] know, and then basically around the
water cooler, uh you know, who's having
[28:47] staffing issues, who's having budgetary
issues, and trying to identify okay,
[28:51] it's kind of a
uh not a game, but a strategic move to
[28:56] say okay, hypothetical situation, this
ambulance department closes tomorrow,
[29:02] what would our reaction be, and how are
we poised to answer that bell.
[29:07] Um
thankfully,
[29:10] you know,
uh
[29:12] most of those things have not come to
total fruition, uh but we do have, you
[29:18] know, the the day of the barbecue up in
Summer, right? Uh
[29:22] Keene got their entire barn. Uh
Fitzwilliam, Troy did not have coverage
[29:27] that day. Winchester did not have that
coverage that day.
[29:31] Um we had a full complement of staffing
that day,
[29:36] uh but that ambulance that was at the
the Summer outing, that was the only
[29:42] ambulance available for the city of
Keene, city of Keene, all their
[29:46] contracts, all of our contracts,
Fitzwilliam, Troy, and Winchester. And
[29:51] we were just with bated breath.
Thankfully, we got through without uh
[29:57] another major issue, cuz that would have
been I mean, we would have probably had
[30:02] uh
you know, Alstead coming down
[30:06] into the area, or uh Jaffrey, Rindge, or
Peterborough needing to be coming over
[30:11] to cover something.
>> Just one more question on the personal
[30:15] level of risk.
I'll be here.
[30:18] Uh
This build here,
[30:21] uh
[30:24] let's look at
10 years from now, 15 years from now.
[30:27] Is this Is this
Are we going to find ourselves in 10
[30:31] years saying that this is
not enough?
[30:36] Just right?
>> The the communication that I've had with
[30:39] Mike and Chris so far, you know, we
don't have the exact plans, but that has
[30:43] been our top priority is to make sure
that this is something that is not only
[30:47] suitable for what we have going on
today, but well, well, well into the
[30:50] future. So,
and I'm going to turn it over to Mike in
[30:54] 2 seconds, but this is a ongoing
conversation. There's two ways we can
[30:59] look at this.
And one and and and it really comes down
[31:03] to cost. We can we can take a look at
what we have currently and try to build
[31:07] off it. Is that
that's case in there? No, it's not. That
[31:12] is a 10 to 15-year look, I would guess
and Mike can Mike can eat me out of it
[31:17] even shorter. But, um but or we build
new, then you're looking out years.
[31:22] So, um
[31:26] uh you know, it's it's going to come
down to numbers, it's going to come down
[31:30] to One of the reasons that I like that
we go after planning grant right now.
[31:36] Well, pays for services, I always like
that, but more importantly
[31:41] is there is rumor
uh from from Go North that they are
[31:47] going to ask for a waiver for the Center
of Medicaid Services
[31:51] to forego right now. Right now, they
will pay they will pay for uh
[31:56] for infrastructure you currently have to
renovate.
[32:02] They're not doing new.
So, we built a foot new foot footprint,
[32:07] that would be considered
our footprint. So, we could actually
[32:11] have the internals built through Go
North.
[32:14] And I know that for a fact because I've
asked both the director,
[32:18] the assistant director Go North, and the
where the money lays in CDFA and the
[32:25] executive director of CDFA. So, they've
all said the same thing. If we build our
[32:30] enlarge our footprint, that becomes our
footprint, and they would pay for the
[32:34] internal workings of it. What they are
now saying is that they're going to look
[32:38] work with the center for Medicaid
services because they're the ones that
[32:41] control this.
What we can and can't do. And see if
[32:45] they can
we get a waiver so that they can build
[32:48] do because what they're hearing out
there there is a lot of people like us
[32:51] that are in this position.
And so
[32:54] at
getting a planning grant allows us that
[32:58] allows us that much more time to look
for us to go in the next round to go
[33:03] after full funding of the project.
Instead of 50% of the project. So
[33:09] that's that's my my thought at this
point.
[33:12] And it's going to come down to whatever
it is. I'm taking time away from you,
[33:15] Michael.
>> Yeah. So,
[33:18] my background is that we do public
safety facilities. Several fire stations
[33:23] and
obviously this facility and
[33:26] and I speak at a national conference for
public safety building design. And the
[33:31] the way that we look at this is that we
like the ambulance facilities they're
[33:34] not that is a 50-year building.
We want to build a 50-year building, but
[33:38] we don't want to build out
for a space for 50 years. So as we plan
[33:43] this site, part of the reason we want to
look at removing that existing admin
[33:47] building and kind of creating a campus
there is that we can plan out to towards
[33:53] 10 to 15 or 20-year growth.
And then where does it go after that and
[33:57] how to plan that site for expansion so
we're not kind of redoing things in the
[34:02] future. The other thing is that when a
building is built, try to make the
[34:06] building as flexible on the interior as
possible so that things can change over
[34:10] time because how we address these needs
can change in 20 years. So we don't want
[34:15] to have to do a major renovation or tear
down at that point. So we're looking in
[34:20] the future and how to address these
things and spend money wisely and be
[34:24] good stewards of taxpayer dollars.
As I had to build these buildings.
[34:29] » And and if you were to do new,
how would that coexist with us
[34:35] being able to do our service?
>> So, we've looked at the site a little
[34:39] bit, and one of the things would be to I
my idea is to One of the issues they
[34:44] have is getting from the administration
building to the ambulances in inclement
[34:48] weather, particularly in the winter,
it's dangerous. So, how would we add on
[34:52] to the ambulance facility and create an
one interior space? So, we would build
[34:57] from the ambulance facility to the
existing facility while it's still in
[35:01] operation.
Get them into that new section, and then
[35:05] tear down and build the rest of the
building. If that's the way we go. But,
[35:09] we've thought through how we get this
thing up and operating. We can't be
[35:13] We're doing this in Walpole now. We tore
down part of the existing station for
[35:17] the new for the new section, and then
they continued to operate out of the
[35:20] base full function out of the fire
station.
[35:23] So, this that is a capital goal of the
sites.
[35:29] I hope that answers your question. Oh.
Oh, Walpole right there.
[35:34] » Okay. So, they're So, they're increasing
their their capacity.
[35:37] » They are.
They're only adding one ambulance. It's
[35:39] just that they did We had They had no
decon. They had no interior space to
[35:44] service their No staff support. Right?
So, that part of what that new set
[35:48] station is is addressing.
They're only adding one ambulance, but
[35:52] it's also how are they staff How are
they servicing their staff?
[35:57] They We've actually got future growth on
the second floor for
[36:01] uh for both of them.
To go into a partial career department.
[36:05] » And is there No, is anybody else
expanding? Do you know?
[36:08] » I'm aware of They're all coming to you
guys. So, we're working Winchester,
[36:11] Hinsdale,
Charlestown.
[36:16] That's it. They're all
>> Um
[36:19] » [clears throat]
>> So,
[36:21] » Yeah, Jim, you're good.
>> And some of the others have already
[36:24] expanded.
>> We have a new station we did in in Palm
[36:28] and they're they don't have they don't
have any plans. So, they have any plans.
[36:33] » That was more than what is nice. Thank
you.
[36:36] » They don't have any more?
>> I toured it.
[36:38] No, they don't.
>> No, they don't. They have no plans.
[36:42] » And we just one thing, can we all just
speak up just a little bit? I want to
[36:45] make sure that it's recorded because
the agency is going to take notes from
[36:49] this.
>> [laughter]
[36:52] » You better turn off the volume.
>> If I may.
[36:58] » The future is unknown basically
as we all know.
[37:02] It would seem
>> [clears throat]
[37:04] » that
going with the what I got short-term 15
[37:09] or 20 years planning at the moment
would be
[37:14] easier than trying to look
further out
[37:19] because there's just too much
too much is changing. Right? We really
[37:25] don't know who else will pick up or what
will happen.
[37:28] So, I think
at the moment I think that just
[37:33] doing what we can with the existing
[clears throat] facility would make more
[37:37] sense to me.
[37:40] » The existing building is
is is the the part that we renovated for
[37:45] staff is done. Right? There's nothing I
can
[37:48] » I'm sorry. I meant I meant the building
building on that property. That's what I
[37:52] That's what I meant. My apologies.
>> Okay.
[37:55] » Yeah, working on that piece of property.
>> Okay. So,
[38:00] I'm envisioning some sort of a
horseshoe. Is that kind of thing?
[38:04] » You need a job because I need to hire
some people. Now, that's worth thinking.
[38:08] » We're looking at a horseshoe right now.
>> Yeah.
[38:10] » So, that we can connect and keep people
inside.
[38:13] » That's right.
