Louise Belanger

The meeting commenced with the approval of an amended agenda, including the addition of a non-public session. Key actions included approving payrolls and disbursements for January and authorizing payments for February. The Board approved the Decommissioning Agreement for the Windpark in Dixville and Millsfield, contingent upon counsel approval of the surety bond. Public hearings covered requests regarding a dumpster for Success Pond residents, the status of a petition concerning tipping fees from AVRRDD, and the AVRRDD gas project. The Sheriff's Department reported on building inspections and provided updates on the Fish & Game ATV grant and the Stonegarden 2025 grant, for which a Certificate of Vote was approved authorizing funding execution. Financial matters involved reviewing Tax Anticipation Note bids and approving a fixed rate with Passumpsic Bank, as well as finalizing the 2026 Coös County and Unincorporated Places Budgets for submission to the Delegation. Business related to Unincorporated Places included ratifying building permits and approving the forwarding of a proposed zoning amendment for the Mt. Washington Cog Railway to the Delegation. Budget transfers for the County Nursing Hospital, Nursing Home, and Department of Corrections were reviewed and approved. Finally, the Board entered and exited both non-public and executive sessions and approved sealing the minutes for one year and a day.

The meeting agenda included a non-meeting session with the attorney, review of correspondence including the 45th Parallel EMS 2025 Annual Report, and a public hearing concerning the Mt. Washington Cog Railway. Reports were expected from the County Administrator, Superintendent of Corrections, Nursing Home Administrator, and Finance Director (including Tax Anticipation Notes Bids). Other business involved discussions and potential actions on budget transfers, review and approval of the 2026 Coös County and Unincorporated Places Budgets, ratification of building permits for solar installation, roof replacement, and a new structure. Further items included forwarding a proposed amendment to the DD-G zoning district map for the Mt. Washington Cog Railway Base Station enlargement for final approval, forwarding Zoning Board of Adjustment re-appointments, approval of the 2026-2027 tax map maintenance contract, approval of an updated current use application, approval of updated parent transportation reimbursement rates, and discussion/action on a Decommissioning Agreement with NextEra. The session concluded with a planned non-public session regarding a Tax Collector request.

The meeting agenda included administrative items such as the approval of payrolls and disbursements for January and authorization for February obligations. Key discussions involved the 45th Parallel EMS 2025 Annual Report and a public hearing regarding the Mt. Washington Cog Railway. The Commissioners reviewed reports from the County Administrator, Superintendent of Corrections, Nursing Home Administrator, and Finance Director, including bids for Tax Anticipation Notes. Other business included the review and approval of the 2026 Coös County and Unincorporated Places Budgets for submission to the Delegation. Furthermore, there was discussion and action regarding a proposed amendment to the DD-G zoning district map to expand the boundary around the Mt. Washington Cog Railway Base Station property, which involves rezoning 32 +/- acres from Management District (MD) to DD-G. The agenda also covered forwarding proposed re-appointments for the Zoning Board of Adjustment, approval of the CAI 2026-2027 contract for tax map maintenance, and discussion/action on a Decommissioning Agreement with NextEra.

The meeting commenced with the approval of the minutes from November 19, 2025. Key agenda items included the approval of the 2026 Planning Assistance Contract with Resilience Planning & Design and the approval of the 2026 Planning Services Agreement with Tara Bamford. A follow-up discussion on the Master Plan update resulted in approval of a proposed timeline for issuing an RFP, with a committee established to review resulting proposals. A public hearing was held concerning a proposed amendment to the Zoning Districts for Unincorporated Places to expand the General Development District boundary for the Mt. Washington Railway Company's acquisition of property near the base station. The Board recommended forwarding this zoning amendment to the Commissioners. No zoning permits were issued. The date for the March 10, 2026 meeting was rescheduled to March 17, 2026, due to a conflict with town meeting day.

The Commissioners amended the agenda to include two non-public sessions and proceeded with the meeting. Discussions included clarifications on the minutes from the December 17, 2025, meeting regarding 79:14 funding usage for fire-fighting equipment and DFL personnel time monitoring conservation easements. The Board approved payrolls and disbursements for December and authorized payments for January. Correspondence reviewed included a letter from the Department of Revenue Administration and a thank you card from the local food pantry. Public hearings involved discussion about RSA 673:7 concerning Zoning Board and Planning Board membership overlap, and updates from the Sheriff on staffing and OHRV funding discussions. The County Administrator reported on economic development discussions, a near miss regarding Medicaid bed rate reductions for county nursing homes, and the expected return of $1.25M from the NH Interlocal Trust. Unincorporated places matters involved minimum tax rates following a Supreme Court ruling, intent to cut notices, and the need for Forest & Lands personnel to verify activities in Unincorporated Places to support budget requests. An RFP for updating the Master Plan was announced. The Superintendent of Corrections reported high rates of Opioid Use Disorders among new intakes, strain on the department due to increased pretrial housing, exploration of a BJA grant for substance abuse treatment programs, and recruitment challenges. Reports for both the West Stewartstown and Berlin Nursing Hospitals detailed census data, staffing shortages, updated Medicaid reimbursement rates, and facility maintenance issues. The Director of Finance secured authorization for bidding on borrowing in anticipation of tax payments and adopted the new IRS mileage rate of 72.5 cents per mile. The Board accepted the terms of the New Hampshire State Police JONE Equipment Grant. Several budget transfers for both nursing homes and various county departments were approved, alongside the approval of 2026 Public Safety and Ambulance Agreements for Carroll and Errol, and policies for waiving interest on small property tax overpayments. Two non-public sessions were held to discuss sensitive matters, one resulting in a motion to seal the minutes for 366 days.