JAY – Nearly 40 residents filled the town office on Main Street for Monday night’s selectboard meeting. The evening began with a special town meeting to vote on two articles.
Voters passed appropriating $24,300 in reimbursement funds from the town of Wells to a special revenue account for future Police Department training purposes. The money was the total reimbursement costs for training Officer Stephanie Guillemette, who left the Jay police force back in April. Due to the officer’s relatively recent training at the Criminal Justice Academy, the town received the reimbursement to cover a portion of the costs of her training. The unexpected funds will be used for costs associated with Academy training including tuition, fees, payroll and uniforms, or any other trainings the Chief deems necessary.
An article to amend the Administrative Ordinance was passed, allowing Selectmen to accept all donations offered to the town without requiring an official town meeting to do so.
The majority of voters were present to voice their opinion on item six of the selectboard’s regular agenda, which was the discussion of a petition concerning the change in curbside pick up services. The petition was signed by 373 residents, with one collector of signatures saying she only had five people refuse to sign. The $120,000 cost of curbside, funds that pay Archie’s Inc. to collect trash and recyclables, was not included in the budget approved at the April town meeting. Curbside is currently scheduled to end as of July 1, although Archie’s, J & A Disposal and Riverside Disposal will be available to do private curbside pickup.
Several residents brought up the fact that while cutting these services would save tax payers roughly $30 each year, the cost for weekly trash pick up comes in at roughly that same amount each month, or $360 each year. Many expressed concern for elderly, or disabled neighbors who are physically unable to haul their trash to the transfer station.
A few residents were in agreement with the decision, saying that there were many opportunities to hear the details of the budget prior to the town meeting and that, regardless, the item was passed.
Selectpersons voted unanimously to table the discussion until the next meeting, leaving the petition as is for the time being.
Following the curbside pick up discussion, selectpersons voted to keep the Transfer Station hours as they are, as well as keep two full time employees. Crowd members applauded this decision, after a few voiced concern about long lines if they were to cut staff as well as curbside pick up.
The curbside pickup has been abolished. I am in favor of leaving it as it is. There aren’t many who can’t get to the landfill with their trash as folks in the surrounding towns do. If the money was taken from the budget to close another day a week, where will that come from? Every year our taxes go up while our social security does not. Nothing says that if Archie’s is kept on the cost will be the same.
We have no problem cutting a detective position with law enforcement which I guess is fine since in this beautiful small town we have no worries about drugs, theft, assaults or even auto accidents that need investigation. What we really need to focus on is not our safety but curbside pick-up. Really?
Let the people decide on the petition. According to another publication the town has to call a special town meeting within 60 days of the petition.
In the meantime according to the same publication selectman Keith Cornelio is bringing his neighbors trash to the transfer station so I encourage residents to see if he will bring theirs too. I hope the lawyer they are consulting does not cost a lot of money that could be better used in the town.
And as I put my trash out for the last curbside pick-up, I watch another little piece of Jay fall away. Street lights, night time snow plowing, cemetery care past on. Otis mill gone , Verso slowly slipping away , giving our schools away to an RSU . Sometimes progress is a sad thing to watch. And my taxes still go up.
I don’t have a problem having another vote to keep curbside trash collection. The last vote was a little unclear.
The voting at town meeting was for the entire landfill budget. As far as i am concerned, keep curbside and lower the dump hours to 3 days per week with one employee. With the pay and benefits we pay the town employees, the costs should balance out.
I can’t understand why we need the dump open 5 days a week with two highly paid employees. Nothing against the employees themselves, but if we’re serious about cutting costs.
Next year they should address costs for the town employees and make changes so they pay 20% copay for insurance.
Through the town l paid 30.00 dollare a year for curb side pick up, now l will be paying 30.00 dollars a months, thanks to the town of Jay l will be spending more money. Thats how you look after your taxpayers.