[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6688957,"mediaKeyId","2254352-c70e36d47c94697b1645eaec979c7ae3","parentId",2254352,"title","Commission seeks UNH assessment of county hay fields after low sales, milkweed concerns","audioSeconds",761,"startMs",970000,"endMs",1731000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2254352-c70e36d47c94697b1645eaec979c7ae3&start=970&end=1731","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2254352-c70e36d47c94697b1645eaec979c7ae3/thumbnail_970000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6688957/Carroll-County/New-Hampshire/Commission-seeks-UNH-assessment-of-county-hay-fields-after-low-sales-milkweed-concerns","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688957-c3bcb4cac0eebb9cd300b235d593fd22/orig.mp4?Expires=1776080556&Signature=AMXlt9R2gCw7i5-umOuaNem637-va5QvYZtNQPiyXVmGkBL8C6M3aOTAUt-Hkebkw-7Ou3nua8lP-wklx8-jhWFMwEbZOD~vDZuy-Y8U4uvCc-5LRopR9~YzI1q3z-XvjxF-6LHt542eUYmLG9FCfZ9wcGQbLMiZQ6U2II8C8PlVP7PosW0T1wnAhn3Xf2H3LPYaxe4wE9KXwdeN1sTHRO9tqS2TCM5IucmBaSduNZ43nSw8J4CrMPz2eRid6rzyksnLj-Ym2RBjhqpDrS9xIt~7VEHgziM2CP1k6mBU2tEjbTJcpb0zOvCTfr8hXyrZEoy~C6e009XyaO0aRcs61Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Carroll County","date","2025-02-10T18:04:07.117Z","article","Carroll County commissioners on Feb. 10 directed county staff to contact the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension for an evaluation of county hay fields and recommendations to address quality problems and future management.

County staff described roughly 70 acres of county property currently used for hay and said recent sales have fallen. “We asked the budget was $30,000 in revenue last year. I think we did $18,000,” a county staff member said, noting the county produced a large volume of hay but struggled to sell inventory after operational changes. Commissioners and members of the public pointed to several causes, including an increase in milkweed infestations, a shift from square to round bales, loss of delivery and storage services, and labor limits.

Will (county staff member), who manages the hay operation, recommended reaching out to UNH Extension’s forage specialists to assess fields, recommend remediation (including targeted spraying or field renovation) and develop a multi-year plan. “I'll get a hold of…our representative of Carroll County to hook us up with the gentleman's name that specializes in forages and haylands and see if we can…come back with a plan,” Will said. Commissioners approved the direction to pursue an Extension assessment.

The discussion covered operational tradeoffs. Staff explained the county switched to round bales beginning in 2020 because round baling requires less labor and can be handled by two people, while square bales (which historically sold quickly) require more labor and inmate or seasonal help. Several public commenters said the county’s decision to stop offering delivery and on-site storage had discouraged longstanding customers.

Staff emphasized that remediation will take time; options discussed included selective spraying for heavy milkweed pockets, reseeding priority fields over multiple seasons, and reintroducing some square-bale production if labor and storage capacity return. Commissioners asked staff to return with UNH’s findings and a plan that includes cost and timeline estimates.

Next steps: Staff to contact University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension forage specialists, obtain field evaluations and present recommendations and cost estimates to the commission.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Carroll County NH Commission 2/10/25 FULL MEETING","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners directed staff to contact the UNH Cooperative Extension for an evaluation and plan for county hay fields amid lower recent revenue, milkweed infestation and debate over round vs. square bales.","taxTitle","Carroll County, New Hampshire","taxId",67498,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6688962,"Commission authorizes $7,011 Siemens repair for Mountain View fire-panel interface",95,850000,945000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2254352-c70e36d47c94697b1645eaec979c7ae3&start=850&end=945","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2254352-c70e36d47c94697b1645eaec979c7ae3/thumbnail_850000.jpg","/articles/6688962/Carroll-County/New-Hampshire/Commission-authorizes-7011-Siemens-repair-for-Mountain-View-fire-panel-interface","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688962-436b8928c9a93c06692d269838d810d1/orig.mp4?Expires=1776080556&Signature=omCrccyNyBU4YS0Z3Lw3DT4847d16oPWLhVSQzi06J5a7YtaWFG3KqY3x7LW3aDSBHaHEOrg61RLPgkJFtVrTROlrdIOHggFYL1GGNqZMeIte3VTZ2-v2iAJMTflFU7Y8h3ExePsZxDZBVUC1OyGLtrn~cHrM00u9P~NwfVM410rStjOS95VwSRtuUgsE0j9LIm~wjnqN45QmUTHI9zhHFtUajlzg719qbWlxRvK6yl8BB48ggw71SvRgt18jntWek9G0aCKj9rjfjfGGrqr~LGCChuI-m8KtCCc-AJewem6ll3ehlVizlXcFbTfDiQhj~vqHCNZb5O5hUfJcViKsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carroll County commissioners on Feb. 10 authorized a $7,011 repair from Siemens to replace a proprietary operator interface on the Mountain View facility’s fire alarm panel, describing the work as time sensitive for building safety.

