Brewer accepts $10,310 in forfeited cash

BREWER – The city was offered and accepted $10,310 in forfeited cash from a recent court case during Tuesday’s City Council meeting, and declared a vehicle, which was turned over to the city for unpaid fees, surplus, so it could be sold.

“I’m recommending a minimum bid of $900” for the 1995 Isuzu Trooper, David Cote, Brewer Public Works director, said to councilors.

The man who turned over the vehicle was not identified, but city attorney Joel Dearborn said “he’s under a contract to pay $250 each month” and is behind on his debt payments to the city.

The forfeited funds were a result of the successful prosecution of a U.S. District Court case to which Brewer lent valuable assistance, city documents state. The cash will go into a special forfeited assets account that the city set up last year.

Councilors also endorsed an order that allows the police chief to declare seized, forfeited or abandoned firearms and ammunition surplus and to dispose of it through an in-house sealed-bid auction.

“The last time we did this was 12 years ago,” Police Chief Steven Barker said after the meeting. “We do this every year with bikes.”

The police department has 27 guns, described as “mostly junk” that it has collected over a period of several years, Barker said.

During the meeting, the council also:

. Established nine designated safe zones within the city, located near schools, in city parks and the Brewer Housing Authority family projects, that promote health and safety by making drug-selling a felony. Signs informing people of safe zones already have been ordered.

. Extended the term of Judith Blanchard, planning board member, to March 31.

. Made it so tax bill payments are applied to the oldest recorded liens on record, if any.

. Created a handicapped parking space in front of the library on Union Street.