Oxford County officials: Sheriff Christopher Wainwright (center, right), Commissioner Lisa Keim and Administrator Zane Loper met with the Bethel Select Board, left, to discuss Bethel’s enhanced service contract. Rose Lincoln

BETHEL —  At a meeting on Feb. 19 at the Bethel Town Office, Select Board Chair Michelle Cole expressed gratitude for the open dialogue, stating, “We are very glad you are here listening to us. We felt like we haven’t had anyone listening to us.” The meeting included Oxford County Sheriff Christopher Wainwright, Oxford County Commissioner Lisa Keim, and Oxford County Administrator Zane Loper.

The focus of the meeting was Bethel’s contract with Oxford County for enhanced policing services, which provides four dedicated deputies working 24/7 in the town. Bethel officials sought clarification on whether certain line items in the contract were being fairly charged.

Cole questioned whether credits could be applied for any items where Bethel might have been wrongly billed. She also requested a schedule of the deputies’ activities and the calls they respond to in surrounding towns.

The county representatives expressed a desire to be fair but noted that their own contract with county personnel had not yet been resolved. Loper mentioned that they were facing competition from town police departments offering higher wages, adding, “The cost of labor is increasing.”

Sheriff Wainwright stated, “There is some room to work with this number [the contract amount], but the direct cost for raises is going up this year,” which he said would impact the 2025/2026 budget.

Oxford County Sheriff Christopher Wainwright, (pictured) Commissioner Lisa Keim and Administrator Zane Loper met with the Bethel Select Board to discuss the Bethel’s enhanced service contract. Rose Lincoln

Cole continued to press for clarity, specifically questioning non-personnel costs in the contract. Wainwright responded by expressing disagreement with the former county administrator’s inclusion of non-personnel costs, stating, “Before these two [Loper and Keim] came in, they were supposed to get back to you with some numbers, and we haven’t seen those yet.” He added that none of the other counties in Maine charge an administrative fee.

Loper, however, defended the administrative fee, stating that while the label might be misleading, some of the costs were related to overlay. He offered to break the costs down into line items but cautioned, “The answer might not be what you want it to be.”

Cole insisted on seeing a breakdown of the costs, noting, “to not have an answer for over a year on what those line items are… I would still like to see those answers.”

Loper emphasized the need to balance fairness with ensuring that the county didn’t run into trouble with other towns: “I want to be frugal with this and not overcharge you, but I don’t want to get in trouble with other towns because I’m supplementing a police service here.”

Board member Meryl Kelly added, “At the end of the day, we are bringing this in front of our constituents. It was a close [vote] at the last annual meeting, and people were fed up with the costs going up without clarity as to why. If you can be clear with people, then they’re not making up their own narrative.”

Wainwright addressed the visibility of the Bethel police squad, stating, “We’re trying to make the cars more visible… You’ll see a big light bar on the top so you can tell it’s a police car, whether the light bar is on or not. We want everyone to know there’s a police car out there.” Cole expressed appreciation for the officers, saying she was speaking on behalf of the community.

The contract between Bethel and Oxford County is set to expire on March 1 but remains valid until June 30. Loper said that a breakdown of the 2025/2026 contract would not be available until negotiations were concluded. However, Cole reiterated her request for a detailed breakdown of the current contract’s line items.

Before leaving, Sheriff Wainwright praised Bethel’s fire and rescue services, stating, “They have one of the best reputations… You’re very lucky to have them.”

Joshua Aylward, one of Bethel’s dedicated Oxford County deputies, washes his car at Bethel Rescue before joining the 2022 Bethel Summerfest parade. Rose Lincoln

Other business

Jackson informed the Board of several issues with the town office Cole Block building.  There is no guarantee that the mold will not return after an extensive remediation was done earlier this winter. Dehumidifiers will remain in place. Part of the building needs rewiring. In the basement a drain pipe was replaced with PVC piping and a pellet boiler will need to be replaced. Jackson set up annual maintenance schedules for the furnaces and other Town owned equipment.

Hanover and Newry select boards have agreed with the proposed interlocal solid waste agreement. Both towns approved new stickers for the transfer station. Further, Hanover has agreed to have a special town meeting in May, per a request made by Sue Dunn at a Bethel meeting. Hanover typically meets annually in October.

Cole initiated a new seating arrangement at the head table at Select Board meetings that excludes Town Clerk Jessicca Grover, who answered questions and recorded the meeting from a seat in the audience.