Register Monahan's Statement Regarding Courthouse Proposal 

My name is Kelley Monahan, and I have served as the Grafton County Register of Deeds for 15 years.
NH RSA 478:1 outlines the duties of my office and speaks singularly of protection of the records. 
NH RSA 23:3 Buildings - Every county shall have suitable buildings necessary for its uses and suitable offices to insure the protection of the records of the registry of deeds 
Whose authority is it to deem what is suitable? I am that authority. 

I have had full support of our former State Archivist Brian Burford for my work on our existing vault and full support and oversight from our local fire chief who is the authority responsible for fire code and egress code for the Administration Building.
I sent his final letter to the Board of Commissioners over a year ago. 
I have repeatedly proven my commitment and competence to manage this important office which represents the foundation of our economy. 

At the 2024 September Executive Committee meeting, I asked and was answered in public by Chairman George Sykes that the Board of Commissioners and I would decide on moving the registry or not. I can provide that transcript. 
I have made my position and that of my dedicated staff perfectly clear. 

I was not allowed to have any communication with the architect or engineer. 
I have had zero input into the design of the proposed project. The Board of Commissioners rejected my request for appointment to the Building Committee. 
This design clearly lacks any common sense or understanding of the activity of the office or the projected need. This is a very rushed and flawed project. 

This project should be put on hold, and a professional analysis of all departments' viability and sustainability should be considered for proper projections. 

Allowing the architect who is looking for the payout of the remaining $450,000 is not an independent analysis, it is blatant self-service and greed. Allowing the same firm to write the official minutes of the Building Committee meeting of May 22, 2025, where my comments and concerns were eliminated is unprecedented. 

I have managed my department with a make-do attitude, careful spending, forecasting, and planning. I have $304,000 available to me in our surcharge capital reserve, which grows by $30,000 every year. 
This would be available to me for any environmental or security needs that the Commissioners or Delegation will acknowledge and approve. 
I have spent five years and a great deal of energy renovating our vault and moving these valuable and historic records would cause more damage than leaving them in the stable, yet accessible environment. 
We are not insured for damage to our historic paper records. 
The biggest threat has always been the negligence of a certain department. 
I welcome all to view our vault and offices, very few people involved in the final decisions have ever set foot in there for an objective opinion. 
My department was not a consideration for the Danson Study of 2019, and it is my belief that it was added at the last minute simply for leverage.
These Commissioners and Delegation members have overreached their roles in attempting to micromanage the Constitutional Officers who have sworn to uphold the law and both Constitutions. 
This administration chases crisis after crisis and lacks any objective vision for the future. 
Thank you for your time. 

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