The Somerset County Board of Commissioners held its organizational meeting where members selected officers, confirmed board and committee appointments, approved hires at the county jail and other routine business, and voted to submit opposition letters to two Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license-transfer filings.

Robert Caesar was nominated and confirmed as chair. Commissioners also confirmed Scott Seakins as vice chair. During new business, the board debated who should serve on the county’s 2026 union negotiation teams and, after an initial failed motion, approved a nomination that passed 3–2 to appoint two commissioners to continue negotiation duties for the coming year.

Commissioners voted to add a new agenda item to submit letters opposing the transfer of two FERC project licenses (Shawmut and Weston project numbers). Staff noted the electronic submission deadline was the following day; the board authorized staff to send the letters and expected to submit them the next morning. The board discussed concerns that a transfer could impede local paper-making capacity and affect riverfront property owners; county staff indicated outreach to local stakeholders and the business community was ongoing.

In finance and personnel actions, the board approved the Treasurer’s warrants totaling $975,681.51 across the General Fund, Somerset County Jail, Unorganized Territory, TIF Community Benefit and TIF NECEC funds. The board accepted the resignation of corrections officer Dale Richardson and approved hiring multiple new corrections officers (Nikita DeRosa, Stephen McMullen, Kevin Chaffin, Alton Erkhart, Amber Kenny, Cameron Ellis and Gunnar Buecher). Commissioners discussed current staffing levels (roughly 32 inmates from a Waldo County housing agreement, with a corrections staffing target referenced at 36 certified corrections officers and a broader full-staff number near 67) and budget implications of training and onboarding new officers.

The board also handled several routine appointments and representations: a commissioner was appointed to the Somerset Economic Development Corporation board (Joel Ditkus was nominated and confirmed), a representative was appointed to the Maine County Commissioners Association, and a property tax hearing officer nomination was recorded (vote recorded with abstentions). Commissioners reviewed the county’s budget schedule for FY2027, plans for district caucuses to fill budget committee vacancies, and an upcoming public hearing on ATV access to Lake Moxie Road.

The meeting closed with logistical items: staff will electronically submit the FERC letters the following day, commissioners planned to attend the Maine County Commissioners Association organizational meeting on Jan. 30, and the board recessed briefly to execute documents and sign the approved letters.

Votes at a glance:
- Resolution 0.601 — Chair: Robert Caesar — outcome: adopted (chair accepted). (SEG 010–021)
- Resolution 2602 — Vice chair: Scott Seakins — outcome: adopted (SEG 025–032)
- Resolution 2604 — Appoint commissioners to 2026 union negotiation teams — outcome: adopted 3–2 (SEG 1129–1140)
- Resolution 2610 — Transfer criminal forfeiture (Cronkite case) of $39,876.17 cash and firearms to Somerset Sheriff’s Office — outcome: adopted (SEG 1227–1231)
- Resolution 2611 — Accept resignation of corrections officer Dale Richardson — outcome: adopted (SEG 1246–1252)
- Resolution 2612 — Approve commissioners’ mileage for 2026 — outcome: adopted (SEG 1254–1259)
- Resolution 2613 — Hire corrections officers (N. DeRosa; S. McMullen; K. Chaffin; A. Erkhart; A. Kenny; C. Ellis; G. Buecher) — outcome: adopted (SEG 1260–1265)
- Treasurer’s Warrants — $975,681.51 — outcome: adopted (SEG 1331–1336)
- Resolution 2615 — Submit FERC letters (two project numbers: Shawmut and Weston) — outcome: adopted; letters to be submitted electronically the next day (SEG 1347–1369)

Why it matters: Leadership and committee assignments determine who will represent Somerset County in labor negotiations and regional boards. The FERC letters are time-sensitive interventions in federal license-transfer proceedings that county officials say could affect local industry and riverfront property owners. Jail hiring, warrants and budget scheduling affect county services and the FY2027 fiscal picture.

Sources and provenance: This article is drawn from the meeting transcript (see timeline). The board identified the FERC letters explicitly and discussed the electronic submission deadline; amounts and voting tallies above are included where the transcript provided them.