[38:16] » So, right now we're just talking about a
planning grant to see what's even
[38:19] possible to do and to flush out that
plan as well.
[38:26] » What What was the question?
>> I said, right now we are just looking at
[38:30] the planning grant.
We see what it is that's possible.
[38:34] » We put in for the planning grant
as it was a time-sensitive,
[38:39] and then that would allow us to actually
get greater details on what we're
[38:44] looking at, and then then we can move
our decisions from that.
[38:48] » Right. So, right now it's just planning,
I started to blueprinting and figuring
[38:53] out all the things that are possible,
and looking at if whatever plan this is
[38:58] has its own limitations.
>> Yeah.
[39:00] » And thinking about how we would address
that later.
[39:03] » But my our my my desire is to walk with
you guys every step of the way, so that
[39:10] when we take our next step, you're going
to hear us again, and it's going to be
[39:13] repetitive on some of the things, but
it's just that I
[39:17] I I think this is of a dire need for the
department.
[39:21] Um, we
[39:23] In a second, I'm going to have Chief
Reed a letter that he received
[39:28] yesterday, an email he received
yesterday.
[39:30] And it really brings home why we do what
we're doing.
[39:35] And
I would have never When we were in the
[39:38] midst of all this, I didn't have I
couldn't think
[39:41] where we were going to land.
>> [clears throat]
[39:44] » I you know, we just built what we needed
to build at the time. Remember, we had 6
[39:49] to 8 months to build a building because
we knew that we were being told that the
[39:55] other other vendor was going to be
closing um in in that period of time,
[40:00] and that we had to be up and running.
So, we did everything, and the reason we
[40:04] couldn't do everything we wanted at the
site is because we were buying
[40:09] ambulances, because we were buying
supplies, stretchers. All the other
[40:13] costs had to be We were are
startup, and our firm money is the only
[40:18] way we've been able to do that. I've had
multiple conversations. I'll be in a
[40:22] conversation and a week from now with
people from Bedford, New Hampshire who
[40:28] are talking about some crisis they're
having over there and they've and
[40:31] they've asked the Dupont group to ask us
to to sit in in that meeting, Chief.
[40:36] You're going to be in on that meeting.
And
[40:38] but we couldn't done this without it,
but it only had it had its limits.
[40:42] And so we could only spend so much at
the end of the day we did what we could.
[40:47] I mean even the kitchen itself was it's
just a and you've been in there it's
[40:51] it's a tiny little thing and it doesn't
really serve the purpose and and it
[40:55] really needs to be industrial and it
needs to be something that where people
[40:59] can gather even easier and uh because
it's it is it is important that they
[41:05] have that culture there. And and then
the office set up with the captains and
[41:10] all that, I think we just need to take a
look at this. So, yeah, we're going to
[41:14] tell you the story along the way the
whole time.
[41:18] And and and just make sure you all are
aware of everything that we're doing.
[41:22] » So, with this planning grant
>> Yes.
[41:25] » and we're looking at 10 to 15 years.
>> Yeah.
[41:28] » Um how much does that increase our
capacity? What we're planning on doing
[41:34] in terms of because you know when I look
at the amount of growth that's happened
[41:41] in such a short period of time and I see
how
[41:46] towns are not able to keep up with their
own needs.
[41:50] That's only going to snowball.
And is this thing that we're putting
[41:54] together for the 10 or 15 years, is it
going to build that capacity
[41:59] for us to hold on for that time period?
Or are we going to fall short with our
[42:04] 10 to 15 year plan on and I know nobody
has a crystal ball, but if you look at
[42:10] how fast things are moving, will this 10
or 15-year plan keep up? Because you
[42:15] didn't expect what happened
when you started to where we are now.
[42:21] And it just means that if that is going
to continue to happen, will whatever
[42:26] we're going into
keep up with that, or are we going to
[42:29] blow through this a lot faster than we
think? Just looking at the towns that
[42:34] you know are going to come online in the
next 5 years because of their own
[42:37] financial or staffing problems.
>> I'm sure Mike can speak better to this,
[42:43] but I I would like to comment. Uh I
think that we were uh
[42:48] I I know we weren't
fully prepared, uh but we had prepared
[42:53] uh considerably for different um
things that may or may not happen in the
[42:59] region.
Uh yes, and I'll let him speak more to
[43:04] the increased uh capacity of the
building.
[43:07] But there is a finite amount of
expansion that that site
[43:13] » Correct.
>> will have to
[43:16] uh
absorb, right? Because certain towns, if
[43:20] they were to come on board, that is not
the geographic location to respond from,
[43:25] right? So at that point, we would have
to start looking at, you know, uh either
[43:30] sub con you know, substations or or
things like that because of geographic
[43:34] region.
My understanding, and I'll let him speak
[43:38] definitely more to it, is that this
would maximize our opportunity that
[43:42] every place that is possible to be
reached from that location, this
[43:47] expansion would allow us to
um
[43:51] be ready to take any and all of that,
including
[43:55] the logistical
um [clears throat] and operational
[43:59] um needs for that location, as well as
any or all
[44:04] » So right now, it's building to the
capacity that that location can reach.
[44:09] » Sure. Yes, that's that's Can I Can I
just add in before my
[44:13] » Yeah, go ahead. You go.
>> Um a few things. One is
[44:18] And and Mike, you can tell me I'm wrong,
uh but
[44:22] we're building for 10 to 20 year growth,
but we're also building building this is
[44:26] a 50 year building.
Okay? Just so you know, we're building
[44:30] something that's going to stand the test
of time. May need to be painted a few
[44:34] times in that period of time or whatever
it is, but the bottom line we're
[44:38] building a building that's going to
stand.
[44:40] And it will allow us also in that period
of time to
[44:44] um sort of like we did with the DOC, we
know if we ever needed it, we have the
[44:49] ability to add another pod up there.
That is our hope at the station down
[44:54] there is that we do what we need to do
with the idea if there is still
[44:58] availability when we're done, we're
going to know what that availability is
[45:02] and how to build on it. So, we will have
>> that room.
[45:05] » Two is I believe that
substations are going to have be
[45:10] occurring naturally.
That over time there these certain towns
[45:15] are going to see, and when they do,
we're going to go in because it makes
[45:19] the sense because of the of the call
numbers to have an ambulance in that in
[45:25] that area.
And that will happen naturally. It
[45:29] happened naturally with Westland because
we needed a place to put an ambulance
[45:33] when we didn't have a facility yet. And
we kept it there and we built out for
[45:37] that so that we had something in that
area right away.
[45:40] Um so, I think there are
two possibilities of naturally happening
[45:47] um over time, and in non-public they'll
be talking about some other things that
[45:51] I can't really talk about right now
because it's negotiations.
[45:54] Um but but the bottom line I see that
this is whatever we decide,
[46:01] the building that we build is for 50
years with the idea that we understand
[46:06] that we're looking at 10 to 20 year
growth.
[46:08] And it could be
in the middle of that it could be 15.
[46:12] But we'll we'll see. So, Mike.
>> We will
[46:17] We will So,
Chief has laid out a certain amount of
[46:20] criteria here. Part of our our planning
process is that we were a very extensive
[46:26] programming discussion with the folks.
Look at
[46:30] based upon this what that translates to
be today.
[46:34] Interpolating into the future.
10 to 20 years. And then even looking
[46:39] beyond that it could be added to this
site without having to do major work to
[46:44] the to the building. So, there is a
process that we go through to look at
[46:48] that. And then this may say this
actually builds out the site or maybe
[46:53] this phase takes it to three quarters
and this is a little bit more that could
[46:57] be added down the road. Then we know
that it's built out and then it goes to
[47:01] substation. So, part of our process is
looking at that with the department to
[47:07] understand how does that translate to
the site? What can we do to maximize it
[47:12] in all in all ways?
We also through this process budget look
[47:17] at budgets and what this does budget
wise. So, maybe that building two-thirds
[47:21] of that site now
takes you to where you want to be budget
[47:24] wise. But we've reserved that that we
show this is how this would be expanded
[47:28] in the future.
Without tearing down half the building
[47:32] to do that.
[47:36] » The idea is that that they're going to
give us both scopes of what we can do.
[47:41] And then
it'll be first and foremost your
[47:45] decision and then we take it on to the
executive committee and the delegation
[47:49] or
because we may have to bond we may not
[47:53] have to.
So,
[47:55] we'll see. So, how much of that
land there
[48:00] can we
put a building on and still have room
[48:05] for parking?
>> So, that's the balance that we do,
[48:07] right? So, kind of provide parking for
staff.
