A packed agenda greeted Lincoln County Commissioners when they met for their first meeting of 2015.

The first order of business was to elect the chairman of the board of commissioners, which quickly followed the nomination of William B. Blodgett. Blodgett, a previous five-term member of the board, was re-elected in November. He will continue to serve as board chairman.

A recent review by the state Department of Labor indicated the need to update certain of the county’s policy manuals. These were presented by County Administrator John O’Connell for signing by the commissioners.

A three-year contract with Siemens for maintenance of the county’s heating and cooling systems was approved by the commissioners. Under the terms of the contract, which includes maintaining heating and cooling systems for the courthouse, Communications Center and Sheriff’s Office, the fees will increase at the rate of 3 percent each year. The 2015 cost negotiated with Siemens is $29,971. In 2016, the cost will increase to $30,871 and to $31,797 in 2017.

The contract calls for comprehensive, 24/7 coverage by Siemens for heating and cooling the three buildings. Commissioner Hamilton Meserve pointed out that the goal is to put all costs associated with system maintenance for the three buildings under one contract so as to better manage the costs.

An Internet service contract was awarded to Burgess Computer of Bath. The approximately $100,000 contract includes services for both the county courthouse and Two Bridges Regional Jail. Under the terms, the costs will be divided with the county’s portion amounting to $44,556 for one year.

Tod Hartung, County Director of EMA, updated the Commissioners on the design of a new refrigerator magnet, which can be used by local residents in an emergency. The design focuses on important numbers for residents to know in an emergency. These include “72 hours” — the amount of time a resident may be without utilities; “211” — Maine’s statewide information line which will have warming station locations and “911” the local emergency phone number.

Commissioner Meserve explained that the idea for the magnets came from the meetings that were held in the Boothbay area on Dec. 8, 2014 in response to the early November snowstorm that left many residents without power.

The information contained in the magnets is intended to be used by area residents in the event of a similar emergency. There will be 5,000 magnets distributed among the county’s town offices.