Director Murray told the commission the panel — original to the 2011 building — remains functional but the backlighting for the touch-screen operator interface has failed, making the control interface effectively unreadable. Because the panel uses proprietary Siemens equipment, the county’s usual fire‑alarm vendor cannot perform the repair.

“It is fully functional with the exception, you can't see it anymore. The backlighting has failed, and it's integral to the main circuit board of the panel,” the director said, explaining that the part is replaceable only by Siemens and the system is out of warranty. Commissioners authorized the director (or chairman) to sign the contract so Siemens can perform the work.

A motion to approve the repair passed with commissioners voting in the affirmative. The county recorded the repair as necessary “for the sake of the safety of the nursing home,” and directed staff to proceed with the vendor's quote.

Next steps: Director Murray or the authorized signer will execute the Siemens contract and schedule on‑site repair work to restore the operator interface.","Commissioners approved a Siemens quote to replace an operator interface/backlighting component on the Mountain View facility fire panel, citing time sensitivity for resident safety.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6688967,"Carroll County commissioners approve temporary finance contract as CFO resignation is handled",0,753000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2254352-c70e36d47c94697b1645eaec979c7ae3&start=753&end=753","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2254352-c70e36d47c94697b1645eaec979c7ae3/thumbnail_753000.jpg","/articles/6688967/Carroll-County/New-Hampshire/Carroll-County-commissioners-approve-temporary-finance-contract-as-CFO-resignation-is-handled","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6688967-95cab4e84cb7aa03b8002d487247ca32/orig.mp4?Expires=1776080556&Signature=IYf~KPFGKx~ufF78VmOrGwM4EfjCn1AUwxBqjIBWYLvuLWLAlc3GuQRG2bDBfjRJjkGrITtNFxHxk1VJ3DDMjiqfoaql4kFuxWok~-Cgea42MUj0-M6b6C-EIK4DGDM4C5mHhQB3nbOyY0ER0wY741~ZmbVy8sNna2YMTRRhtsJQaja6MPbX-uLbnJHIDuGHUIF1V9VqTotxmw0WD164axN4ffd8ysnia1ssMEdFmkBwHOPy-afihVHJYObjQszLZUtTyOWBNEFALNqiOecvEEqW0Ii5hkiOxDoYIkjWEwG-5~jtoykJBDrmvTgqEu~yd-1OzbRpn67koJ~AuiE-BQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carroll County commissioners on Feb. 10 approved a temporary professional services contract with Municipal Resources Inc. (MRI) to provide interim finance support while the county addresses a resignation by its chief financial officer and completes year-end work.

The contract will bring on Rita Donaldson, billed at $120 per hour, to work with county finance staff through budget season and the audit. Commissioners also approved routine items including the accounts payable register of $139,491.49, payroll of $298,681.59 and a treasurer check for $129 to reimburse a staff cell-phone allowance.

The action came amid discussion of a resignation letter from the county CFO, identified in meeting documents as Bonnie, and the county’s written response to that letter. “We did not take away the finance department from miss Batchell. We simply took the day to day supervision of the finance employees and had gave it to our executive coordinator. But she was never given responsibility for running the finance department,” a staff member identified in the meeting said, describing recent supervision changes in the department and the county’s steps to maintain continuity.

Public commenters pressed the commission for clarity on timing and contract obligations. “I did receive the letter, and I'm still kind of confused why the outside contractor CFO sent this to the delegation… The delegation didn't sign the contract with her, so I'm kind of puzzled,” resident Frank Gaines said. Another resident, Damon Spear, asked whether the county planned to provide more information about the CFO matter to the delegation.

County staff said the commission’s response letter to the CFO set an initial set of documents and tasks with a seven‑day completion expectation; staff reported they had not yet received the CFO’s reply as of the meeting. Melissa (staff member) said MRI would begin work on Wednesday and that the finance team had prepared a list of year‑end items the contractor will address, including several overdrawn line‑item transfers.

Commissioners and staff praised the remaining finance personnel for their work preparing records for the transition. “Melissa and the crew of the finance department have done a great job pulling this all together since this happened,” a commissioner said during public comment.

Votes at a glance:
- Approve Rita Donaldson (MRI) contract at $120/hour to provide interim finance support (motion carried; mover/second not specified; vote: all in favor).
- Approve accounts payable $139,491.49 and payroll $298,681.59 (motion carried; mover/second not specified; vote: all in favor).
- Approve treasurer check for $129 (cell phone reimbursement) (motion carried; mover/second not specified; vote: all in favor).
- Approve minutes of Feb. 3, 2025 (motion carried; mover/second not specified; vote: all in favor).

Next steps: MRI is scheduled to begin on Wednesday to complete year‑end work and assist with budget preparations and the audit; staff will report back to the commission as the transition proceeds.","Commissioners approved a temporary contract with Municipal Resources Inc. to provide finance help through budget season and signed off on routine payments while discussing CFO Bonnie’s resignation and contract obligations.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission seeks UNH assessment of county hay fields after low sales, milkweed concerns

Commission authorizes $7,011 Siemens repair for Mountain View fire-panel interface

Carroll County commissioners approve temporary finance contract as CFO resignation is handled