[48:10] The other thing that we have there is
it's a site that's governed by some of
[48:14] the state road.
And and they're they're right about
[48:17] there
how they want this type of vehicle
[48:20] traffic entering into that mix of
traffic. So, we went into that some of
[48:24] that last time. We have that data going
into this. Uh but that site's got some
[48:29] some space on it for building.
Uh it And and it looks like do we want
[48:34] to front it on the road and have all the
parking behind but whatever works in
[48:37] terms of
passing through the site. We definitely
[48:41] need to maintain that in inbound access
and exit onto Wake Street and minimize
[48:47] only entering onto the site from the
state road.
[48:52] I think there's there's but I we did
some preliminary sketches just for
[48:56] discussion.
>> How many acres is it?
[48:58] » I don't recall off the top of my head.
But it's got some fairly lenient
[49:02] setbacks.
Um and the town of Swansea when we went
[49:06] before the planning board last time just
as a courtesy, you know, a wire or two,
[49:10] um it was very lenient on what we could
do there.
[49:19] » What are the questions?
[49:22] » That's where we're at. That's what we're
looking at. Um well, it What we did is
[49:27] if uh
we submitted a opportunity to go after a
[49:32] planning grant. I don't know if there's
more work that we'll have to do. We'll
[49:35] see.
Um and it's like with everything that
[49:38] we've submitted to go north lately, it's
you submit and then they're going to
[49:42] maybe send us uh something more that
they want more questions to answer. And
[49:46] then we see if we get the grant and we
move forward. So, that's where we're at
[49:50] at this point, moving forward. Submitted
last week
[49:54] and we'll go from there.
[49:58] Okay, and we'll keep reporting out. And
I I appreciate you taking the time.
[50:02] » Oh, absolutely.
>> All right, thank you.
[50:05] » Do you want Mark to read that?
>> I would like Mark to read the letter. If
[50:08] uh I just think it's uh
he sent it to me last night. I was out
[50:13] walking
um and I had music on and it it it
[50:17] just about wrecked me. So, go ahead.
>> All right, [clears throat] so I've just
[50:22] got to uh obviously the patient's name
isn't here, so I'm going to redact that.
[50:26] » And the And the issue
the issue probably, too, right? That she
[50:31] suffers from.
>> long as I don't say the name, it's okay.
[50:33] » Okay. All right.
>> Uh so, dear Chief and Deputy Chief, I'm
[50:36] writing to express my sincere gratitude
and appreciation for the two paramedics
[50:39] and EMTs who cared for my and
transported my mother
[50:42] on August 10th,
uh 2026,
[50:46] from Troy to the hospital and later
during her transfer to
[50:49] Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
I would be incredibly grateful if you
[50:53] would pass on the message along to the
three providers who cared for her.
[50:56] I understand the demands of the job and
the importance of professionalism,
[50:59] communication, and compassion in patient
care. Because of that, I want to take
[51:03] the time to recognize these individuals
for the exceptional care they provided
[51:06] to my mother.
My mother has aphasia, which makes
[51:09] communication very difficult for her.
Unfortunately, I have become accustomed
[51:13] to healthcare providers speaking
primarily to me, sometimes as though my
[51:18] mother is not present, even when she is
sitting right in front of them. Your
[51:22] team was completely different. The
paramedic spoke directly to my mother.
[51:26] They asked her for her the questions,
gave her the opportunity and time to
[51:29] respond, and only turned to me for
clarification when she was unable to
[51:33] answer appropriately.
That may sound like a small detail, but
[51:37] it meant so much to both of us. They
recognized that although my mother has
[51:41] difficulty communicating, she is still
an active participant participant in her
[51:46] own care deserves to be treated with
dignity and respect.
[51:49] I also want to specifically recognize
the EMT who stayed with me
[51:53] at my mom's bedside while the paramedics
were receiving a report from the nurse
[51:57] prior to the transfer. She was a She had
the kindest words. It truly I truly
[52:02] appreciated it.
All three of them were exceptional. They
[52:05] were professional, patient, passionate,
and incredibly kind, not only toward my
[52:10] mother but toward me as well. They
demonstrated the kind of patient care
[52:14] centered care that makes a lasting
impression.
[52:17] I cannot emphasize enough how impressed
I was with the care that they provided.
[52:21] They didn't simply transport my mother,
they made her feel seen, heard,
[52:25] respected, and cared for.
As someone who works in EMS myself, I
[52:29] know these things matter tremendously
and I wanted to make sure their efforts
[52:33] did not go unrecognized.
Please pass along my heartfelt thanks
[52:37] and appreciation all three of them. They
represented CCEMS with the highest level
[52:41] of professionalism, compassion, dignity,
and humanity.
[52:44] Uh they are a wonderful reflection of
your organization and excellent example
[52:48] of what EMS providers can be.
I'm incredibly grateful that my mother
[52:53] was in their care and that she was
treated with respect and compassion that
[52:57] every patient deserves. With sincere
gratitude, and then signed.
[53:03] » And this is somebody that actually is an
EMT of some level, I don't know what,
[53:08] and works for
uh somebody another agency.
[53:13] Um and for all of us that have started
from day one, I think that's what it
[53:18] struck struck me last night, maybe I
don't know, but from day one and all
[53:22] that we've gone through to to actually
hear something like that was a powerful
[53:27] powerful statement cuz, you know,
>> Well, it's good training.
[53:32] » Good job.
>> Right.
[53:33] » Thanks.
>> Yeah.
[53:35] » Sorry.
>> But uh if I may,
[53:38] quite a while ago, but I didn't write a
letter, but I I did follow up with
[53:42] rescue of similar feelings.
Appreciate what they did.
[53:48] » I think not only is it incredibly
important that our individuals
[53:52] understand the skills
associated with EMS, you know, such as,
[53:57] you know, starting IVs, things like
that, but that human centered
[54:02] thing is is something we really focus on
and try to make sure that individuals
[54:06] are, you know,
understand that they're being advocated
[54:09] for.
And I [clears throat]
[54:12] I won't say that other places don't
or anything like that. I just think that
[54:17] all of our training has a lot of that
effective um
[54:22] part of it.
[54:26] We have to walk the walk and talk the
talk that we're on, take care of the
[54:29] people, and that the family members, for
example, are
[54:33] in our care, too, you know,
these are very highly emotional,
[54:38] emotionally charged situations
that
[54:41] can
get out of hand if if
[54:44] it's not treated with kindness.
There's a famous saying in EMS that
[54:51] BLS before ALS, right? So, it's you
know,
[54:55] every, you know, medics save patients,
but EMTs save medics.
[55:00] You know, and we take it one step
further where it's yes, BLS before ALS,
[55:04] but human kindness before BLS.
So.
[55:09] » I like to also add though that, you
know, the work that that points out that
[55:13] every call they go on, they need to be
able to deliver that level of care, that
[55:18] humanity, and they've got call after
call after call after call on a shift,
[55:22] and we're getting tired, and you're
getting rushed.
[55:25] You need to be able to go back to
recharge between calls. So, wherever
[55:29] wherever they're going to, the facility
that they have to live in for however
[55:33] many hours in every shift, you You
looking at the at the HR aspect of this,
[55:39] it's about care and health and safety of
the EMTs and firefighters and all public
[55:44] safety. So, that's why that that
facility becomes extremely important in
[55:49] how it how it serves them. And
currently, it really doesn't.
[55:53] It's it's it's been working for a short
time, but it's it's lived its life
[55:58] already.
[56:00] » I think it's simply put, it's
it was the dream from day one
[56:05] be able to ensure that those in our care
get the best quality care possible and
[56:09] are shown the greatest level of care of
respect in that home of need. So, I I I
[56:16] just I don't know what I got me last
night, but it got me, man. I'm like, you
[56:19] you I don't can't say what I said.
>> [laughter]
[56:22] » Oh, I can read that too, if you like.
That's all.
[56:26] » All right, moving on. Thank you very
much.
[56:28] » Yeah, you're welcome.
>> Um
[56:30] » Nice to meet everyone.
[56:34] » I'm going to bounce back, guys. Um
I'm going to bounce back to the agenda
[56:38] and I'm going to give master agenda item
number 137A, second quarter budget
[56:42] review. Cheryl Tremblay is here. Action
expected. Receive informational report
[56:46] on second quarter budget.
Thank you.
[56:54] » Thank you.
[57:00] Oops. Thank you.
[57:08] » [laughter]
[57:11] » So, this will be going before the
executive committee next Monday night
[57:15] about where we stand at as of the um
6-month mark of 2026.
