At the Feb. 21 meeting of the Lincoln County Commissioners, Sheriff Todd Brackett announced his pick for chief deputy to replace Major Ken Mason, who is now Kennebec County sheriff. The pick is Lt. Rand Maker, a 20-plus year veteran of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

“Rand Maker is forward-thinking, and we’ve already begun making plans together,” Brackett said. “He has ideas to move the agency forward, and I am looking forward to working with him.”

Maker is currently commander of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Patrol Division, consisting of 10 full-time deputies and several reserve officers. He will be appointed acting chief deputy for six months to give him and the Sheriff’s Office time to determine whether or not the new position is a good fit, while also working with the union to transition Maker out of the union into the new non-union role.

In addition to Maker’s appointment, Brackett also announced that Mark Bridgham would be promoted to sergeant. He is currently serving as school resource officer at Lincoln Academy, and the plan is to have him do both for a time, perhaps until the end of the school year, when a new SRO will be appointed.

Two new patrol deputies — one full-time, one part time — were appointed as well, pending background checks and psychiatric evaluations. The full-time position will go to Chase Bossé, a Husson University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He is working toward a master’s degree in criminal justice as well. He worked part time during the summer at York Police Department. The earliest he could attend the academy is probably August, Brackett said.

The part-time patrol deputy is Husson junior Lucas Bickford of Bristol.

The commissioners agreed to extend the contract with Hillside Collision for maintenance on the sheriff’s department’s vehicles.

Joe Westrich, Communications Director, said that in the recent winter storms, there were no failures in communication, but that a contingency action plan is in place in case it is not possible for dispatchers to work in the Communications Center. The first option would be to have them work in the courthouse, but if that fails as well for some reason, several neighboring counties act as mutual aid agencies for Lincoln County dispatchers, including Sagadahoc, Kennebec and Knox counties. There are plans to obtain some additional equipment to help with the effort, through a Homeland Security grant that has been obtained.

Westrich also said the Communications team is going into local schools to work with kindergarteners through third graders about how, and when, to contact 9-1–1, and the sort of information they should be able to provide.

Casey Stevens, whose EMA department is moving into the Courthouse, asked for the release of some funds from an in-kind reserve account to purchase radio equipment that can link up to the tower at Huntoon Hill. The cost is $4,437, and the funds come from the Maine Emergency Management Agency. Stevens also said he is working on finding a deputy director, and once the person is in place, they will continue work on the Emergency Operations Center plan.

Karen Robbins, deputy registrar of probate, has tendered her resignation to move out of state with her husband. Her last day will be Friday, Feb. 24.

County Administrator Carrie Kipfer shared a draft Shared Services Agreement between the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission and the Midcoast Regional Planning Commission. It was agreed that the Lincoln County planners would take on geographic information system planning, while the Midcoast planners will take on the role of Maine Department of Transportation budgeting, billing, and other financial work.

The county renewed its agreement with Tri-County Recycling; the cost is less than in previous years, owing in part to food scrap collection, which is then composted at the Huntoon Hill site.

Kipfer said Maine County Government Day would take place in Augusta in the first week of April. Commissioner Mary Trescot wished to have a display highlighting Lincoln County’s food scrap composting program at the statehouse.