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Lincoln County commissioners approve warrants, contracts and personnel moves; authorize ALPR insurance review
Summary
At their July 21 meeting, Lincoln County commissioners approved warrants and payroll, authorized several purchase payments and personnel actions, approved a one-year MDEA assignment for a sheriff’s sergeant, accepted a Byrne JAG grant, and authorized staff to explore insurance options to mount county-owned ALPR cameras.
Lincoln County commissioners met July 21 and approved a series of routine and operational items, including accounts payable and payroll warrants, multiple purchase authorizations and a one-year interagency assignment that will send a sheriff’s sergeant to the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA).
The board approved Warrant 62 totaling $558,424.17, which included roughly $300,000 for radio-tower equipment to bring the county’s law and fire channels onto the same technology added earlier for EMS; Warrant 64 ($440,048.56) and payroll warrant $317,309.69 also passed. Finance staff said the change improves communication across seven county towers.
The sheriff’s office secured authorization for several purchases: a $7,774.68 payment to Hillside Collision Center for a vehicle repair; a $10,704 subscription payment to Motorola Solutions for in‑car and body‑camera cloud services; and a $39,126 payment to Key Auto for an unmarked Durango for criminal investigations. Commissioners approved disposal of a surplus 2021 Ford SUV at auction.
The board unanimously approved a retroactive, one‑year MDEA contract to assign Sergeant Ron Rollins, reimbursed in full to the county for wages and benefits ($189,755.33). The sheriff said the assignment will create a temporary vacancy that the department will backfill under a written agreement with the union.
Sheriff’s staff also described county-owned automated license‑plate reader (ALPR) units that remain unmounted because utility owners declined attachments without additional insurance; CMP requires a $5,000,000 general liability clause while the county’s risk pool provides $2,000,000. The board authorized the sheriff and county administrator to work with the risk pool and county counsel to explore costs and insurance options to make mounting viable.
The commissioners accepted the FY24 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant totaling $13,425, with allocations to the sheriff’s office and smaller amounts to area towns; and they authorized hiring Holly Harris as the sheriff’s office records and training manager on a probationary basis.
Other actions included approving a Siemens contract to replace heating-system valves in the courthouse wing ($13,699), accepting a grant closeout report for opioid‑settlement funds, and accepting a tax-abatement appeal application (Mario DiPietro v. Town of Westport Island) for scheduling. The board also voted to solicit bids for a new Emergency Management Agency vehicle after staff said updated EMPG (Emergency Management Performance Grant) terms would allow some wage offsetting.
Most motions passed unanimously (3–0). The meeting concluded with a motion to enter executive session under 1 M.R.S.A. §405(6)(A) to discuss personnel.
