FARMINGTON — County commissioners approved a pay raise of $1.36 an hour for the Franklin County Jail’s cook supervisor at their meeting on Monday.

The hourly wage of the supervisor, Lorna Nichols, will be $16.39, up from from the $15.03 she has been making for the last year.

Commissioners unanimously approved the request for her raise, which was brought forth by jail administrator Major Douglas Blauvelt.

Nichols, the wife of Sheriff Scott Nichols, was hired as cook supervisor in February 2015, around the time the jail transitioned from a 72 hour holding facility back to a full-time jail.

Blauvelt said it is standard procedure to give employee pay raises based on experience in the field. However, for Nichols that hadn’t been done since she was hired. Nichols had previously owned and operated her own restaurant.

At the jail, Nichols, who works a 40-hour week, supervises one other full-time cook and two part-time cooks. She also is in charge of scheduling, creating the budget, ordering food supplies and creating the weekly menu.

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In other business, commissioners approved $17,111 in scholarships for three residents of the county’s unorganized territory who will attend college or a technical institute in the fall.

Funding for the scholarships is derived from a tax increment financing agreement the county has with TransCanada Maine Wind Development Inc.

There is about $50,000 left in the TIF’s line item that funds the scholarships, county clerk Julie Magoon said.

All three students awarded scholarships live in Freeman Township. Christina Brown, who is attending the Spa Tech Institute in Westbook, received an $8,132 scholarship. Draegan Tucker, who is attending the University of Southern Maine, was awarded a $5,000 scholarship. Mariah Ross, who also is attending the University of Southern Maine, was awarded a $3,979 scholarship.

Lauren Abbate — 861-9252

labbate@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @Lauren_M_Abbate


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