A commissioners raised concern that the county's moving contractor invoiced roughly $16,000 more than its original bid, prompting extended discussion at the Dec. 11 meeting about whether the extra costs were justified.

The sheriff and registry staff said department employees had assisted the move and that major items had been shown to bidders during mandatory site visits. Kathy Stacy, Registry of Deeds, criticized the vendor's claim of unexpected work: "They knew what we had for equipment" and said the company had the opportunity to ask questions during the walk-through. Stacy told the board movers sometimes worked short crews and that she did not accept the additional charge without further explanation.

Board members asked staff to follow up with the moving company for a detailed explanation and change-order justification and said they would not "just throw all the money at them" without review. One commissioner suggested the vendor should present the case to the board before any additional payment is approved.

Separately, the board discussed confusion over the new building's addresses. Multiple numbers (94, 102 and 106 North Road and department-specific mailbox numbers) were being used, and Kathy Stacy said the Registry had more than 1,000 nationwide notices that were being returned as undeliverable because the post office was not recognizing 102. She requested the marquee display both the emergency 911-assigned number and department numbers ("94 to 102") and asked staff to coordinate with the 911 liaison and Exeter post office to stop returned mail.

Commissioners also approved a small line-item transfer for registry moving expenses and agreed to add or update visitor and directional signage to direct the public to the designated lot while staff finalize the permanent plans.

The board agreed to investigate the movers' claim and to seek written backup from the vendor; no additional payment was authorized during the meeting without further review.