JAY – The Board of Selectpersons unanimously approved the continuation of the Fire Rescue Department’s on-call trial program through June, after Chief Booker spoke to the board and told them that the program had been successful.
Established in November, the program keeps one to two firefighters on call five days a week. For being on call for a day they receive a $40 stipend, in addition to regular hourly wages if responding to a call.
Chief Mike Booker estimated that the budget of $20,800 should be enough to cover the program for the year. He noted that if the department received a particularly high rate of calls then that number may be cutting it close.
The board also unanimously approved the raise in minimum wage of 15 cents for the Jay Fire Department as directed by the state’s minimum wage increase.
In other business, the Board discussed the repair of the town’s F550 plow truck, which needs a new engine. Public Works Director John Johnson followed the town’s purchasing policy and, upon receiving the go ahead from Board Chair Terry Bergeron, left the truck at Hight Chevrolet to be repaired.
The repair cost $11,462 and, according to the Jay’s purchasing policy, would typically require Board of Selectperson approval before the truck could be repaired. However, the policy does make allowance for emergency circumstances: in this case, the plow truck’s importance considering the upcoming weather. The board ratified the purchase by a vote of 3 to 1.
The board also unanimously approved an updated personnel policy which includes earned paid leave. Town of Jay personnel will earn 1 hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, in accordance with a state law that took effect on Jan. 1.
The board ended the meeting by unanimously approving the Town’s Safety Mission Statement.