[57:21] And
the combined expenses for the nursing
[57:25] home and the general fund are
approximately um
[57:30] 1,384,000
under um um expenses
[57:36] with the county expending about 49% of
their budget and the nursing home at 46%
[57:42] of their appropriate budgets. And as far
as the revenues for the nursing home in
[57:46] the um general fund, they're under about
688,000 of their projected revenues with
[57:53] the general fund having achieved about
49% and the nursing home at 48%. So, the
[57:58] combined the shortfall are are sorry.
And then where where we look at this is
[58:03] basically our expenses are under our
shortfall of our revenues of about
[58:09] 696,000. So, that's a good thing. Um
and perhaps if you if we continue on
[58:17] that trend come year end, that should
about double. But, things change over
[58:21] the course of the year because
um you know, the first half we only
[58:25] started giving cost of livings as of
April 1st. People start getting
[58:29] increases throughout the year. So, that
could go down. Um but, hopefully we'd be
[58:36] on the mark to about double that. As far
as Cheshire EMS, um they are currently
[58:41] have achieved um as of June 46% of their
revenues um and expenses are at 48%
[58:48] spent. Um currently I'm showing a
deficit on the EMS at about 150,000.
[58:55] And
I you just never know from month to
[58:58] month where their
um call volumes going to come in. Like
[59:02] for instance, the the the month of um
July, which is not part of this, I had
[59:07] about $340,000
of revenues versus some months being
[59:14] low 300. So, you just never know, it
could uptick. We also have other areas
[59:18] that
haven't accounted for because we haven't
[59:21] gotten there yet, such as a contract
with um a the city of Keene to to start
[59:26] bringing some revenues in.
I don't know what Winchester is. So,
[59:30] there are some things that could happen
over the last 6 months that could start
[59:34] narrowing that gap, but as of 6 months,
that's where we're standing at 150,000
[59:38] in the bank.
>> 46%?
[59:40] » I'm sorry, what?
>> Billing
[59:42] receipts.
>> Um no, revenues are at 46% received, but
[59:47] there's multiple
as far as the um
[59:50] the IFTs and the 911s, they they're
right at their mark. We're we're
[59:55] achieving what we need to there, but
there are other components of the
[59:58] billing. We've got the town contracts,
which that's going to come in exactly as
[1:00:03] we budgeted because we knew exactly what
those were. The Cheshire Medical Center
[1:00:08] um I there's no reason why they wouldn't
be paying us come year end. It's these
[1:00:13] other areas such as what we were um
anticipating
[1:00:18] I think happening sooner rather than
later is to start getting these um
[1:00:23] contracts that are reimbursable through
the City of Keene
[1:00:27] and also having deeper conversations
with the towns that we provide back up
[1:00:34] to that are currently only getting
charged for when there is a an intercept
[1:00:39] uh paramedic intercept. So,
those are things that the conversations
[1:00:45] need to be had that we did have a
placeholder
[1:00:48] anticipating money coming in um
so,
[1:00:53] » And we also the towns
only are paying half
[1:00:58] of
their contracts this year because
[1:01:01] » As of
>> of July was when they they they changed
[1:01:04] over.
>> Yeah, July 1st, they'll start paying 100
[1:01:07] they'll go to that 100%. So, we for
2026, we only get half of a year of the
[1:01:12] impact of this now ramped up amount with
the first half of 2026, but that's how
[1:01:18] we budgeted it. It was budgeted knowing
that there was only going to be half.
[1:01:21] So, um you know, that will have an
impact uh a positive impact on the 2027
[1:01:26] budget budgeting being the budget for
the year.
[1:01:29] Um, but
>> It's about $350,000.
[1:01:33] » So, there are some things that are
potentially hopeful over the last 6
[1:01:38] months because I do know that there is a
contract in the hands of the city of
[1:01:42] Keene.
Um, but I haven't yet factored that in.
[1:01:47] Um, so hoping that this will end up
starting to close the gap.
[1:01:52] Um, just areas I These are a lot of
these things are um,
[1:01:56] said over and over and over some of this
just to be able to educate or re-educate
[1:02:01] people why when they get when they look
at these reports
[1:02:05] um,
that I'll be sending to the executive
[1:02:07] committee why some things might be zero
because you know, for instance, the
[1:02:10] municipal reimbursements we don't get
those until December.
[1:02:14] Um, registry of deeds fees or I'm sorry,
I just skipped one. Grant reimbursement
[1:02:18] it's the same way that
the the expenses for the grant
[1:02:24] reimbursements
pretty much mirror the revenues. So,
[1:02:29] when you see revenues falling short,
you're also seeing the expenses falling
[1:02:32] short at the same level. So, it's not
um, a negative impact um, on fund
[1:02:37] balance. It's just the both of the boats
haven't are rising at the same speed.
[1:02:41] Registry of deeds fees, this is always
one that about this time of year they're
[1:02:46] really looking to be off the mark, but I
never know what's going to happen um, as
[1:02:50] we get to year end. Um, we just she had
a phenomenal month in the month of July.
[1:02:57] I mean, the biggest payment to the
Department of Revenue ever over a
[1:03:01] million dollars, which unfortunately
tripped us up last night because
[1:03:05] we didn't have clearance to even make a
transfer of a million and it got
[1:03:09] returned.
What's that?
[1:03:13] It I'll probably that's probably what
did it. So, I actually have Misty
[1:03:17] working on that right now.
Because the payment got returned to us.
[1:03:22] That That's our protections that we
>> [laughter]
[1:03:25] » Um
Connected families, that's another area
[1:03:29] where their revenues and their expenses
are um basically
[1:03:35] coming in their expenses are coming
under, whereas their revenues are also
[1:03:40] coming in under as well. There is much
more room in the program to hire more
[1:03:45] people.
Um and so
[1:03:49] by hiring more people, that would also
produce more revenues for the billing.
[1:03:55] But, I don't know that necessarily the
reason why the the the um the hiring
[1:04:01] or the vacancy, I think the vacancies
are more there because I think the
[1:04:05] caseload
it it would not support hiring more
[1:04:08] people. So, I'm not saying that this has
any bearing on
[1:04:12] um HR not getting people in. This has
more to do with that we've kind of put a
[1:04:17] halt on filling those vacancies until we
can see that the state has more cases
[1:04:23] that they're going to actually pay us
for the services that they provide.
[1:04:27] » Yeah, we've had conversations
with Dennis in that
[1:04:31] there's an expectation that they get
every staff up to eight cases per
[1:04:36] individual.
And um
[1:04:39] on some situations they can hire, but um
it's rude and so until that happens
[1:04:46] we're really just saying
>> You got a halt.
[1:04:49] » You got to You just got to do work with
what you got. Get those people that are
[1:04:53] new up to speed so they can get standing
in play.
[1:04:57] And um if somebody leaves and you can
replace that person, but otherwise we're
[1:05:02] we're just looking at holding it tight.
Um I mean, they're they're looking good
[1:05:05] for the end of the year, but still we're
we're just having them do that and at
[1:05:09] the same time working with the state
because the it's the
[1:05:13] it's it's multi-layered.
School's not in session.
[1:05:18] School's one of the biggest referrals.
So,
[1:05:22] it's you know
goes right here, but even when they do
[1:05:25] come in, the state turning around like
we can turn around and go visit a family
[1:05:31] and get every all the paperwork into the
state, it's now up to the state then to
[1:05:34] turn around and send the case loads out.
>> They are
[1:05:37] » that's where the hiccup is a little bit.
It's better than it was.
[1:05:41] » And they're also looking at some more
potential funding that they're going
[1:05:44] after that could
it would be temporary though, so it
[1:05:49] wouldn't be like long-term, but there is
a population of um
[1:05:56] people that they take care of that are
called under um uninsured. And so this
[1:06:00] these uninsured people essentially are
how we get reimbursed through the state
[1:06:06] contract. Well, the state contract has
been at 1 million 150 per many, many
[1:06:11] years. And so therefore, they're trying
to get some other funding and it might
[1:06:16] be through these older
>> It's rural it's rural it's rural it's
[1:06:18] rural health.
>> that would allow for them to start
[1:06:21] giving us more money.
Um and so
[1:06:24] that would be wonderful, but it is not
permanent. It is um but we'll take it
[1:06:29] while we can get it. So, we'll we'll let
you know when that comes to fruition.
[1:06:32] » And and I know that Genesis and the
other company that that does this
[1:06:36] there's only two in the state of New
Hampshire that are doing this.
[1:06:38] Uh and uh they are our working with the
state to have them understand
[1:06:44] that the level of intake that we do
should be enough for them to move
[1:06:49] forward quicker and not have to repeat
everything that we've done
[1:06:54] through their intake.
