Staff Writer
HOULTON — The county commissioners held a brief organizational meeting in Houlton last Tuesday, Jan. 6 to elect officers and discuss various matters before going into executive session on a personnel matter. At a time when most budgets feel the grip of a tough economy, there was some good news for the commissioners. The bill for property, casualty and liability insurance dropped about $5,000. The savings, according to County Administrator Douglas Beaulieu is due in part to the county’s favorable claims experience without much activity. By unanimous vote, the commissioners chose Paul Adams to continue as chairman. In other unanimous votes they elected Norman Fornier as chief local elected official for the Workforce Investment Act program, Paul Underwood as Maine County Commissioners Association and Risk Pool director. They also voted Fornier and Underwood as representatives to the Northern Maine Development Commission.
The commissioners reviewed a request from Norma Milton, former director of the now-defunct Caribou Pet Rescue, to fund a proposed Madawaska Lake cat refuge. The commissioners, Beaulieu and Sheriff James Madore discussed the fact that unlicensed, stray dogs — not cats — are a greater problem in the unorganized territories. Additionally, they said, without any money available in the budget for that activity, Milton’s request would not be considered since it was not from a 501(c)3 organization, but from an individual.
They also discussed a concept bill, LD 33, submitted by Rep. Charles Theriault of Madawaska at the suggestion of Roger Roy “to change the name of Township 16, Range 4, WELS, to Madawaska Lake.” Beaulieu said he conferred with Land Use Regulatory Commission Director Catherine Carroll and Public Works Director David Sokolich who suggested that, if the bill goes through, it should read “Madawaska Lake Township.” Such a technicality would be similar to the legislation used in the name change for Cross Lake Township.
Beaulieu confirmed a $2,000 safety grant to purchase protective gear — helmets, coats, pants, boots — for the North Lakes Fire Department. He also said that Chief Darren Woods and the department, had received some favorable publicity for installing free smoke detectors and for doing free safety inspections for low-income residents thanks to a grant from Cary Medical Center, Power of Prevention and the Home Safety Council.
The next meeting will be tonight at 5:30 p.m. in Fort Kent.
