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Knox County Sheriff's Office to assume shellfish warden duties pending contract; town discusses truck and budget implications
Summary
Selectman Daniel Staples reported the Knox County Sheriff's Office agreed to take over the shellfish warden position under a revised contract that removes liability language, will cover insurance, and would use a 2016 Dodge Ram truck purchased by the Georges River Shellfish Management; contract hoped to be signed by end of week.
Selectman Daniel Staples updated the Cushing Board of Selectmen on Aug. 8 about negotiations for the Knox County Sheriff’s Office to assume the town’s shellfish warden duties. Staples said the sheriff’s office returned a revised contract removing certain liability language, agreed to pay insurance for the warden, and the agreement was expected to be signed through the end of the year.
Staples described a recently purchased 2016 maroon Dodge Ram 4x4 extended-cab truck bought by the Georges River Shellfish Management for the clam warden. The truck is property of the five-town program; if the sheriff’s office assumes duties the truck would be kept by the sheriff at the county facility. Staples added that if an agreement with Knox County does not work out by Dec. 31, the clam program would retain the truck and could enter a 2–3 month contract with the sheriff while training a local warden through the Department of Marine Resources.
Staples cautioned that the clam program operates on a limited budget and noted past interlocal costs—citing that dispatching costs began at about $5,000 and have risen to over $40,000—so the program is approaching the arrangement cautiously. The minutes record no formal vote; board discussion centered on contract language, insurance, and operational logistics.