So, it is a conversation that's going
[1:06:58] on.
We'll see how it works. You know, it is
[1:07:01] the state of New Hampshire, so sometimes
it gets a little bogged down. Uh but we
[1:07:05] love you.
Um but so that's where we're at.
[1:07:09] » Um the miscellaneous revenue I'm just
noting here because the miscellaneous
[1:07:13] revenue shows a huge credit and that is
because of that is cheap money.
[1:07:18] That
basically we got 476,000 more than we
[1:07:22] ever would have expected in that area.
That will be going pre before the
[1:07:28] executive committee based on your
discussion a couple weeks ago that we
[1:07:34] will hopefully have it allowed to go
into
[1:07:37] fund balance so that we can consider
using in future budget years if
[1:07:41] necessary to help offset taxes to be
raised.
[1:07:44] So, that um
is the explanation and also so the
[1:07:50] executive committee understands where
this unexpected money came from.
[1:07:54] The DHH's additional credit this is
something we got last year for the first
[1:07:59] year it came in in 2025 and it will
continue on to 2028. We did budget for
[1:08:03] it but currently the budget the the line
items at zero. We did receive it in July
[1:08:09] so the next time around that will no
longer be at zero. These are those
[1:08:13] monies that
the counties
[1:08:16] worked hard to
to convince the state that during the
[1:08:23] COVID years when the state received more
money from the federal government
[1:08:29] that was specifically
to increase the feds portion towards the
[1:08:36] Medicaid
contribution for residents in nursing
[1:08:40] homes and home and base community care
which we pay 50% and the feds pay 50%
[1:08:47] but by the feds increasing their
percentage it should have decreased the
[1:08:53] county's percentage and the state did
not do that. They
[1:08:58] they kept the money for themselves. So,
after a great amount of persistence and
[1:09:04] convincing, the state finally realized
that they were not right in keeping the
[1:09:09] money.
Um although I think it was going to bust
[1:09:12] the bank if they gave it all at once.
So, there was an agreement that they
[1:09:16] would divvy it out over a course of 4
years and our share is this 334,000
[1:09:22] per year.
Um and that's just again more or less in
[1:09:25] education because this will go away as
well in 2028. Um up to 2028. Um then
[1:09:32] again just explaining why fund balances
at zero, special revenue capital reserve
[1:09:36] funds are at zero.
Um and then as far as the general county
[1:09:39] again the commissioner's budget um is
slightly over budget with 45% remaining
[1:09:45] and that's mainly because of the travel
line but I think
[1:09:49] » It's two things.
>> that should um
[1:09:51] wind down pretty well. I mean unless
you've already paid for NJCAA annual
[1:09:56] conference.
>> Yeah, we already have.
[1:09:58] » Okay. So.
>> Yeah, two things. One is the 300 that
[1:10:01] you were just talking about that was the
nursing home, right?
[1:10:03] » That was No, the 300,000
No, that's a different thing. I can talk
[1:10:09] to that but it's not something that is
evident. So, each year the
[1:10:16] um
each year
[1:10:19] if the state did not expend
all the money
[1:10:25] out of their account
[1:10:30] to pay nursing homes throughout the
state
[1:10:33] for their Medicaid rate reimbursement,
they do a distribution to all nursing
[1:10:38] homes.
And um
[1:10:41] we haven't gotten one in many years
because the state
[1:10:45] have hit the cap statewide and there was
no extra money in this 504 account. So,
[1:10:51] they call it some some specific account.
This year they had excess money. And so,
[1:10:57] what it actually what it means is the
rates that they assign to all the
[1:11:00] nursing homes,
[1:11:03] they they they could have gone higher
and divvied it out with the the daily
[1:11:07] rate, but because
um
[1:11:10] they set the daily rates and the census
must have come in lower, they had excess
[1:11:15] money, and so they have to then
divvy it out to all the nursing homes,
[1:11:18] and we received um
I think it was like 223,000
[1:11:23] or whatever as a one-time payment. It's
not in here because the nursing home
[1:11:28] revenues are already short. So, it's we
don't have to amend the budget. It's
[1:11:32] just it's helping us to meet or get
closer to the budget projections, but it
[1:11:37] was a the one-time payout that
um
[1:11:41] we get
periodically, and we actually have not
[1:11:44] This is the first time in several years
that we've got a payout from this that
[1:11:48] line item. So, we
Um as far as the expenses back on the
[1:11:53] expenses, uh the medical examiner, that
hasn't come up in a while, but that's
[1:11:57] it's not major money, but just to point
out that this line item or this budget
[1:12:01] area is
oh it's at 37% remaining, and this is a
[1:12:06] statutory requirement that the counties,
through the county attorney's office, is
[1:12:11] responsible to pay the medical examiners
for untimely deaths. So, it's really one
[1:12:15] of those un
you know, you don't know what it's going
[1:12:18] to be, but we have to pay it. We get the
bill.
[1:12:21] Um
human services, that will come back in
[1:12:24] line. Uh
there is a particular
[1:12:28] one-time credit that we get um in
July, but that's with it being um
[1:12:35] a bit
over budget as of June, one might think
[1:12:39] that could be a big dollar amount, but
it's not that big. It comes back in
[1:12:42] line.
And
[1:12:45] as far as the nursing home the nursing
home, we are currently at a census of
[1:12:51] 115 with a budget of 120. As Chris
mentioned, um they are working to open
[1:12:58] more beds with a hopeful clinical to get
what?
[1:13:02] » Uh 124.
>> 124.
[1:13:04] » Which is one person below where it was
before COVID.
[1:13:08] » We're actively moving residents
>> Yeah.
[1:13:11] » Um which will open beds on two and four.
So we can start
[1:13:15] » And it
>> And we just hired or we just internally
[1:13:18] promoted one of our um nursing
supervisors to that unit um manager
[1:13:25] position that has been vacated for a
long time because it wasn't needed. So I
[1:13:30] think that's going to be hopefully a
good thing cuz there are a lot of people
[1:13:33] knocking on the door trying to get in
and calling Chris asking me, you know,
[1:13:37] is there anything we can do to
[1:13:41] » Yeah.
>> Last I knew.
[1:13:45] » About that.
>> Yeah.
[1:13:47] » I mean it it it it it just we're we're
we've worked
[1:13:51] all of us and I look at Kim
on a lot of this, too. We've worked
[1:13:56] extremely hard
to get staffing
[1:14:00] back to where it is. I don't I believe
one of the things that people are
[1:14:05] finding is we're consistent about how we
go about our business. We offer a
[1:14:10] competitive salary. We offer other
things that people And so, you know, we
[1:14:16] were at one point down to 427 for
staffing or they're about.
[1:14:21] We're now 499.
>> We're at a point where we are in a scary
[1:14:26] situation cuz as you know, we are trying
to get live on a new payroll system that
[1:14:31] we are so close, but there's just
hiccups that keep happening that we're
[1:14:36] not willing to allow it to go live until
they get these things fixed. But the
[1:14:41] problem is is the old system that is end
of life.
[1:14:45] We've run out of licenses.
So, we're having to get creative and we
[1:14:50] have not hit that I mean, we have to
sometimes here and there but we have to
[1:14:56] manage it like because we just have a
lot of agency people. But now we are at
[1:15:00] the point where we are
we're having to get really creative
[1:15:05] potentially.
Um so, it's it's a good problem to have.
[1:15:09] We have not been here in a long time
with
[1:15:12] having the number of actual full-time
staff employees in the as we are now.
[1:15:21] Yep. Yep.
>> Which is So, so we go years
[1:15:26] years.
And so all of a sudden and you would you
[1:15:29] think about adding through the visa or
people RNs coming back to us locally and
[1:15:36] with with on the horizon a third visa
nurse. The other two nurses are doing
[1:15:40] well. Um
Yeah, we're just trying to tackle it in
[1:15:45] so many different ways and then slowly
but surely is going to start showing
[1:15:50] that we can get to 124. Maybe we can get
at some point down to 130. And when I
[1:15:56] first came through the door, we were at
133. That's the highest I remember being
[1:16:00] maybe 136. You guys might
>> I remember 148.
[1:16:04] » Yeah. So, so you know, but we're we're
slowly getting there and so I have to
[1:16:10] thank everybody that's involved
especially Catherine and her staff
[1:16:13] because it's so important like you said,
we are getting calls or emails all the
[1:16:19] time about, you know, my my father is is
there anything it's like it's you know,
[1:16:25] you just got to go through the process
and hope that that they can get you in
[1:16:28] sooner than later.
[1:16:33] » I Isn't it county-wide about 120 people
turnover?
