JAY — Selectmen voted unanimously Monday to buy a John Deere 524K loader from Northtrax in Bangor at a cost of $87,650.

The town had received three bids for the heavy equipment and selectmen said Northtrax had the best price.

Not only was it the cheapest, the loader was also available on the lot, Public Works Department foreman John Johnson said. The other bids were more expensive and there was a 120-day to 180-day wait, he said.

The town currently has two loaders, one is four years old and the other, which is being replaced, is 15 to 16 years, Johnson told the board.

The John Deere also comes with a five-year warranty, Selectman Tim DeMillo said. That previously was not the case when selectmen discussed the purchase a couple of months ago.

In other business, selectmen unofficially agreed to table awarding a contract to a single-sort recycling organization.

DeMillo, also on the Recycling Committee, said the town just received information from another firm and it needs to be reviewed.

Johnson said Code Enforcement Officer Shiloh Ring has come up with a date to begin review of the solid waste and recycling ordinance. The suggestion was 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17, at the town office. Selectmen will let her know if that works.

In other matter, selectmen voted to have Paychex administer the employee’s health spending account.

Select board Chairman Steve McCourt said it seems the town has not been in compliance with this.

Financial Director Lisa Bryant said the town needs to get the employees’ personal health information out of the town office and to be administered by a third party.

Otherwise there could be penalties if the information got out into the public, she said.

The more money employees put aside in the pretax account, the less the town has to pay for employee taxes, Bryant said.

If a third-party takes over, Bryant said, then employees could put aside up to $5,000 of pretax money toward childcare.

As of Jan. 1, 2011, employees would only be able to put $2,500 in to the health spending account and $5,000 toward childcare. The latter is currently not available to town employees, she said.

Selectmen also set the date for town meeting on Tuesday, June 7.

They also approved a tobacco-free zone for the town office complex and the North Jay Sewer Treatment Plant. School campuses are currently tobacco-free zones.

dperry@sunjournal.com