AUBURN — The city will share its public health inspector with the town of Lisbon despite some misgivings from City Councilor Leroy Walker.

“I don’t quite understand how we can give up the time to let our health inspector work in another city,” Walker said Tuesday.

Walker and Councilor Belinda Gerry were in the minority, however. Councilors voted 5-2 to share Health Inspector Cristy Bourget with Lisbon.

Lisbon’s Town Manager Stephen Eldridge had proposed the arrangement. Lisbon’s Health Officer, Jan Stenberg, retired at the end of June and Eldridge said last week the city was unable to find a trained inspector willing to work the limited hours the town needed reviewing health conditions at town restaurants, festivals and special events.

According to the agreement approved by the Lisbon Town Council on July 17 and Auburn on Tuesday, Lisbon will pay Auburn $10,000 per year for Bourget’s services. She’ll continue her job in Auburn but will perform inspections in Lisbon as often as necessary. The agreement says she’ll be available for between 30 and 50 hours per year, but no more than 100 hours.

According to the agreement, Auburn councilors will review the agreement in February and decide if it’s worth continuing.

Walker noted that Auburn increased its permitting and inspection fees in 2011 to match those in Lewiston and to cover increasing costs.

“So why did we increase fees then if we have time to spare and to let people go work in another town?” Walker said. “Does this mean we are going to be short time to have someone inspecting places in our city?”

Deschene said the agreement commits Bourget to spend about 5 percent of her time on the clock in Lisbon.

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