[1:16:38] If I don't know what area that was come
from.
[1:16:40] » Um well, simply I mean, simply because
Maplewood is 50% of our
[1:16:45] » Yeah.
>> um, overall staff. The the turnover
[1:16:48] there's higher, but we're under the
patients.
[1:16:50] » patients
>> Oh, patients.
[1:16:51] » Oh, residents. Oh, okay.
[1:17:03] » I don't really want to just, you know,
there if they're if they're only it's
[1:17:07] yeah, I don't want to
>> I actually have that information, but
[1:17:13] » So, she'll look at look that up. Is
there anything else while you're looking
[1:17:16] at up? Is there anything else you want
to add in?
[1:17:18] » I really don't. I mean, I there the
nursing home expenses are coming in far
[1:17:22] under what their revenues are falling
short. So, they're um, they're in good
[1:17:27] shape. I mean, Catherine really watches
her expenses
[1:17:32] um, as it
pertains to her revenues and
[1:17:36] holds off on things if necessary or
really kind of looks at the staff and so
[1:17:40] that um, if they're not able to achieve
the the revenues because of the level of
[1:17:47] um,
census that they can maintain, then she
[1:17:52] uh, holds off on
filling positions. Um, but because well,
[1:17:58] not holds off.
Ideally, she wants them coming through
[1:18:01] the door, but as she could has a health
home door, that's how she's releasing
[1:18:06] the um,
and her staff take on more beds. So,
[1:18:09] » that's that's a a good thing. We have
been saying this.
[1:18:13] » Well, we got it in 2024, she opened 10
beds.
[1:18:16] » Yeah.
>> And now we're opening
[1:18:18] another 15 to
I think she kind of inched up to 15 and
[1:18:23] then now she's going to
>> Yeah.
[1:18:26] » 24
>> So, we're getting there slowly.
[1:18:29] Um,
and we're doing it the right way. We're
[1:18:31] not We're not pushing a side care.
So, that's important. Uh, the only thing
[1:18:36] I'll throw out in the all this report is
remind you that I don't understand
[1:18:43] what in the big beautiful bill or the
triple B as I call it, uh,
[1:18:50] there was cuts to Medicaid
at some levels.
[1:18:54] But it was after the midterm elections
that they're that we're going to be
[1:18:58] looking at. And I don't know what that
means yet or we're going to be watching
[1:19:02] to see what it means. I've asked
actually Katie at the DuPont Group, Kate
[1:19:06] Organ, to see if there's, you know,
people that can talk to us about what we
[1:19:12] should be looking for, what it could
mean to us because
[1:19:15] uh, I'm still not I I I've looked at it
and I I don't want to panic or I don't
[1:19:21] want to be chicken little
um, if I don't know if it's real.
[1:19:27] So, you know, some people say this, some
people say that. I don't go on those uh,
[1:19:31] on that level. I really want to research
and get more facts into it then we can
[1:19:36] prepare ourselves as best we can what
that could mean to us.
[1:19:39] » Is there is there some sort of
summary executive summary kind
[1:19:43] » There is. There is and that's what we've
asked we've asked for something more
[1:19:46] than that, you know, a little bit more
in-depth. And maybe Nate Nate could
[1:19:50] somehow, you know, give us something
from their perspective.
[1:19:55] So, we'll see.
>> I do have a question. Has anybody from
[1:19:58] the executive committee or the
delegation um, brought forward requests
[1:20:05] to uh, change or add anything to the
budget? Would you tell us what it is?
[1:20:11] » It's on my thing, but I'll do it now.
Um, so the only
[1:20:17] the the two there's two things that I'm
aware of.
[1:20:21] Um, I have a meeting at 2:30 today about
one of those things.
[1:20:26] But um, one of them is they're concerned
for cost of food and cost of
[1:20:33] um
of gas for what um
[1:20:39] It's right here. It's a community
kitchen. So, they're looking at adding
[1:20:42] $20,000
to the community kitchen.
[1:20:46] Um
the
[1:20:49] I've asked Barb Weisman
to be there for both meetings so she can
[1:20:54] answer any questions if they're going to
bring it up. Um but, you know, mobile
[1:20:59] pantry expansion, you know, that's been
going on
[1:21:02] uh
in Gilsum, Richmond, Fitzwilliam, and
[1:21:04] Winchester once a month for 4 months of
a year. It's now turned into um a
[1:21:10] situation where Gilsum, Richmond, and
Fitzwilliam they have strengthened their
[1:21:14] infrastructure to each community to
establish
[1:21:17] uh King Community Kitchen pantry in each
town to help the towns because they were
[1:21:22] aging out. They didn't have the
facilities.
[1:21:25] Uh these satellite pantries can now
offer food distribution monthly
[1:21:28] year-round. This expansion provides much
greater food storage building consisting
[1:21:32] food areas for residents.
Um the trucking and regional food
[1:21:36] distribution
and
[1:21:38] at the end of the year last year they
bought a truck. That truck now goes
[1:21:42] weekly multiple times to the pantry to
receive free food from the New Hampshire
[1:21:46] Food Bank. Um they hired a full-time
driver to do that and and which now
[1:21:51] makes daily trips to the food bank in
Manchester. Year-to-date we delivered
[1:21:55] more than 90 tons of food to 12 agencies
throughout the region including Jaffrey,
[1:21:59] Dublin, Troy, Chesterfield, Marlborough,
Keene, Gilsum, Richmond, and
[1:22:03] Fitzwilliam.
The mobile pantry bus, they purchased a
[1:22:06] mobile pantry bus which will be here on
Monday. It's really cool
[1:22:11] um because now they have it so that
it's new to them. It's not new new. It's
[1:22:17] new to them. It was a food truck of some
sort that would go to festivals that was
[1:22:21] online and they thought this was much
better for people and they could put the
[1:22:25] food, bring it down, you'll see
everything because they're going to
[1:22:28] be giving us the dinner on Monday.
Um, roast beef sandwiches, you know,
[1:22:33] turkey,
um,
[1:22:35] potato salad, all that stuff.
So, um,
[1:22:38] it allows the this pantry bus allows
them to be more nimble and existing food
[1:22:44] and
two existing food access infrastructure.
[1:22:48] Um,
[1:22:51] let's see.
And then she's broken down, you know,
[1:22:55] how much pounds per town they've given
out to
[1:22:59] and the cost and all that. So, I'll let
her talk about that, but that's the one
[1:23:03] and we I reached out to Anne Fetty,
uh, who's the deputy attorney general,
[1:23:10] to see if uh, I was right in my thinking
and uh, feeling at this point we have
[1:23:16] that he came came back and said if it's
within the RSA, blah, blah, blah. We
[1:23:19] reviewed the RSA. We did AI to see if
the if we were right in our thinking
[1:23:25] and it came back that we could actually
use opioid funding if we chose to and
[1:23:29] not and and because who are they
serving?
[1:23:32] » Which funding? Opioid
>> Opioid
[1:23:34] » Opioid funding if we chose to because
who are they who is some of the biggest
[1:23:38] audience that they're doing we choose
to.
[1:23:40] Um,
if but that's up to the delegation if
[1:23:44] they choose to.
Uh, that's one I'm hearing and then the
[1:23:47] other one is
um,
[1:23:51] restorative justice
and they there's
[1:23:55] If you look at the minutes, the minutes
say in it that then August they would
[1:23:59] take a look at where things stand.
In the meantime, if you remember, they
[1:24:03] asked me to work with Patrick to take a
look at what grants are out there. We
[1:24:06] did that.
We looked at grants and there weren't
[1:24:10] really any grants that administratively
would pay for that what needed to be
[1:24:14] paid for. It was that he would could
take on more responsibility and within a
[1:24:18] a new grant to create something new
and that would help pay a period of
[1:24:23] time, that doesn't make sense to me.
And so we went we will move forward with
[1:24:29] knowing that um
if he couldn't somehow or find some
[1:24:32] money that it was going to stop in
December 31st because that's what the
[1:24:37] delegation had said.
If you remember too,
[1:24:40] um in May
uh he came to me and said that his
[1:24:44] family, he and his wife who she's a
doctor, has been in the doctor in the
[1:24:48] region for years,
um they're formerly from Canada. Had
[1:24:52] they chosen and they have children back
up in Canada. They chosen to move back
[1:24:56] to Canada, which they had planned to do
anyways.
[1:24:59] Um so at that point and his last day was
June 26th. If you remember we had a
[1:25:04] a thing here for him.
