ROCKLAND — The Knox County Commissioners will convene Tuesday, Sept. 14, at 2 p.m. to address a full agenda, which includes consideration of municipal applications for the county’s $7.5 million share of federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.

More than $261 million in ARPA was distributed to Maine counties, with $7.7 million dedicated to Knox County.

Now, towns and nonprofits are requesting a share of that money from the counties, and Knox County has received many applications.

The Rockport Select Board, for instance, approved Aug. 30 an ARPA application requesting $750,000 from the Knox County Commissioners for the Rockport Broadband Pathway Project. The money would represent a 25-percent “seed money” contribution towards the $3 million build cost of Phase 1 of the project which aims to provide citizens of Knox county with high speed, fiber optic internet. 

Also on the Sept. 14 agenda is a letter from South Thomaston concerning a future meeting to discuss regionalization of Fire and EMS.

Knox County Commissioners are:
Dorothy Meriwether, District #1
Richard L. Parent, Jr., District #2
Sharyn L. Pohlman, District #3

The meeting begins at 2 p.m., and will be held online: https://townhallstreams.com/stream.php?location_id=50&id=39877

The agenda follows:

Meeting Called to Order Presentation

1. Presentation of the Knox County Audit for the Year Ending December 31, 2020.

Public Comment - Public Comment during other portions of the meeting will only be granted by permission of the Chair.

Consent Items

Action Items

1. Act to Approve and Authorize the Chair to Execute the Consent and Assignment to Transfer Hangar #15 Lease from Cameron Lewis to Willard Hardy Jr. and Approve and Authorize the Chair to Execute the Request for Lease Assignment.
2. Act on Knox County Communications Association (KCCA) Retention Bonus to be Funded Through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds.
3. Act to Approve Revised Job Descriptions
   1. Communications Director
   2. Dispatch Supervisor
   3. Dispatcher
   4. Information Technology Director
   5. Technical Support Specialist
4. Act on Amendment to the Position Classification & Salary Administration Policy.

Discussion Items

1. Letter from the Town of South Thomaston – Knox County to Lead and facilitate Regionalization of Fire and EMS and Host a Meeting to Invite Interested Towns to Discuss This Matter.
2. ARPA Funding Request Applications and Next Steps
3. Update on the KCPSB Floor Repair Project.
4. Updates on the Airport HVAC Project.
5. Update on the Correctional Facility HVAC Project.
6. Other

Other Business

Executive Session

1. Convene in Executive Session to discuss a Personnel Matter pursuant to 1 M.R.S.A. §405(6)(A).

Approve Consent Items as Presented:

1. Agenda – Non-Agenda Items Only Permitted if Emergency in Nature.
2. Minutes of Special Commission Meeting of August 4, 2021.
3. Minutes of Regular Commission Meeting of August 10, 2021.
4. Minutes of Special Commission Meeting of September 1, 2021.
5. Monthly Written Departmental Reports.
6. Warrants.
7. Reserve Withdrawals.

1. Action Items:
2. 1. Act on Knox County Retention Bonus to be Funded Through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA Funds.
3. Adjourn