Four months ago, it became public knowledge that the Wiscasset Water District was being investigated by the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. After conducting their own internal audit, the district's trustees have made a good start on instituting changes to bring more accountability to the district, protecting both employees of the district and therate payers.

At their meeting Monday night, four of the five trustees (Robert Haeberle was absent) discussed what will probably be the basis of a set of policies and procedures. Small organizations, like the Water District, often develop ways of doing things that simply evolve over time. Questions are seldom asked about how things are done as long as things are going well.

The trustees agreed unanimously to two important rules: district employees cannot make any personal charges to district vender accounts; and district employees may not use district equipment and materials for their own personal use or for outside work.

The trustees also agreed, unanimously, that employees of the district should fill out weekly time sheets, listing the number of hours they worked each day. The practice in the past has been for the superintendent to just note his hours for the week, indicating the number of regular hours, vacation hours, and overtime hours. The trustees also agreed to look into what tests the district routinely performs, in an effort to eliminate those that may not be necessary, thereby possibly cutting back on some of the overtime.

By a vote of three to one, with chairman David Sawyer voting against, the trustees also voted to reduce the mileage allowance for the superintendent from 50 cents a mile to 37 cents a mile. Next month the trustees plan to discuss the establishment of a bidding procedure for outside work.

All of these changes represent increased accountability to the rate payers.

- Paula Gibbs