And
[1:25:07] so
I went came to you all and said it
[1:25:11] doesn't make a lot of sense because
he's remember he
[1:25:16] last day technically full-time was the
26th. He had four cases that he's still
[1:25:22] finishing up that he's working
minimal hours but he's working on
[1:25:26] closing up those cases.
For me to think that I could put a thing
[1:25:31] out saying I want to hire somebody
by September so that they can work
[1:25:36] September, October, November, December
and you agreed with me at that time that
[1:25:41] it did make a lot of sense
even though I did have an application
[1:25:45] um from somebody who works full-time
didn't doesn't understand the the the
[1:25:51] setting of what we were working with at
the time.
[1:25:54] And um
but she works full-time over in
[1:25:58] Brattleboro Retreat.
So she would come leave that position to
[1:26:02] come over here for 4 months cuz that's
what we have.
[1:26:05] So that's the discussion is that they're
they're wanting it to go through the
[1:26:10] They want to reconsider it so that they
can put it back in so we can go through
[1:26:14] the budget process and if it passes the
budget process then for another year,
[1:26:19] but if it doesn't it doesn't and and it
would stop in March of next year. Or
[1:26:25] April 1 of of next year.
>> There'll be a motion that if if the
[1:26:30] executive committee
agrees because of course it's got to be
[1:26:35] a
majority of them.
[1:26:37] It would be a motion to recommend that
delegation reinstate the budget funding
[1:26:41] in the 2027 budget for the restorative
justice program.
[1:26:45] So that it will allow for the program to
continue past December 31st and be
[1:26:50] revisited for approval March 2027.
Because right now the way that they the
[1:26:55] the motion came out of the March of 2026
there's no permission to even create a
[1:27:03] budget for restorative justice
out of the department or the county or
[1:27:08] the budget. It's
it's um
[1:27:12] it's it's no funding after after
December. So this would
[1:27:17] allow for it at least get considered
again
[1:27:21] in the 2027.
>> And I'm expected I'm going to make it
[1:27:24] very clear that it was my decision
come to you and you agreed with my
[1:27:29] decision and I'm expected to get spanked
by some on the delegation side on Monday
[1:27:35] because it you know they're thinking
that we're stopping a program which do
[1:27:39] we technically have the authority to
stop. My thing is is reality is is
[1:27:44] I just felt like
why go through the process of hiring
[1:27:48] somebody when you made the decision in
the first place? So if I'm wrong then
[1:27:53] I'll get on it right away and I'll go
through the process, but
[1:27:57] » I don't So I don't I don't know I think
once the money's been appropriated
[1:28:01] commissioners then have the decision to
spend it. So
[1:28:05] » I mean but do they have it? Do they have
The argument's going to be do they
[1:28:09] technically have the power to end a
program.
[1:28:12] » The The Patrick ended the program. It's
I mean
[1:28:16] so
>> Well,
[1:28:18] I just We You're talking to somebody
that made it.
[1:28:21] » We just have a vacancy.
>> Yeah.
[1:28:23] » So,
>> Now, we're choosing to
[1:28:25] fill. Now, we're not choosing to fill.
>> Yeah. [clears throat] We got a vacancy.
[1:28:29] » Yeah.
Yeah.
[1:28:30] » Until, you know, we
get direction on whether or not
[1:28:35] we're going to be able to hire a
full-time employee. Cuz it's not
[1:28:39] reasonable to think that we're going to
be able to hire a full-time employee for
[1:28:43] months.
It's just not reasonable.
[1:28:45] » Yeah. So, So, that's going to be my I
think that's great wording is vacancy.
[1:28:49] Because But But the bottom line is is
that
[1:28:53] it it is what it is. Uh Paul's going to
come in and meet with me today.
[1:28:57] And so,
>> So, let me back up a minute.
[1:29:01] » Yeah.
>> How many cases
[1:29:04] went through restorative justice last
year?
[1:29:08] Did you say seven?
>> This year? This year?
[1:29:12] » 2026. How many
seven? So, for nearly $100,000,
[1:29:18] we did seven
cases?
[1:29:21] » Well,
>> That's a yes or no question. Then you
[1:29:24] can follow up.
>> Now, I feel like I'm ON CAPITOL HILL.
[1:29:28] » [laughter]
[1:29:32] » YES. YES, YOU'RE YOU ARE correct in that
when it comes to restorative justice,
[1:29:36] legally, you are correct 100%. Now,
I would argue that it's the program's
[1:29:42] been bigger than that. Patrick's been
doing a lot more work in a lot of other
[1:29:45] areas besides that. But there are a lot
of people that are stuck on this. 100%
[1:29:49] you're correct. We would probably would
have been closer to
[1:29:53] If we stopped referrals, I know Chris
has has come to me since he took on the
[1:29:57] prosecuting role for the city of Keene
with five cases that he probably could
[1:30:02] have sent down to us. So, that Let's
just say 12. So, again, is 12 to 16, you
[1:30:09] know, a year worth $100,000? That is
going to be the question, too.
[1:30:14] » Well, the other question is is they want
$20,000
[1:30:19] for the food pantry, which serves how
many people?
[1:30:24] versus seven for $100,000.
That when I look at taxpayer money and
[1:30:30] the benefit,
right? Um do you serve more people
[1:30:34] through the food pantry or seven people
for $100,000?
[1:30:38] » people. I think
Excuse me, but you're wrong. It's not
[1:30:42] seven people. It's It's How many How
many students in Keene High School are
[1:30:46] going to detention?
How many students, you know, how many
[1:30:49] how many people in the neighborhood are
fighting
[1:30:53] » How? That's a different pot of money.
>> No, it's not the same It's the same
[1:30:56] » same pot of money that Patrick works on.
That's
[1:31:00] » Yeah.
>> So,
[1:31:01] » That That position was expanded to
$100,000.
[1:31:03] » Let's think about I'm looking at this
from You look at the money for the food
[1:31:07] pantry versus restorative justice and
the impact.
[1:31:12] That's what I'm looking at. That that
massive amount of money
[1:31:16] and you're saying that the food pantry
needs all this money because they
[1:31:21] increase families' hunger issue.
And it can be solved with $20,000,
[1:31:27] but we're going to use $100,000 for this
other thing.
[1:31:31] Taxpayer money doesn't make a lot of
sense to me.
[1:31:35] » But the argument's going to be not with
us.
[1:31:37] » I understand that.
>> You're doing just I just think because
[1:31:41] » I understand that, but
>> I said you.
[1:31:44] » [laughter]
[1:31:46] » All right.
>> THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING IT.
[1:31:48] EXACTLY, BECAUSE this is, you know, if
the commissioners
[1:31:53] and you make a decision about a
particular project
[1:31:57] using taxpayers' dollars and we're
supposed to be good stewards of the
[1:32:01] money that I have to look at the value
added for $20,000
[1:32:06] helping X number of families and X
number of communities versus
[1:32:12] this other $100,000.
>> I think it's simpler than that. I look
[1:32:16] at it as the body as a whole that makes
the decision around financial for the
[1:32:21] county made a decision that as of
December 31st this program no longer
[1:32:26] would exist.
Based on that knowledge and based on not
[1:32:31] having any other knowledge but that in
May and June I made a decision and came
[1:32:35] to you to say I don't believe that once
he is officially finished with
[1:32:42] everything he needs to do that
I would would make sense for me to
[1:32:46] expend energy on and having people come
in and telling them yeah this job is
[1:32:51] only for 4 months.
It it just doesn't make a lot of sense
[1:32:55] to me so that's why I didn't vote.
>> I also think that I know you we've got I
[1:33:00] also feel like the
the the heart of the motion when it was
[1:33:05] made was because they knew that they
were dealing with an individual and
[1:33:09] rather than on March 17th or whenever we
passed that budget
[1:33:14] saying we're ending this program April
1st we're cutting the funding out and
[1:33:19] therefore you're going to have you know
this really and that that it was
[1:33:24] to be able to provide time for a person
doing the program to know well in
[1:33:30] advance that the program was over as of
January 31st and that it was to get the
[1:33:35] cases closed out and figure out what is
going to happen next. I think because
[1:33:39] they didn't want to be there again next
year cutting it out so that's what I
[1:33:44] think the heart of the
>> initially there was there was there was
[1:33:47] a push to cut the program.
And I know exactly who was pushing that.
[1:33:53] I think that then there was another
person John who came in and said, "No,
[1:33:58] no, no. Let's just make sure this
person's aware that as of December the
[1:34:03] my motion would be that December 31st
that that this that this program would
[1:34:07] no longer exist."
That's what I remember in the
[1:34:10] conversation. And that's what I based
every all my information and and and my
[1:34:16] decision-making on that. It was that,
and that's when I came to you all when
[1:34:20] Patrick I made you aware
[1:34:25] » I I agree with Carrie.
