FARMINGTON – The Franklin County Commissioners met at 3:30 p.m on Tuesday, April 9. Prior to the public portion of the meeting, the commissioners went into executive session to discuss the county’s Opioid Settlement Fund Committee. After exiting the executive session, the commissioners voted to remove Keith Amato from the committee.
The Opioid Settlement Fund Committee is an advisory committee that receives applications for settlement funds and makes recommendations to the county commissioners for how the funds should be distributed.
County Administrator Amy Bernard said in a phone call later in the week that this was the second executive session on the issue of the committee, and that this second meeting was arranged during the first session. After the first executive session, which was held on April 2, the commissioners’ office emailed all of the committee members to request a phone number so Bernard could call them to go review the next steps. Bernard said only four members of the committee responded: Kat Beaumont, Stacy Austin, Leanna Lavoie, and Bonita Tompkins, all of whom attended the executive session on April 9 along with Sue Pratt and Sgt. Ryan Close.
Amato was not present at the second executive session when the decision regarding his position was made. Bernard said that an email was sent to Amato following the commissioners’ meeting on April 9 notifying him of the decision.
Per Maine State Law regarding executive sessions, deliberations must be limited to specific issues. Under personnel, the law reads, “Discussion or consideration of the employment, appointment, assignment, duties, promotion, demotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplining, resignation or dismissal of an individual or group of public officials, appointees or employees of the body or agency or the investigation or hearing of charges or complaints against a person or persons subject to the following conditions: (1) An executive session may be held only if public discussion could be reasonably expected to cause damage to the individual’s reputation or the individual’s right to privacy would be violated; (2) Any person charged or investigated must be permitted to be present at an executive session if that person so desires; (3) Any person charged or investigated may request in writing that the investigation or hearing of charges or complaints against that person be conducted in open session. A request, if made to the agency, must be honored; and (4) Any person bringing charges, complaints or allegations of misconduct against the individual under discussion must be permitted to be present.”
Commissioner Bob Carlton said in a phone call, “There was no ill-intent. It was an issue with the process, and as a result we’ll tighten up our process.”
The commissioners are expected to discuss the committee during their next meeting on Tuesday, April 16, at 10 a.m.
During the Clerk’s Report, County Administrator Amy Bernard presented the board with a list of reserve accounts to be funded by the county’s undesignated fund balance. Putting money towards these accounts now would help to keep the burden off the taxpayers.
The total amount requested to go to these funds is $520,000, distributed across these reserve accounts.
The reserve accounts include the IT Reserve Fund, for the ongoing project of moving the county’s server to the cloud; the Benefit Liability Fund, to pay for underfunded personnel lines; the Unemployment Fund, the counteract the recent negative balance in this account; the Court House Reserve Fund, for the replacement of the roof and heating system, installment of a security system, and general upkeep of the building; and the Sheriff Vehicle Reserve, for the purchase of cruisers.
Bernard also proposed that the commissioners establish a Sheriff Equipment Reserve Fund to assist with paying for camera systems, guns, tasers, body armor, and all of the equipment the sheriff’s department needs to operate.
Commissioner Terry Brann made a motion that they designated the funds. The motion passed unanimously.
In a late addition to the meeting’s agenda, Bernard presented new bylaws of the Undesignated Territory of Franklin County Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Advisory Committee for approval. This purpose of this committee is to review TIF expenditures and provide recommendations on TIF applications, with goal of supporting economic development in the county’s undesignated territories.
The question of financing for the new emergency operation center on County Way was brought up by a member of the audience, asking if the new bylaws will free money for the cost of this building.
Bernard clarified that it is a factor: “We still need to decide how we’re going to fund that, and that will have to be a discussion within the next month,” she said, explaining that TIF is an option for financing.
The County Commissioners moved to accept the bylaws.
