Commissioners OK correction officer’s promotion and new clerk specialist

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer
    DOVER-FOXCROFT — The Piscataquis County Commissioners handled mostly routine business at their Oct. 7 meeting including the approval of a new supervisory position at the jail and the hiring of a new clerk specialist for the district attorney’s office.
    Commissioners also held two executive sessions after the public portion of the meeting including a one-hour conference with County Manager Marilyn Tourtelotte. Commissioners said that the session did not pertain to Tourtelotte’s contract, which is up for renewal on Dec. 31. They took no action following the closed-door meeting.
    The other session was related to an employee grievance.
    Commissioners approved the promotion of Corrections Officer Alan Wintle to the rank of corporal. Jail Administrator Dave Harmon said that Wintle is a 10-year employee and the promotion fills a vacant supervisory position at the corrections facility.
    Wintle is a former member of the Dexter Town Council and is currently a trustee on the Dexter Utility District.

    Commissioners also approved the recommendation of District Attorney Chris Almy to hire Chelsea Martell to fill a vacant clerk specialist position in the Dover-Foxcroft office.
    Almy said a search committee interviewed five candidates. “The person we chose had a score 20 percent higher than the next candidate,” Almy said. “She was the runner-up candidate for the victim’s advocate position and has worked in our office on a part-time basis for a number of months. I’m really happy to nominate her.”
    Dr. Ken Woodbury, the community development director for the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council, also updated commissioners on several ongoing projects.
    Woodbury announced that a $75,000 USDA Rural Business Enterprise grant for a new groomer for the Moosehead Riders Snowmobile Club in Greenville has been approved. “When a private (grooming) contractor pulled out, the club had to mortgage their building to buy a couple of used groomers to keep the program going,” Woodbury explained.
    He added that USDA has been taking a hard look at funding groomer purchases in future years, however. “They only see them as machines that move snow, which disappears every year,” Woodbury said.
Woodbury also gave an update on an ongoing project to improve access to trailheads around the Lower Wilson Falls and Gulf Hagas areas. The Quimby Foundation, which owns most of the property in the area, has agreed to pay for the improvements, he explained.
    However, work needs to be done on the county-maintained road that goes into the area, Woodbury said. “It’s really in poor condition and the brush is overgrown,” he added. “If there is any money left over from the (Quimby) grant, we’ll be glad to use it to help fix the road.”
    Commissioners did reject one proposal on the agenda. Brian Howard, the contractor who was hired to maintain roads in Elliotsville and Blanchard townships, requested permission to subcontract the winter maintenance duties.
    However, commissioners were hesitant to approve the change and questioned the logistics of making such a change with winter just around the corner. “I have a feeling we’d be losing control,” said James Annis, chairman of the commissioners. “If it doesn’t work out, who do we go back to?” Commissioner Fred Trask agreed. “This (request) has too many moving parts,” he said.
    The next scheduled county commissioners’ meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 8:30 a.m.