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Carroll County delays eminent domain and votes to seek new talks with Eidelweiss over tower insurance
Summary
After a breach notice from Eidelweiss commissioners over a $5 million liability requirement, Carroll County commissioners voted 2-1 to pursue another round of negotiations rather than start eminent domain proceedings; the county awaits counsel and insurance-carrier guidance on raising coverage.
Carroll County commissioners on June 15 voted to attempt another round of negotiations with the Eidelweiss commissioners over a communications-tower agreement after Eidelweiss claimed the county lacked required liability coverage.
Executive Director Mellisa Seamans told the board she received a letter that morning from the Eidelweiss commissioners alleging a breach of contract because the county has not provided proof of $5 million liability coverage referenced in a 2017 agreement. Seamans said the county has historically carried only $1 million of liability coverage under its Primex membership and is awaiting the insurer’s assessment of whether the $13,000± annual cost to expand coverage can be reduced. She said she will forward Eidelweiss’s notice to county counsel for review.
Seamans also noted that the communications tower is owned by the county but sits on Eidelweiss property, that Conway Police and Ossipee Valley Mutual Aid have antennas on the structure, and that the county provides dispatching and police services to Eidelweiss. The county has been paying a $400-per-month site rent called for in the 2026 agreement, Seamans said.
Commissioner Harold B. Parker initially moved to begin eminent domain proceedings, but Sheriff Domenic Richardi urged the board to try further negotiation first. The board then approved a motion to attempt another round of negotiations at Eidelweiss’s June 23 meeting; the motion carried 2-1, with Commissioner Parker voting no. The board’s recorded motion was listed as (Parker/Chandler).
The county will await legal counsel’s assessment and the insurer’s cost estimate before any further formal action is taken. A follow-up discussion is expected after the June 23 meeting involving Eidelweiss representatives.
