PARIS — Hoping to breathe new life at the county airport in Oxford, the Oxford County Commission has posted the newly created position of unorganized territories/airport supervisor.
In addition to overseeing the county’s five unorganized territories, the individual will also serve as the first supervisor of the Oxford County Regional Airport.
The airport has been underutilized since Oxford Aviation was evicted from its building in 2014 for violating the conditions of its lease.
Commissioner Steven Merrill of Norway, a big proponent of the airport, said it could be a good source of revenue for the county.
“We’re looking at a great opportunity,” Oxford County Administrator Donny Durrah said. “We need someone there to take advantage of this opportunity.”
The commissioners admitted that it could prove challenging to find the right person who could supervise the airport and the unorganized territories of Albany, Mason, Milton, Riley and Northern Oxford County.
Revenue could be generated by parking small planes on site, the rental of hangars and additional construction near the runways. At least one person has approached the county asking to build a hangar.
In other business during Tuesday’s meeting, Durrah explained how the county’s server for the Sheriffs’s Office is near capacity. The server stores the police records for all Oxford County agencies.
“We are running out of space very quickly,” Durrah said.
Quentin Tardiff , the county’s system administrator, said the solution was an “infrastructure refresh” by storing the data on a cloud or a virtual storage system. It would cost more money up front, but would save money in the long run. That would provide the county with infinite storage space.
Tardiff added that more than 99% of Cumberland County’s records are stored on the cloud.
The switch could allow the county to also store county records, such as deeds and probate, on the same system. The county now has separate systems for the sheriff and for county business.
The change would not be cheap. Durrah said the price could approach $100,000, but the county might be able to pay it over three years. Commissioners will hear more details at an upcoming workshop.
Commissioners received a request to become a Second Amendment Sanctuary County. While commissioners appeared sympathetic to the idea, they questioned if it was appropriate for them to do so.
“In principal, it’s a great idea,” Commissioner David Duguay of Byron said. “My question is, is this in our jurisdiction?”
“I don’t know if it is appropriate,” Merrill added.
Bruce Taylor, a resident of Sweden watching the meeting on Zoom, said, “If anything, it should be done in the township area. Let the individual towns do it.”
Commissioners tabled the measure in order to consult with their attorney.
Sheriff Christopher Wainwright and Jail Administrator Dana Dillingham updated commissioners on their efforts to switch from a 72-hour holding facility to a full-time, full-service jail. They are planning to upgrade to LED lights and replace the security camera system in order to eliminate the blind spots. The new lights would make the facility brighter, safer and save money.
Wainwright estimated the jail could hold up to 47 inmates. The county has 27 inmates boarded at Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset. While the target start date in July 1, Wainwright said that it could be early fall before the facility is fully functional.
“We’re making progress,” Dillingham said. “The biggest hurdle is staffing.”
Commissioners approved hiring Chelsea Dutil as a clerk in the District Attorney’s Office and Travis Witham as a part-time reserve corrections officer. The board also approved posting for an assistant jail administrator and a patrol corporal and sergeant. The board also approved a liquor license for Bosebuck Mountain Camps in Lynchtown Township on the New Hampshire border.
The commission also heard from Art Marshall of Albany Township, representing the Mahoosuc Community Broadband Committee, who sought the commissioners’ support, both financial and moral, in their bid to expand broadband into the rural areas of the county. The group represents Bethel, Gilead, Greenwood, Newry, Woodstock and Albany Township.
Because of the unorganized territories, Durrah said the county faces some hurdles from the state before it could provide financial assistance to expand the fiber-optic network.
Mariah Castonguay, administrator in the District Attorney’s Office, reported that the Oxford County grand jury will be in session for three consecutive months — April, May and June. Oxford County has not seated a grand jury since October. She said jury trials could start as early as July.
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