Lincoln County Treasurer Michelle Richardson received commissioners' authorization May 6 to seek state approval for the county to opt out of a state-run paid Family and Medical Leave Act program and administer its own.Richardson told commissioners an in-house program would benefit the county and its employees.

"The program would be self-funded and self-administrated," she said. "Once a certain volume of revenue is received, more contributions wouldn't be needed, which benefits employees." Commissioners voted 3-0 to allow Richardson to submit an application.

In other action, commissioners approved two $5,000 county ASK (assistance with specific know-how) Grants. Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission recommended awarding grants to Bremen and Waldoboro. The Bremen Broadband Committee will receive funding to hire a consultant. The committee is working on spreading broadband access throughout the town. Waldoboro is seeking a "yellow book" appraisal to re-purpose the former Sylvania building into an outdoor recreation site. 

LCRPC Executive Director Emily Rabbe reported the commission will award a total of five ASK grants. Three more awards will occur on May 20, she said.

LCRPC released to commissioners a housing study completed by Camoin Associates. For the past two years, the study assessed housing needs and revealed 21 strategies along with identifying potential sites. Laura Graziano is the commission's community resilience planner. She explained what the commission and Camoin Associates accomplished with the survey titled "Prioritized Inventory for Affordable Housing Development profiles."

Graziano listed objectives set by the assessment: Working with municipalities to set goals and foster public support leading toward project education, addressing housing needs and implementing projects to ensure public affordability and working toward a long-term public-private partnership. 

"We are also here today to talk about strategies for prioritizing shovel-ready projects and compiling inventory for more potential sites," she said. "One strategy is looking at potential sites within close proximity to schools near public water and sewer," she said.

The report identified at least one parcel in each town. Wiscasset had the most potential sites with seven.  Damariscotta and Edgecomb had four. Boothbay Harbor and Waldoboro each had two. Alna, Boothbay, Newcastle, Bremen, Bristol, South Bristol, Southport, Westport Island and Whitefield each had one. 

County Emergency Management Agency Director Emily Huber received commissioners' approval to dispose of a command trailer and 'ham'bulance. The command trailer had served as a mobile unit since 2010. Earlier in the year, the agency received a 2019 Mercedes Benz Sprinter Van to replace the command center. 

In 2017, an ambulance was donated to the agency and refitted with ham radio and other emergency communication equipment. Huber plans on selling the "hambulance" for scrap. She will put the command trailer and command center for sale on an internet site. Commissioners also approved using $5,895 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to purchase a command vehicle utility trailer.

Commissioners took no action on a Lincoln County Television proposal to become a county department. But commissioners are moving ahead with broadcasting bi-monthly commissioners' meetings on LCTV. The county is buying two cameras and other equipment for broadcast purposes. The county is also hiring an LCTV broadcast technician at $250 per meeting. "This is a month-to-month agreement with no real end date," said County Administrator Carrie Kipfer.

Commissioners meet next at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 20 in the courthouse.