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Residents tell Carroll County commissioners they were disappointed by Delegation's solar vote, urge action on staffing and project management
Summary
Multiple residents told the Carroll County Board of Commissioners they were disappointed the March 20 Delegation rejected a proposed solar array, criticized project management on a wastewater repair, and raised concerns about high agency staffing costs at the county nursing facility; staff responded that beds had been donated, the scrap pile will be sold and a wastewater study is planned.
Several residents used the public-comment period at the March 23 Carroll County Board of Commissioners meeting to criticize a March 20 Delegation decision to reject a proposed solar array and to press county leaders on operational issues.
Wharton Sinkler said he was "disappointed with the Delegation vote to turn down the solar array opportunity," and added, "There was a lot of motivated reasoning going on at the meeting — attempts to make the project look bad despite compelling evidence otherwise. Disappointed in the commissioners for refusing to take a position on the solar project." Dallas Emery told the board he opposed the solar project and also urged that the executive director have a formal job description; Register of Deeds Karen Rines said she was disappointed in the Delegation vote but thanked commissioners and Executive Director Mellisa Seamans for leadership.
Public commenters also raised operational concerns. Fred Cain asked whether items in the county's scrap metal pile — including old nursing-home beds — could be sold. MVC Administrator Rich Leboeuf responded that the beds have been donated to other county nursing homes and that agency staffing remains MVC's "biggest hurdle," projecting agency staffing costs to be under $2 million this year; he traced the staffing shortage to departures in 2022 and said the county is working to reduce agency use. Chair Charles McGee described staffing shortages as an industry-wide problem and expressed confidence in the administrator's efforts.
Wharton Sinkler criticized project management related to a wastewater repair, saying project planning failed to identify that an attachment was unnecessary for an auger repair and urging that commissioners demand higher-level project management. Executive Director Mellisa Seamans said the county intends to sell the scrap metal pile, is pursuing a wastewater system study, and acknowledged the county "should do a better job getting the word out about what we are doing" to reduce agency staffing.
The public comments were part of a broader meeting that included routine approvals, a bid opening, and a capital-reserve amendment for the wastewater auger repair.
