Whites Island Owner Files FOIA Request

At a regular meeting of the Lincoln County Commissioners Feb. 15, Wiscasset resident Bill Phinney asked for additional “transparent information” for a Freedom of Access Act request he sent to the Board on Jan. 25.

Phinney is seeking any information that makes reference over the past three years to Whites Island, which he owns. His Freedom of Access Act request was in response to a Dec. 2010 grant application filed by the town of Wiscasset. The $20,000 grant would cover an engineering and design study of the pedestrian bridge that connects Wiscasset to Whites Island, a once popular picnic spot located on the outskirts of the harbor adjacent to the town landing.

According to Wiscasset Town Manager Laurie Smith, the grant was successful, but the town has not formally accepted it. At a Feb. 8 Board of Selectmen meeting, Chairman David Nichols was appointed as a representative of the town for discussions in a proposed resolution with Phinney for possible public use of the island.

After the Jan. 25 request, Finney received information from the Commissioners from the previous three months, including 17 pages of copies of two Lincoln County Economic Development Office (LCEDO) quarterly reports; a timeframe that Lincoln County Administrator John O’Connell thought satisfied the Freedom of Access request.

During the meeting, however, Finney reiterated his demand for all information over the past three years as outlined in his initial request. Commissioner Sheridan Bond referred him to LCEDO, which drew a pointed response from Phinney.

“You’re telling me that you pay the bills but don’t have any information?” said Phinney.

The Commissioners’ office agreed to honor his request but at a price pegged at $10 an hour after a reasonable amount of time is expended on the process.

“It’s just a standard fee,” said O’Connell.

Other BusinessIn other business, Mary Ellen Barnes of the LCEDO presented her quarterly report to the Commissioners. In her report, Barnes updated the Board on LCEDO’s participation in the fledgling Wiscasset Chamber of Commerce and the progress of three focus group meetings for the Damariscotta River Arts low-to-moderate artists study.

In his regular report, Mike Thompson of Lincoln County Recycling, accompanied by DEP representative Carol Cifrino, updated the Commissioners on “e-waste” possibilities for the county. The Lincoln County Commissioners will next meet on March 1.