On Nov. 7, county commissioners authorized the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission to seek a $500,000 federal Environmental Protection Agency Brownfield Grant. Executive Director Mary Ellen Barnes reported the grant differs from other Brownfield grants applied for in the past. “We’ve applied for smaller grants in the past, $200,000 to $400,00, spent over 2-3 years. This one is for $500,000, and spent over four years, so it would give us more flexibility,” she said. 

Barnes said there were a couple projects ideal for the funding, but she wouldn’t name any specific ones until the application was submitted. Commissioners voted, 3-0, to seek the federal grant which doesn’t require a local match. Barnes told commissioners the county would find out next spring if their application is successful.

Commissioners also authorized spending $96,000 in county American Rescue Plan Act funds for the Ledgewood Senior Housing Development project in Damariscotta. The $10.4 million expansion project is building 32 additional subsidized housing units to a complex which already has 24 subsidized senior housing units.

In other action, County Emergency Management Agency Director Maury Prentiss updated commissioners about receiving two federal grants. One is a $68,837 Emergency Management Preparedness Grant. Prentiss told commissioners the federal monies would go mostly toward payroll. The second is a $111,382 Homeland Security Grant used for three projects designed to improve county property security. Prentiss listed updating the courthouse camera system, communication center’s door entry system improvement, and security enhancements at the planning commission building as designated projects.

The planning commission building is located at a separation location than the courthouse, communication center and sheriff’s office. County officials have designated the 297 Bath Road location as an alternate site if the communication center becomes incapacitated. Homeland Security guidelines require a security upgrade of the commission’s building to qualify as an alternate site. Building enhancements include installing a generator and closed-circuit television camera and frontdoor and backdoor replacements.

Prentiss also received authority to spend $16,340 in Homeland Security Grant funds for an equipment upgrade. The funds are designated for purchasing body armor for all four-county emergency medical services. Each department will receive a total of five vests. Two sets of vests will equip an ambulance. A separate vest is designated for a “fly-car” which often accompanies an ambulance to an emergency scene.

Commissioners meet next at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 21 in the courthouse.