JAY — Selectpersons voted 3-1 Monday to seek bids for repairs needed to the sand-and-salt building at the Public Works Department.

Board Chairman Terry Bergeron and Selectpersons Keith Cornelio and Judy Diaz favored going out to bid while Vice Chairman Tim DeMillo opposed. Selectperson Gary McGrane was absent.

The damage resulted when an employee in January emptied the dump body a truck into the sand-and-salt building, but forgotten to put the bed down when he drove out to do snow removal.

The body hit the top of the door frame, causing substantial damage to the front wall, overhead door and electrical system, according to Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere.

A representative of the company that built the building, Bancroft Contracting, was called in to secure the damaged portion of the building prior to a snow storm.

The company then gave an estimate for permanent repairs of between $25,000 and $50,000, LaFreniere said.

The accident was reported to the insurance company, which has given the go ahead to have the work done, she said.

LaFreniere is still waiting to see if a door would need to be put back on or if a cable or rolling gate would do.

DeMillo said he was comfortable going with no door and having the company that built the building repair it. The company was quick to send someone to make emergency repairs, he said.

Once the insurance company gives an opinion on the door, repair specifications will be finalized and the repair will go out to bid. 

In another matter, selectpersons unanimously voted to have DeMillo, a member of the Franklin County Budget Advisory Committee, take a close look at the county budget once it is proposed and leave it up to the county budget panel to decide whether to fund the Greater Franklin Development Council.

County commissioners and the Budget Advisory Committee opted not to fund the economic development council last year. The budget panel has the final say on funding for the budget, DeMillo said.

The county had once funded the council at $60,000 a year but cut back on it over the years until it reached zero in the current budget, he said.

Carrabassett Valley Town Manager Dave Cota reached out to the managers of Jay,  Rangeley, Farmington and Wilton to see if they would be interested in encouraging the Franklin County commissioners to support funding the Greater Franklin Development Council in their upcoming budgets, LaFreniere said.

It was on the select board’s agenda to see if they want to take a position on this and if they want to meet with commissioners.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net

The company that built the sand and salt building in Jay did a temporary emergency repair to the building after a Jay Public Works Department employee drove out of the sand and salt building in January with the dump body up. It hit the top of the door frame causing substantial damage to the front wall, overhead door and electrical system, among other damage, according to Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere. (Donna M. Perry/Sun Journal)

A Jay Public Works Department employee drove out of the sand and salt building in January with the dump truck up and hit the top of the door frame causing substantial damage to the front wall, overhead door and electrical system, among other damage, according to Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere. The truck driver was emptying the truck to go do snow removal. It is estimated to cost between $25,000 and $50,000 to get the building repaired, which will be covered by insurance. (Submitted photo)