FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners Tuesday approved Amanda Simoneau, deputy director of the county Emergency Management Agency, as webmaster, after accepting Rachel Heseltine’s resignation from the position.
Simoneau’s appointment to maintain the county website followed an executive session, county Clerk Julie Magoon said.
Simoneau, of Wilton, will be paid an annual stipend of $2,500.
Heseltine, of Chesterville, works part time in the Registry of Probate Office and was among four county employees who applied for the position. Commissioners hired Heseltine in December 2016 to fill the position.
Simoneau was also a candidate for the position.
Following a second executive session, Magoon said commissioners approved a $2,000 stipend for her for administration of the county’s tax-increment financing agreement for January through June 30.
In other business, county EMA Director Tim Hardy, speaking on behalf of county Communications Center Director Stan Wheeler, said as of last week, county fire south frequency and Sheriff’s Office primary frequency were moved to the new communications tower on Mosher Hill in Farmington.
The county has switched from a 100-foot tower to a nearby 190-foot tower on the same leased land and has had new equipment installed on the higher tower. The older equipment will remain on the shorter tower in case it’s needed.
People were asked to test the frequencies.
“We are very pleased with the results so far,” Hardy said. He is also on the county’s Dispatch Advisory Board.
This is not a fix-all for everybody because of the geography in Franklin County, he said. There will be some dead spots and some limited service is some areas, Hardy said.
The county is in the midst of multiyear communications improvement plan.
There are some upgrades being done to the Regional Communications Center, including the installation of a new dispatch console.
The county will put in place a radio over internet protocol system once all the upgrades are done at the center. It is a method of transmitting and receiving radio communications via internet protocol.
The county already set up the system in Phillips, Strong and Weld, Hardy said.
In the spring, once the upgrades are done, they will invite commissioners on a tour of the tower site and upgrades at the dispatch center.
In another communications matter, commissioners approved moving dispatcher Dawn Tolman of East Dixfield from probationary status to permanent full time. Tolman was hired in August 2016.
Commissioners advanced her to the next level of pay, which is $17.26 an hour.
Franklin County Courthouse