FARMINGTON – County commissioners unanimously approved the hiring of the current assistant jail administrator as the new manager for the 72-hour detention center.
Doug Blauvelt, who formerly worked at Franklin County’s jail as the assistant administrator to Jail Administrator Sandra Collins, will continue working for the county. Commissioners approved the recommendation of a hiring board consisting of personnel from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department and other county personnel, with Blauvelt selected for the job.
The hiring is the first for the detention center, which has switched from being a county jail to a 72-hour holding facility. It will serve as a temporary holding area for those arrested and awaiting their first court appearance. Depending on the time of arrest, a defendant may get to court within a day or two at most, and then will be transferred to the new Somerset County jail in Skowhegan until bail is made or the next court date.
Blauvelt will make $20,488 during the six-month probationary period. County Clerk Julie Magoon said that his continued employment at the holding facility and salary would be up to the commissioners following a review period after those six months. She estimated that an annual salary of roughly $42,000 or $43,000 was likely, based on what other department heads with similar responsibilities were making.
Franklin County Sheriff Dennis Pike, who took part in the hiring process, called Blauvelt the product of an “extensive hiring process,” consisting of a background study and oral board. There were five applicants for the position.
