Heard at the Grafton County Commissioners’ meetings this summer
July 1, discussion by the three County Commissioners and the Register of Deeds (public comment) to “shut down” online, public comment for various innocuous reasons. On July 28, this new policy was approved by the two commissioners present, Wendy Piper and Martha McLeod, as “a motion of revised rules of procedure.” Taxpayers who cannot physically make it to the Commissioners’ meetings in-person now have “no voice” in addition to the already in-place policy of “no vote.” The “County Congress,” which is made up of Grafton County State Representatives called “the County Delegation,” votes on all county expenditures. The next Grafton County Executive Committee Meeting is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 28, from 9 to 11 a.m. The meeting can also be streamed online via grafton-county.com.
On July 14, the county’s IT director indicated that the conference room where the meetings are held is an “echo chamber.” Google identifies an “echo chamber” as an environment (including a physical space) where people only encounter beliefs, ideas, or sounds that match their own, while opposing views are blocked out.” “Tribalism” and “echo chamber” are synonymous. Commissioners voted (3-0) to spend $462,050 in ARPA federal grant monies on recommendation from outgoing maintenance supervisor Jim Oakes for “enhanced schematic design,” to courthouse architects, i.e., “reimbursable expenses such as: time, gas, meals, etc.”
On July 11, the IT director indicated “…quality of transmission of Commissioners’ Meetings is poor.” He also indicated that a low-cost corrective action to hopefully solve this issue is the purchase of a carpet.
On July 28, Moody’s Services “downgraded Grafton County’s bond rating from AAIII to AI,” which will ultimately cost taxpayers more to borrow money.
On Aug. 4, “Nursing Home Director, Craig Lebore, is interested in building brand-new nursing home and turning present one into an assisted living home,” stated the Grafton County Administrator.
On Aug. 18, the new maintenance supervisor reported that “the nursing home pavilion redesign needed … costing additional $17,000 due to the original architectural design not being structurally sound. The present contractor cannot proceed without new plans. Funds for this project were acquired from a Congressionally Directed Federal Grant.”