Lincoln County Emergency Management Director and Communications Director Tod Hartung bid goodbye to Lincoln County Commissioners at the Jan. 17 meeting, thanking them for their past support.

“As this is likely to be my last week on the job, I wanted to personally thank you all for all the help you’ve given me over the years,” he said.

Hartung has held both offices since August 2012. In the summer of 2016, County Administrator Carrie Kipfer and the commissioners decided to break up his position into two positions. Kipfer said Hartung did not apply for either one, although several other current employees did.

Kipfer said no decisions have yet been made about either directorship.

In other business, a decision was taken on the bank for the tax anticipation note. Lincoln County will use Bath Savings Bank to provide funding as necessary to supplement income as the county waits for taxes to be paid. Bath Savings came in with the lowest interest rate, as well as not charging any additional fees.

Sheriff Todd Brackett said the jail’s inmate count is higher than normal, largely because a lot of sentences were stayed until after the holidays. Lincoln County currently has 34 inmates, Sagadahoc County 31, Waldo County 49, Kennebec County 21, Oxford County 37, along with one each from the federal system, Cumberland County, and the Department of Corrections.

Brackett also provided three of the expected five shellfish contracts, with only Damariscotta  — which had approved the contract but has not yet sent it in — and Newcastle — which has not had a meeting in January yet owing to the holiday schedule — still outstanding.

The commissioners approved the purchase of a new transport van from Newcastle Chrysler for almost $21,000. The vehicle has only 3,300 miles on it.

Brackett said he is ready to hold oral boards for his new replacement deputy, who will be taking the place of Jason Nein, who resigned in early December. Kipfer will serve on the board to help with the interviews.

Another deputy, Jonathan Colby, will be leaving temporarily to attend the Criminal Justice Academy. He had expected to have to wait until August, but a place opened up this month.

The Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission is holding a series of free workshops for the public and the business sector to help people set up particular areas of their small businesses and understand issues such as IT infrastructure, business planning, marketing, risk, profitability, licensing, business incentives, both at the state and local levels, and social media and branding.

The first meeting is Thursday, Jan. 19, and will look at the issue of broadband in Lincoln County. It will be held from 4 - 6 p.m. at the LCRPC office at 297 Bath Road, Wiscasset, across from Big Al’s.  On Tuesday, Jan. 24, there will be a small business startup workshop from 8 - 9:30 a.m., also at the LCRPC office.

There will be other workshops scheduled in March, April and May, before a break for the summer months. Workshops will resume in September.

County Planner Robert Faunce announced that the commission is interested in applying for a grant to assist farms and small business owners with energy audits and renewable energy development assistance. Faunce asked for a five-percent matching grant from the county for the proposed $100,000 grant, which he said could provide services to 25-30 businesses or farms. Faunce did not know how likely it would be to obtain the grant this year, but the commission is looking for farms and other businesses interested in seeking assistance to help fund energy audits and obtain development assistance for renewable energy projects. The grant would not fund the renewable energy materials, but Faunce said there are other avenues to help farms and businesses with that aspect.

The commissioners approved the match.

Faunce also sought approval to work more closely with the Midcoast Regional Planning Commission, based in Rockland, and perhaps share expertise and resources for Department of Transportation funding and geographic information system technology funding.  The commissioners also approved this request.

Mary Ellen Barnes said Wiscasset has applied for cleanup funds to address issues at town-owned properties that have already been surveyed at the former Mason Station. Currently, plans do not include any cleanup funds or assessment funds for the plant, which is not in public hands. The town recently came into possession of several additional parcels through foreclosure at the end of 2016, and will begin the process of assessing those properties in advance of cleaning them up as well.

The engineering contract with Siemens, which covers the Courthouse building and the Sheriff’s Office, has been renewed for $31,797 for 2017.

Tri-County Recycling will be given an additional two-percent increase to help mitigate the loss of its contract with Palermo, in order to keep the contract active. Kipfer said that despite an anticipated net loss of $4,000 in recycling revenue, the county will still benefit from the contract.

Kipfer recommended hiring Pamela Perry as bookkeeper. Perry will begin work on Feb. 6.

The First Congregational Church wrote to Kipfer and expressed concern about the melting and refreezing of snow piles along the right of way between the courthouse and the church. Kipfer noted that the parking lot is being diligently salted and sanded, and the problem appears to be occurring over the weekend when no one is present. She said she would hold a meeting with the trustees of the church to try to find a solution, since no one is available from the county over the weekend.

The Friends of Colonial Pemaquid also wrote to alert the commissioners about the status of the group’s request from the state. The group had wanted to lease the park for the compensation of the income from The Contented Sole, a seasonal seafood restaurant in the park. In exchange, there would be an increase in full-time staff, along with educational and interpretive services, and historically accurate structures to enhance the park. However, despite early enthusiasm by Gov. Paul LePage, a recent letter to the Friends suggests that he is no longer interested in the offer and considers ceding the restaurant lease funds “illegal.”  The Friends asked the commissioners to share the letter with the legislative delegates.

The delegates will be invited to a breakfast meeting with the commissioners on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 8 a.m. in the Communications Room to hear some of the commissioners’ legislative concerns.