The Lincoln County Commissioners recently placed Tim Pellerin, Director of the Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and Lincoln County Communications, on paid administrative leave.
Lynn Orne, the Chairman of the Lincoln County Commissioners, declined comment except to confirm that Pellerin is “on administrative leave at this time.”
“I’m following the orders of my bosses… I can’t speak about it,” Pellerin said. Pellerin referred further questions to his attorney, Rich Elliot, of Boothbay Harbor.
Elliot could not be reached for comment.
Commissioner Sheridan Bond also declined to comment on the specifics of the matter. “It is a personnel issue at this time,” Bond said.
With Hurricane Earl approaching, the absence of the county’s EMA Director might concern some residents, but the county is prepared, Bond said.
Deputy EMA Directors Kim Kaiser and Ken Desmond “will handle things” in Pellerin’s absence, Bond said.
“Tim [Pellerin] has made sure that all the departments throughout the county are well-prepared,” Bond said. Bond called Pellerin “instrumental” in the training of local EMA volunteers.
Desmond and Kaiser also declined to comment on the specifics of the matter. “We’re just doing operations as status quo,” Desmond said.
As for Earl, “We train for it. We get our EMA Directors across the county ready for it… We’re ready,” Desmond said.
Pellerin also serves as Chief of the Whitefield Fire Department. “We don’t know anything yet,” Steve McCormick, Chairman of the Whitefield Board of Selectmen, said. “I don’t think it’ll affect his ability to be fire chief at all.”
Alec Brodsky contributed reporting to this article.
