At the Dec. 6 Lincoln County Commissioners’ meeting, Sheriff Todd Brackett announced the resignation of Sgt. Jason Nein, who is leaving to join the Department of Motor Vehicles as an investigator. Brackett said he got the resignation letter on Nov. 18, and while he formally accepted it then, he brought it to share with commissioners. He was given permission to give both Nein, and Chief Deputy Ken Mason, who recently left to serve as Kennebec County Sheriff, their duty pistols, as the Sheriff’s Office traditionally does to retiring officers.

Brackett said he had begun to advertise both internally and externally to replace both Nein and Mason.  So far, he had eight applications.

Brackett also said the department received a forfeiture of $2,330 from a case, Maine vs. Christopher Court, and that all 27 vehicles had been fitted with winter tires at a cost of $6,879.18.

Tod Hartung of the Emergency Management Agency said Wiscasset and Newcastle had signed memorandums of understanding for use of generators brought from South Carolina early in the summer. Three other generators are still available, and several towns are interested. Hartung said work is proceeding on the new communications system and that it is expected to be completed by the end of January.

The commissioners accepted the bid of Ron Beaulieu, CPA, to do the county’s audit.

Administrator Carrie Kipfer said the county purchased several licenses for an update to Microsoft Office 2016 at a cost of $14,893. She reported that she attended a risk pool management workshop at Two Bridges Regional Jail. She also reminded commissioners that Kathy Martin Savage will be leaving the Two Bridges Regional Jail Authority at the end of January, and that Mason, who serves as an alternate, has already left and the commissioners need to consider replacements. After the meeting, Kipfer reported the results of a vote taken in executive session to rewrite the job description of bookkeeper, upon the retirement of Mary Stacy at the end of the year. The new job description will be posted internally in the next couple of days.

Commissioner Mary Trescot said she had made an arrangement with Damariscotta Hardware to provide 220 buckets for food waste scraps, which would be sold to interested county residents. Residents can bring food waste to the participating transfer stations or the recycling station on Huntoon Hill Road in Wiscasset. The buckets will be sold to the county at $1 to $1.50, and the lid will be an extra cost. Residents can purchase the buckets and lids at the transfer or recycling center.

Finally, outgoing Probate Judge Tom Berry introduced his successor, Will Avantaggio, to the commissioners. Avantaggio will begin his duties the first week of January. He ran unopposed Nov. 8.

Trescot and William Blodgett surprised Berry with a plaque commending him for his 27 years of service. Hamilton Meserve was absent as he was on a vacation to Easter Island.