The Lincoln County Commissioners decided not to pursue a proposal to add a full-time DEA agent to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office at their regular meeting, Aug. 3.
“The idea is great,” Commissioner Sheridan Bond said. “I’ve always been a big promoter of cracking down on illicit drugs state-wide [and] community-wide.”
Funding for the agent would depend largely on forfeiture money. “I don’t think during these times we can take that chance,” Bond said. The move would effectively put Lincoln County in the position of subsidizing the federal government, he said.
The commissioners unanimously voted to “stay with the MDEA [Maine Drug Enforcement Agency] at the present time,” according to Bond’s motion.
In other law enforcement business, Commissioners accepted the resignation of Deputy Brian Lawrence from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO). Bond called Lawrence a “long term employee of Lincoln County.”
“He’s served the county well,” Bond said. “We accept the resignation with regret.”
The commissioners approved the purchase of a 2009 Chevy Impala for LCSO use. The car, with 18,020 miles, will cost the county $14,980. $10,000 will come from LCSO’s vehicle account; the balance will come from the forfeiture account.
Tim Pellerin, Director of the Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency, told commissioners his department is “trying to move forward” with negotiations to install transmission equipment on a U.S. Cellular tower in Boothbay.
The tower at Red Hawk Reach represents the final link in an update to the county’s radio link systems, but until county equipment is in place, the new system can’t function, Pellerin said.
Initially, U.S. Cellular “granted us permission to install our equipment,” Pellerin said. Subsequent delays have been partly the result of the company treating Lincoln County “like we’re a private vendor, not a public agency” with regards to permitting requirements, Pellerin said.
Lincoln County Communications recently dispatched emergency services from several towns to a major barn fire in Randolph, Pellerin said. Lincoln County Communications took over communications for Randolph and three other Kennebec County towns June 30.
“All the communications were seamless,” Pellerin said, and after the fire, Randolph Fire Chief Ron Cunningham told him the town wouldn’t return to their former dispatcher even if it were free.
Although the 70′ by 90′ barn “burned flat to the ground,” firefighters were able to save cattle inside, Pellerin said.
