FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted Monday to accept a bid of $88,661 from Hussey Communications of Winslow for work pertaining to the Mosher Hill tower in Farmington.
Four vendors were contacted and two submitted bids, said Stan Wheeler, director of the Franklin County Regional Communications Center. The other bid was $113,048 from Dirigo Wireless of Poland.
Once commissioners opened the bids, Wheeler took them downstairs at the county courthouse to review them with the Dispatch Advisory Board. When he returned to the commissioner’s office, he told commissioners that the board had recommended Hussey.
Hussey’s amount is more than the $62,000 remaining in a Homeland Security grant, but the work done at the dispatch center was under budget, Wheeler said.
The county is in the midst of a multi-phase plan to improve emergency radio communications throughout Franklin County.
The county is still waiting on an agreement to use the Tri-County Emergency Management Agency’s 190-foot tower on Mosher Hill. The property the tower and the county’s 100-foot tower are on is owned by Susan and Tom Eastler. Commissioners have approved a land lease with the couple that will go into effect in 2016.
In another matter, Rosemary Kulow, executive director of the Maine County Commissioners Association, presented Ruby Hardy, the widow of Commissioner Fred Hardy, a plaque for his 23 years of service from 1992 to 2015. Hardy died in July.
In a business matter, commissioners approved District Attorney Andrew Robinson moving forward to develop a memorandum of understanding with the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency and Maine State Police. There is office space above the DA’s office on Main Street in Farmington, which was formerly an apartment with two bedrooms. Landlord Craig Jordan has kept the space vacant after concerns were discussed about people overhearing sensitive information from the DA’s office.
The MDEA and state police would pay $100 each a month to rent the space, Robinson said. An assistant district attorney would also use space up there. There is no additional cost to the county, he said.
Robinson will work with County Clerk Julie Magoon to develop the proper language for an agreement between the parties.
Commissioners also approved the hiring of two new patrol deputies for the Sheriff’s Office. Chief Deputy Steven Lowell said interviews, oral boards and background checks were done on applicants for two vacant patrol positions. Deputies Matthew Brann and Kevin Hartley had formerly held the positions, but they were promoted to corporals earlier this year.
Hired as full-time deputies were Brad Scovil of Rangeley as of Jan. 5, 2016, and Justin Lowe of Wilton. Scovil currently works full time for the Rangeley Police Department and part time for the Sheriff’s Office. Lowe is currently a Wilton firefighter and studying criminal justice at the University of Maine at Augusta. He will undergo training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.
Commissioners also voted to hire Nicholas Palmer of Farmington as the new facilities manager. He currently works at the Augusta Civic Center.
Commissioners also approved hiring Amber Ryan of Eustis as a full-time utility corrections officer at the county jail. She is currently a reserve corrections officer. She was the only one to apply for the position, Maj. Doug Blauvelt said.
dperry@sunmediagroup.net
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