At their regular meeting Feb.1, the Lincoln County Commissioners addressed complaints of “rude” behavior toward the public by employees in the county clerk’s office.
“This is in response to an accumulation of complaints,” said Commissioner Lynn Orne. “I understand the problem myself having experienced it.”
In response to what by all accounts is a persistent issue, the Commissioners brought in James T. Glessner, court administrator for the state of Maine, to address what measures should be taken.
“The focus needs to be on people even though the circumstances people come here for aren’t always pleasant,” said Glessner.
Commissioner Sheridan T. Bond, echoing Orne’s concerns said, “if businesses treated their customers this way, they wouldn’t have customers.” In order to change the climate, Orne advocated a “fresh start” to include customer service training and an emphasis on sensitivity toward the public.
“When we deal with the public, we need to do it in a pleasant way,” said Orne. “It’s about dignity and respect.”
Glessner, who sympathized with the difficult requirements of the job, cited a lack of state resources as one possible reason for the occasionally hostile exchanges between clerks and the public.
In a separate interview after the Commissioners’ meeting, Deborah Sullivan, who works in the clerk’s office, said sometimes “procedure” can be confused for “rudeness.”
“People aren’t happy to be here, which we understand,” said Sullivan. “It’s not like working at LL Bean.”
In other business, Lincoln County Sheriff Todd Bracket updated the board on the inmate count at Two Bridges Regional Jail, which as of Feb. 1 stood at 30 for Lincoln County and 53 for Sagadahoc County.
Brackett also submitted for approval a transfer of forfeited assets for a Canon digital camera that was seized as part of a drug arrest. The Commissioners are scheduled to meet next on Feb. 15 at 9 a.m.