[1:34:28] We did what we did. It made sense any
anybody running a business would do the
[1:34:33] same thing. Why why advertise for the
for the job?
[1:34:38] » [snorts]
>> But it isn't just
[1:34:39] » to go from there.
>> But it isn't just about advertising for
[1:34:43] the job.
It's
[1:34:46] getting rid of the program.
>> Yeah, that's what I'm
[1:34:48] » That's the piece that I'm focusing on.
>> I I felt like I was finishing the
[1:34:52] program when I when you guys gave me the
already not to move forward and bringing
[1:34:56] somebody else on that the program as a
whole was stopped
[1:35:01] officially when when Patrick finished up
his last cases.
[1:35:06] » As set by the delegation, basically.
>> Correct.
[1:35:10] » Right.
>> They agreed to stop
[1:35:11] » So
any pushback
[1:35:13] any pushback is what it is.
But we made in my mind
[1:35:19] it it was you had the final decision,
yes, but it was my my thought that it
[1:35:25] just administratively made didn't make a
lot of sense to me that we move forward
[1:35:29] in filling that position for a period of
time that the delegation set.
[1:35:33] » Right, because the program was going to
be out of business as of December 31st,
[1:35:38] period. Not on hold.
>> Did you get any pressure to fill the
[1:35:43] position?
>> I think there may be comments on Monday
[1:35:49] that say that that they that we that we
and I'm going to make it very clear.
[1:35:53] It's not we, it's me.
I made the initial push. You had the
[1:35:58] ultimate decision, but it was my
bringing to you that I didn't see
[1:36:03] that it made any sense because they made
the decision.
[1:36:06] » [clears throat]
>> And I think the body as a whole will see
[1:36:08] that and I just think I just wanted to
just tell you.
[1:36:11] I just want to say
I think you're about ready for Capital
[1:36:15] Hill based on you ran there
for the yes or no answer.
[1:36:24] » That was a five-minute yes or no.
[1:36:28] » That's why first make it
>> But I got it in.
[1:36:32] THE ONLY THING
[1:36:35] » WHAT YOU DIDN'T recommend is you I
believe neglected to thank her for the
[1:36:39] question.
>> [laughter]
[1:36:42] » Happy advice of counsel.
[1:36:46] » But I
I do think that that
[1:36:49] » Well, with the community kitchen and the
added money is appropriate with all the
[1:36:53] work that they're doing. I think Barb
and her team over there are sensational.
[1:36:58] It's It's they're
Yeah, they're making every penny count
[1:37:03] over there and they're doing what they
can to bring it to the communities and
[1:37:06] that's what we wanted from them. I
believe in the next three years you're
[1:37:09] going to see them have a distribution
center over here that
[1:37:14] you know, and I think that they'll be an
example. They'll be a test pilot for the
[1:37:18] rest of the state and that it will be a
good thing because what they're doing
[1:37:21] right now is they're getting pantries
more food than they've ever had before
[1:37:25] to get out to families and I think
that's a good thing.
[1:37:28] » What about gas for?
Sheriff, EMS,
[1:37:33] and EOC.
>> Yeah, did we work on a contract for
[1:37:37] that?
>> Do we have enough money?
[1:37:40] » So
>> to to go through
[1:37:42] » You're just killing me. You're killing
me.
[1:37:44] » Are we working
>> Thank you for the question.
[1:37:46] » [laughter]
>> So,
[1:37:48] um
you know, since you know, we we've
[1:37:51] looked at it and
if you look since February, and I want
[1:37:55] to thank uh Cheryl and her team. I want
to thank Davis and everybody that had uh
[1:38:00] helped make this start pulling this
together cuz it's not an easy task, and
[1:38:03] I think Linda was
was one of the individuals who really
[1:38:06] worked down in the finance office to
make this happen.
[1:38:09] We've seen since February
um
[1:38:13] that unleaded fuel has
been up by a uh plus 47%.
[1:38:21] And diesel's up by 28%.
So, the blended average between the two
[1:38:27] is about a 36% average increase. You
need to remember uh that we do have a
[1:38:33] WEX fuel card. It's a 15 cent savings
on every gallon
[1:38:39] that we got.
Um
[1:38:43] Um see.
So, if you look at it uh in February, we
[1:38:49] were at we were at uh gasoline $2.88.
And uh diesel we're $4.09.
[1:38:58] In March, we were at $3.58.
And uh diesel was $4.95. In April, we're
[1:39:06] at $4.07.
Um and uh for uh $4.07 for gasoline and
[1:39:13] $5.96
for
[1:39:15] for diesel.
We were um in May
[1:39:19] uh $4.47
[1:39:23] uh for gasoline and
$5.90
[1:39:28] for diesel. And then in June, we're at
$5.26
[1:39:34] and $4.23.
So, you can do which is which by then.
[1:39:39] Um
The Sheriff's Department
[1:39:43] and you know, we're seeing that the
uptick there and their road road shifts
[1:39:48] that they're doing uh covering the
county around the clock. Uh ambulances,
[1:39:53] it's obvious that we are I think last
month alone we averaged all ambulances
[1:39:59] combined 26,000 mi.
Uh
[1:40:03] and if you look at the gasoline within
that, you know, we're we're up there. Um
[1:40:09] Maple Manor nursing home transportation
and DOC, uh although although we do get
[1:40:16] uh reimbursement from our transports
we're still utilizing, you know, it's
[1:40:21] out pacing it's going to outpace the
pricing of price of gas is going to
[1:40:24] outpace our cost.
>> Do we have
[1:40:29] » So that's not that didn't answer my
question.
[1:40:31] Do we have enough money in our budget to
last the end of the year to absorb those
[1:40:36] increases?
>> Well
[1:40:38] » Overall
>> they asked the delegation.
[1:40:42] » We will find other areas of the budget
to cover it.
[1:40:45] » You just you just heard her say 1.3
million
[1:40:48] uh is where we're where we are currently
and for the end of the year.
[1:40:53] And this is going to eat into those
monies that we then apply for next year.
[1:41:00] » And what about the increases food costs?
>> Same thing. It's going to eat into
[1:41:05] » We have We're not going to have to ask
>> No, we're not going to ask for We're
[1:41:09] we're going to We have access money that
we can utilize, but it's going to leave
[1:41:13] us less when we look at next year's
budget.
[1:41:16] » Do we know how many gallons per used all
total for gas and diesel separately?
[1:41:24] » I can get that in
>> Because the thing is
[1:41:28] » I know.
>> Yeah, well that's going to be going
[1:41:29] forward.
>> But here's the thing. If if we're not
[1:41:32] negotiating with the company based on
the number of gallons and I come back to
[1:41:38] Irving, which is everywhere, because
you're saying that with the WEX card, we
[1:41:42] get a 15%
and with Irving, they already give a 10
[1:41:48] cent discount to just the average
citizen. So, why aren't we trying to
[1:41:52] negotiate for diesel and gas for all of
our pieces based on the volume?
[1:42:00] » It's also the excise tax.
>> No, I understand that, but I'm just
[1:42:03] saying if if if Irving is already giving
the average person 10 cents, we're only
[1:42:10] getting an extra five from this company,
right? Why aren't we trying to go for
[1:42:14] more based on the volume that we use?
And Irving is everywhere throughout the
[1:42:19] county.
>> Yeah, well, actually they're Yeah, even
[1:42:22] throughout New York.
>> Right, but you know what I'm saying. So,
[1:42:24] they they would have easy access.
>> I think it's I think what we're finding
[1:42:30] is
this is a new thing and we've had these
[1:42:34] conversations and we are going to start
exploring like we just came back to and
[1:42:39] said that we locked in our propane cost.
>> Right.
[1:42:42] » That we're going to be doing the same
thing, looking at if there's an
[1:42:46] opportunity for us to get a better
pricing than what we're initially
[1:42:50] paying, but it was you know, it's it's
it's
[1:42:54] to be honest with you, we're we're just
really starting to wrap our heads around
[1:42:57] this whole thing. Yeah.
All righty.
[1:43:01] » I I guess I don't understand why we
don't ask the delegation
[1:43:05] of the authority to
take money for the gas. I understand
[1:43:10] what you said that
you can find
[1:43:13] the budget as such,
but
[1:43:17] it's got to be
I think it's important enough that we'd
[1:43:21] ask the delegation
to cover the increase in the
[1:43:26] » So, so if you look throughout the
budget,
[1:43:29] » Mhm.
>> you're going to see lines already
[1:43:31] overdrawn, not just the gas.
>> Mhm.