Lincoln County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a move to a fiber optic internet system that would improve upload and download speeds at the courthouse, communications center, and sheriff’s office.

County Administrator Carrie Kipfer said the county currently has a download speed of 60 mbps and an upload speed of 16 mbps. Uploading a photo from a dash cam in a cruiser has not been possible.

Commissioners reviewed several fiber optic proposals and decided to sign a three-year contract with Lincolnville Communications (Tidewater) as the primary provider and GWI as the secondary one, with speeds of 100 mpbs up and down. 

Any capital equipment needs will be discussed later.

Kipfer also announced that several outlying towns will have increased recycling fees owing to the cost of providing the service. Georgetown, Windsor, Warren and Tri-County Waste Management, which collects for some Lincoln County towns and also some Knox County towns, have received new contracts that at least double their fees. Georgetown, the only town yet to respond to the new contracts, has informed Lincoln County it will have to hold a special town meeting to  authorize the funds.

An antenna in Boothbay Harbor used for police and fire communications is being replaced. It was no longer positioned correctly. The Huntoon Hill tower used by US Cellular is being retrofitted with additional guide wires, despite a nest of ospreys. “(Workers have) been informed that they’ll have to be careful around the nesting birds,” Kipfer said.

She also announced the county has received $888 from the Department of Transportation for roadwork in unincorporated areas such as Hibbert’s Gore, where the county maintains a small bridge. Midcoast Conservancy has applied for grant funds to assist the Nobleboro Transfer Station with a residential hazardous waste collection day. If the process goes well, the county will help establish other collections at transfer stations. It will be open to everyone in Lincoln County. No date has been set.

Commissioners approved Sheriff Todd Brackett's recommended hiring Brandon Gilbert of Farmingdale after Roger Wilcox of Newcastle withdrew from consideration as a transport officer. Brackett also announced he is applying for more grants for underage drinking enforcement, and he presented the purchase order for body armor. The purchase, approved more than a month ago, had been delayed because the federal government had bought all the available Kevlar.