AUGUSTA — On his second day on the job, Scott Ferguson already has a to-do list and it’s getting longer.

Scott Ferguson began work Monday as Kennebec County administrator, following the retirement of Robert Devlin. Jessica Lowell/Kennebec Journal

Ferguson, the newly appointed Kennebec County administrator, had already planned to meet with department heads, review the files in his office and find a solution to make his smartphone and computer communicate seamlessly.

After Tuesday’s Kennebec County commissioners meeting, what to do with the weathervane that used to sit on the roof of the Kennebec County jail was added to the list.

For decades, it’s been hanging from a water pipe in the facilities office, but it now has to move after the state Department of Labor conducted a recent review of working conditions.

“It’s part of the original architecture; it’s huge. It’s like 4 feet wide north to south, east to west the arrow that goes on it is 6 feet,” said Dan Brunelle, facilities manager. “I don’t have any idea what to do with it, and we don’t have a lot of storage space. It’s not something we can throw away. It’s not something we can scrap.”

A couple of ideas were aired at the meeting, but no decisions were made.

The three commissioners did, however, take action to appoint Ferguson as county administrator, with a unanimous vote.

“We’re very pleased,” said Patsy Crockett, chairwoman of the county commissioners.

Ferguson, who most recently was a finance director in Maine state government, was named Kennebec County administrator in October, following the announcement during the summer that Robert Devlin was planning to retire after nearly two decades in the position.

After 15 years with state government, Ferguson said he had accomplished everything he could in state government and thought this would be a good opportunity to get involved in a different level of government. Earlier in his career, he worked in municipal government in New York.

“I like things I can get my arms around,” he said. “I know a lot of people here through my involvement with the (state) Board of Corrections and the jails. I just thought it was time.”

Among the other tasks he’ll be taking on is promoting collaboration among departments and he wants his executive team to be engaged with the departments in county government and help them achieve their goals.

Ferguson said he’d also like to see budget forecasting as the county’s fiscal year progresses.

“What that does is tells you where you’ll end up at the end of the year,” he said. “That changes, depending on how spending goes.”

While money may be budgeted for a large, capital cost like a roof repair or a furnace replacement, keeping an eye on spending during the year is important, he said.

“There’s a lot to look at,” he said, “and a lot of ways to save money.”