FARMINGTON — County commissioners voted Tuesday to hire Mike Ryan of Wilton as a full-time dispatcher.

Ryan has worked as a reserve dispatcher.

He went through the interview process and is also 911 and emergency-medical-dispatch certified, Franklin County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy Ray Meldrum said.

He replaces Aaron Gordon of New Sharon, who has gone back to truck-driving, he said.

In other business, Meldrum told commissioners’s that when it rains heavily, water is leaking into the sheriff’s office building on the south wall.

Sgt. Steven Lowell noticed it for the first time recently. Normally, with space constraints, there are items put up against the wall. A space was cleared and he saw the water on the south side of the building that is on the back side of the building.

Sheriff Dennis Pike said that possibly could be part of the reason for the air quality problems that staff has complained about. Initially it was blamed on condensation, he said.

“I would be concerned about black mold,” Commission Chairman Gary McGrane of Jay said.

He suggested it continue to be monitored and to make sure there is no mold growing.

In another hiring, jail Manager Doug Blauvelt recommended Walter Fails of New Sharon be hired to fill a utility position as a corrections officer.

Fails is a full-time corrections officer at Somerset County Jail in Madison. He previously worked at the Franklin County jail before he was laid-off when the state took over jails and the Farmington facility became a 72-hour holding facility. He also worked part-time for the county.

Commissioners voted to approve hiring Fails full-time. He replaces corrections officer Jason Hamlin of Wilton, who is now the jail custodian.

Fails will start on Sept. 2.

Commissioners also approved hiring Christian LaMontagne of Skowhegan as a part-time, reserve corrections officer. He is a full-time corrections officer at Somerset County Jail and wants to work part-time, Blauvelt told commissioners.

In a budget matter, commissioners voted to transfer $25,000 from the undesignated fund balance to benefit liabilities to bring it up slightly over $50,000.

Three people retired last year and the fund needs to be replenished, Treasurer Mary Frank said.

Clerk Julie Magoon said that she has been approached by two people interested in retirement and it is unknown what will happen during the sheriff’s election in November. They could possibly be looking at two more retirements, she said.

The undesignated fund is estimated to have $982,000, which Frank said she expects to be lower once the auditor finishes with the financial records and postings are completed for 2011-12.

The county needs to have a certain amount of money available to spend in case of an emergency.

Commissioners also voted to have Western Maine Excavation of Farmington to see if it can determine why dirt poured into former fence post holes in the county lot off Church Street keeps washing away. The holes will eventually be filled in with reclaimed paving material until the lot can be re-paved.

Custodian Greg Roux said that five different contractors showed interest and four came to look at the lot. But only one company submitted an amount. Western Maine’s price is $2,300. Roux said that leaves a buffer in case they run into a problem. The Budget Committee allowed $5,000 for that portion of the project.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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