Androscoggin County to stop rent payments on DA’s Lewiston office

The building at 55 Lisbon St. in Lewiston is seen in July 2023. The Androscoggin County Commission voted 5-2 Wednesday to withhold paying rent for the District Attorney’s Office on the second floor until issues with the elevator and roof are resolved. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

AUBURN — Frustrated with chronic problems with the District Attorney’s Office building in Lewiston, the Androscoggin County Commission voted Wednesday to withhold rent payments until they are resolved.

The commission voted 5-2 in support of a motion by Garrett Mason of Lisbon to stop paying the $4,500 monthly rent on the property at 55 Lisbon St. until the issues identified by the DA’s Office are resolved. The motion also said commissioners will revisit the issue every month to determine when to begin paying rent again.

Chairman Sally Christner of Turner, Brian Ames of Lewiston, Terri Kelly of Mechanic Falls and Andrew Lewis of Auburn supported Mason’s motion, while Roland Poirier and Edouard Plourde, both of Lewiston, voted against withholding rent payments.

The DA’s office, located on the second floor, has used the building next to the 8th District Court for about eight years and has three years left on its lease.

The elevator has not worked since the fall of 2022. The roof leaks. Last week, the building had no electricity for four days.

The county and the DA’s Office have tried to get the issues resolved for months with little success.

“It’s not a habitable building and I wonder why we keep paying rent,” Mason said. “If this was residential and not a commercial building, the landlord would be dragged into court immediately.”

“I would suggest we stop paying rent,” he added.

Built in 1921, the three-story structure is also home to U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ regional office on the first floor. The third floor is vacant.

Plourde said he was worried about the perception of stopping rent payments and how the news of such a move would be viewed publicly. He said commissioners could be viewed as the “bad guys.”

The county’s attorney had reportedly recommended that the board not withhold rent payments, and Mike Perry, the administrator in the DA’s Lewiston office suggested that commissioners talk again with their attorney.

But, Mason and Ames both said they were ready to vote Wednesday, and the motion passed 5-2.

The state is planning to eventually purchase the building at 55 Lisbon St., knock out the walls between that building and the District Court, and connect the hallways to provide needed space for the court to allow attorney and their clients a place for private consultations.

The DA has two years to find a new home, Perry told commissioners earlier this month.

According to records from the Androscoggin County Register of Deeds, the property is owned by Financial Center Associates.

In other business, the board approved using all $162,000 from the opioid settlement money to offset jail expenses for medical assisted treatment.

Treasurer Clarice Proctor gave commissioners a report on the status of the county’s American Rescue Plan Act funds. The county still has about $5 million in unappropriated funds. The county received $21 million from the federal government as part of the COVID-19 recovery program.

The board has completed a job description for the county administrator. Applications will be accepted until Feb. 21. Sheriff Eric Samson is serving as interim administrator.

Christner and Kelly were reelected as chairman and vice chairman, respectively.