JAY – At the Jay Select Board meeting on Monday night, board members voted to approve a bid from Thomas C. Goding & Son for $3,200 to repair the North Jay Fire Station.
The request for proposal for the building repair at the station regards the north wall of the building that was damaged by the June 29 rainstorm. The board voted to accept the bid with Selectperson Gary McGrane opposed, and Selectperson Thomas Goding abstained from the vote due to his involvement with the project.
Jay Fire Rescue Chief Mike Booker submitted a proposal for the refurbishment of Fire Engine 3 at a total estimated cost of $67,590. The refurbishment will include stripping down the truck, sandblasting, and repainting, along with upgrading the current lighting system to LED. Engine 3 is a 2006 truck, and the refurbishment would extend the life of the truck by 10-15 years and would save the town from having to purchase a new engine which has an approximate cost of $700,000.
Booker’s request was approved by the board and the town will be taking $67,590 out of the Fire Department reserve account which has a current balance of $289,000.
The board also voted to approve the fire department minimum wage increase of .35 cents per hour for all base pay rates. The current minimum wage amount is $13.80, which will be increased to $14.15 per Maine state law on January 1. The payment increase for per diem employees will be discussed at a future budget meeting.
Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere provided the board with an update regarding the May 1 and June 29 rainstorms. LaFreniere stated that they are continuing to work through the May storm with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the Damage Inventory needs to be completed before moving on to the site inspections of areas of the June storm that have not been repaired.
Pratt & Sons will be completing the sewer point repairs on Jay Hill Road starting next week, and Vortex will camera the line as work progresses to identify any issues and determine if any future permanent repairs might be needed.
Pike Industries Inc. has completed all of the areas that could be paved with the large paver, and the remaining areas will be completed by the hand crews who are currently on site and are expected to be completed with paving by the middle to end of this week.
The warrant for the special town meeting to approve temporary construction easements near Hutchinson Road was approved by the board, and LaFreniere stated that she is currently working with an attorney to get the language for the vote and the easements. The bridge for the temporary repair on Hutchinson Road has been ordered, and the town will be working with Starrett Snow for the installation details.
This meeting was recorded by Mt. Blue TV and is available for viewing online at MtBlueTV.org
