Lincoln County Sheriff Todd Brackett got commissioners’ approval Tuesday to hire Benjamin T. Cook as animal control officer in Waldoboro. On County Administrator Carrie Kipfer’s recommendation, they agreed to hire Lisa LaPlante of Wiscasset as the part-time probate clerk.  LaPlante has already begun her duties.

Brackett announced that Edgecomb Selectman Jack Sarmanian, who has experience in substance abuse therapy, will assist the sheriff’s office in writing grants for the substance abuse prevention programs at the jail, the sheriff’s office and in satellite centers around the county. While there are no grants to apply for currently, Brackett said having a grant writer willing to help will make it easier to meet deadlines and get additional funding for the effective programs.

Brackett is also planning an auction on items in the evidence room that have an unknown owner or have been surrendered by their owners. No date is set. He plans to run ads one more time informing possible owners of the items being held. He did sell several surplus vehicles, for a total of $7,010.

Mobius has a $9,000 a year lease to rent the space downstairs at the Planning Office across from Big Al’s and will be moving in this month. The agency will start seeing clients there in November. Kipfer said the space was ideal, because Mobius wanted to teach its clients kitchen skills, and the site has a large kitchen. She said it was decided not to place a restroom downstairs for now; clients will use the upstairs bathrooms. 

Paving of the Planning Office parking lot is set for the end of the month, and Kipfer is meeting with Wiscasset Town Manager Marian Anderson to determine signage.

The water main project at the courthouse will begin in spring, Kipfer said.

Kipfer released the names of the FY-2018 Budget Committee members. Their three-year terms are staggered so that only three new members join every year. In District 1, the greater Wiscasset area, the members are: George Richardson of Westport Island (year one), Jack Sarmanian of Edgecomb (year two), and Ben Rines of Wiscasset (year two). In District 2, the region serving Waldoboro and the Pemaquid peninsula: Terry Lowd of Bristol (year one), Wendy Pieh of Bremen (year two) and Bud Lewis of Nobleboro (year three). In District 3, the greater Damariscotta area: Chris Doherty of Newcastle (year one), Anthony Marple of Whitefield (year two) and Robin Mayer of Damariscotta (year three).