Carroll County weighs partial demolition, reuse of annex to use $2 million USDA grant

Carroll County commissioners discussed how to use $2,000,000 in congressional funding tied to a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant and asked staff for two design options for the county annex: one retaining a wing and one removing it.

The discussion mattered because USDA requires updated project budgets and written grant assurances before funds can be spent, and commissioners were clear that asbestos removal and other work tied to the USDA grant will need USDA sign-off before proceeding.

Executive Director Siemens told the board the county has received $2,000,000 through Sen. Shaheen's office and that USDA requires an updated budget, project plan and the standard federal assurances before the grant moves forward. Siemens said commissioners must decide how much of the annex complex to renovate and what portions to remove or retain, and that the uncertainty over the final scope makes it hard to map the $2,000,000 to specific work.

Commissioner Parker pressed for clarity on which wings of the…