A Jefferson mother who lost her son to drug addiction made a return visit Feb. 17 to the county commissioners meeting. Sharon Bailey was joined by two others, all wearing matching gray T-shirts with white lettering: "Our pain is not your budget solution. Hands off opioid settlement funds." The women hoped to change commissioners' minds about their decision not to fund local groups with opioid settlement money. 

Instead, the commissioners funded a behavioral specialist last summer in a full-time position within the sheriff's department. The specialist works as a bridge between law enforcement and people needing mental health services. "We want to make it known this isn't how the settlement money is supposed to be used. It is supposed to go directly to those suffering from addiction," Bailey said. 

Chief Deputy Rand Maker explained the county had invested funds for the past 30 years working with the Addiction Resource Center. He added the behavior health liaison currently manages situations involving people with a dual diagnosis of mental health or substance abuse disorders. 

The sheriff's department will invite the behavioral health liaison to a commissioners' meeting to explain their work, said Maker.  In 2022, Lincoln County received the first payment in the national opiate lawsuit against major distributors which will continue for 18 years.  

In other action, a resident came to speak about electricity. Peter Arnold of Damariscotta represented Repower Wiscasset. He urged commissioners to support a legislative bill which would allow municipalities to form community choice aggregations to procure electricity. "This would allow Wiscasset to form a bargaining unit for less expensive electricity," he said. "States that have adopted this surround us: Massachusetts and New Hampshire. In Boston, they adopted this, and lowered their electricity costs by 3 cents a kilowatt per hour." He urged the commissioners to enlist Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission to review the bill and make a recommendation back to them.

Commissioners approved a two-year lease agreement with Just Right Storage, a Damariscotta business on Route One. The County Emergency Management Agency uses the 100-foot by 50-foot space for storing its command van, shelter-in-place equipment and ham radio gear for a $15,000 fee per year.

Commissioners approved an $18,337.50 payment for Hibberts Gore tree mulching. County Administrator Carrie Kipfer reported Scott Childs of Palermo is providing the labor, and he identified a plan for roadside tree mulching. "He recommended the mulching to hold back small tree growth which would open up the road and increase the road's longevity," she said.

Commissioners appointed Joan Schwartz of Newcastle as an alternate to the Two Bridges Regional Jail Authority board. Commissioners approved a contract with Plum Container of Seabrook, New Hampshire to purchase and transport four rollover cans for Lincoln County Recycling Center for "a price up to $25,000 for purchase and transport."

Commissioners meet next at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 3 in the courthouse.