The Damariscotta Board of Selectmen unanimously confirmed the appointment of Ron Young to the position of chief of police at a special meeting Aug. 14.
Chairman Josh Pinkham called the appointment “the best positive news we’ve had in a long time here.”
Damariscotta Town Manager Matt Lutkus said he has been “very impressed with Ron.”
“I think the skills, the experience, the interests he has are exactly what we need in Damariscotta,” Lutkus said.
“Ron’s priorities as a professional have been with the senior community and the youth in the community, and I know those priorities are important to the board as well,” Lutkus said.
Young will start work Tuesday, Sept. 3. His appointment is contingent on a successful pre-employment screening.
The town and Young have agreed on terms and plan to sign a three-year contract Wednesday, Aug. 21.
The town will pay Young $58,500 per year with the possibility of salary increases during the course of the contract. The town will also reimburse Young for up to $2,000 in moving and temporary housing expenses for the chief and his family.
The chief will work a half-time patrol schedule with a regular day shift in addition to his administrative and leadership duties.
The contract requires Young to live in Damariscotta or within 20 miles of the town. He must establish residency within six months of the appointment.
The contract arranges for the town to pay Young six months’ salary if the department is eliminated or a “workforce reduction” takes place. The chief will be “on probation” for the first year of his contract, in accordance with the town personnel policy.
The job description for the position directs the chief to maintain “a strong, community-oriented police focus, which includes frequent foot patrol by officers in the downtown area and high officer visibility” throughout the town.
Young is a former Marine and a 21-year veteran of law enforcement. He comes to Damariscotta from the town of Lincolnville, where he was chief of police from 2008 until the town narrowly voted to eliminate the police department in June 2013.
He resides in Morrill with his wife, Susan Young, a former sheriff’s deputy, and their sons, Nolan, Alec and Dylan.
