FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted Tuesday to continue reconstruction of East Madrid Road in Madrid Township as planned, despite objections from a property owner.

The $25,000 project includes ditching, installation of culverts and removal of trees. Part of the reason the work needs to be done is to help with snow removal.

Commission Chairman Fred Hardy of New Sharon said the county had a survey done to make sure it did not encroach on private property.

Rufus Griscom of Texas, who owns property on the road along with his brother, said the work the county was having done was unnecessary. He said it has natural drainage. He also said that he and his brother were not notified about the work to be done and found out by accident.

Commissioners maintained that the work is road maintenance that is necessary and it is being done on county property.

Commissioner Gary McGrane said there were discussions about road improvements that were going to be needed several years ago that included Griscom.

Griscom disagreed, saying commissioners never gave him or his brother details or notice about what was to be done. He also said the scope of the project was more than just maintenance on the road.

Commissioners also said they do not notify abutting landowners when maintenance work is being done on county roads.

Griscom also said that work is being done along wetlands and the county needs to get a permit from Maine Land Use Regulation Commission. He also said the work has also released a spring, causing more water to run onto property in the area.

County Unorganized Territory Road Agent Jerry Haines said that he contacted LURC previously and was told if it is road maintenance and the county stays on its own property, no permit is necessary.

Griscom disagreed with that as well.

McGrane also said if the trees are not taken down, then the county would be encroaching on somebody else’s property.

Griscom also objected to Haines’ doing the work. He said the $25,000 project should have gone out to bid.

Hardy said the county checked with an attorney and the work could be done by Haines.

Griscom asked that the project be postponed to spring or altered. He said he would like to have the county’s survey of the property and a survey he’s had done compared to see if they match up.

Commissioners voted unanimously to proceed with the planned work.

In other business, Sheriff Dennis Pike informed commissioners about a contract the county entered into with NorthStar Emergency Medical Services to dispatch ambulances for Livermore and Livermore Falls. It is for $175 a month. The contract will be reviewed in six months to see if the number of calls estimated is in line with the number of calls that will be handled.

Pike also apologized to commissioners for telling them in November that there would be no need to reimburse the town of Farmington for a police officer they hired.

It turned out that Matthew Brann, a former Farmington officer, now a county deputy, had been with Farmington for nearly five years but he did not undergo Criminal Justice Academy training until a year later.

The county has to reimburse Farmington, $12,000 for Brann’s training, Pike said.

“It is still a tremendous savings,” Pike said. It could have been $38,000 that they could have had to reimburse but since it was the fourth year, they only need to reimburse part of it.

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