Government Oversite

PHOTO: LR: Commissioners: Chuck McGee; Hon. Harold B. Parker; Executive Coordinator: Mellisa Seamans.
 _ General Summary: The Carroll County Commissioners meeting on May 19, 2025, covered several key agenda items and discussions. The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance and addressed public comments from Fred Cain, who expressed disappointment over the absence of the new commissioner and criticized the delegation chair’s conduct at a prior meeting, particularly regarding a misunderstanding about an audit and ARPA funds transfer. Commissioners echoed concerns about the delegation chair’s behavior, noting the audit was successful with no issues. The meeting reviewed and discussed the revised hay policy, which was updated for transparency and to account for potential future contracting. A summer meeting schedule was proposed, shifting to biweekly meetings starting June 2, 2025, to accommodate department heads and summer schedules. Appointments to the municipal records committee were addressed, with a focus on updating the record retention policy to include text messages and phone logs, and incorporating employee training. Financial matters included a budget versus actual report, noting minor overages in some line items, with corrections approved in a supplemental budget hearing. The check-signing policy was mentioned but deferred for further discussion. Bid openings for outsourcing landscaping and snow removal were reviewed, with only one bid from a Virginia company, deemed expensive, reinforcing the preference for in-house services. The Registrar of Deeds, Karin Rines, reported strong revenue and progress on record storage, proposing a return to Fidlar Technologies for land records management, citing delays with the current system and a potential second-quarter 2026 implementation. Bids for Mountain View Community facility upgrades were evaluated, favoring Page & Stone over Bone due to a more realistic eight-month timeline and institutional knowledge. The IT Director, Justin Liechty, provided updates on mailbox transfers, network connections, and data migration, aiming for redundancy and Windows 11 compatibility. The Facilities Director, Bob Murray, proposed canceling a Siemens measurement and verification agreement, as energy savings were achieved, saving $12,700 annually. Executive Coordinator Melissa Seamans announced her resignation from the delegation coordinator role due to ethical and practical conflicts with her primary role, citing the delegation’s overreach and lack of respect. The meeting concluded with a non-public session on employee matters and reputation, and a public comment on accessing a commissioner’s encrypted laptop, which remained unresolved due to BitLocker encryption. The meeting adjourned at 9:52 AM.