ROCKLAND – Knox County commissioners on Tuesday elected officers for 2008 and recognized retiring emergency management chief Sylvia Birmingham.

The commission also awarded a new alcohol- and drug-counseling contract for services at the Knox County Jail and revised several county job descriptions.

District 2 Commissioner A. Mason Johnson Jr. of Thomaston was re-elected chairman, District 2 Commissioner Lawrence F. Nash of Union was chosen vice-chair, and District 1 Commissioner Anne Beebe-Center of Rockland was elected to serve as representative to the Maine County Commissioners Association and Maine County Commissioners Association Risk Pool for 2008.

In a separate ceremony, the commission recognized retiring Emergency Management Agency Director Sylvia Birmingham for her 20 years of service. Birmingham began with the agency in 1987 and became its director Jan. 1, 1993. She retired Dec. 31.

In other business, the commission awarded an alcohol- and drug-counseling contract of $27,000 to Arch Inc. for services at the Knox County Jail. The contract covers 10 hours of counseling a week for 50 weeks.

Jail administrator John Hinkley told the commission that the previous counseling service had announced a rate increase from $25 to $70 an hour for the new year, which prompted him to look around for better rates.

“Our contract with Arch calculates to $54 an hour,” Hinkley said.

When asked whether the counseling services with the old and new providers were the same, Hinkley said “yes.”

The commission also awarded a low bid for a tax anticipation note at 2.27 percent.

gchappell@bangordailynews.net

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