JAY — Reserve police officers will see an increase in pay of $2.71 an hour, selectpersons agreed Monday.

The vote was unanimous to raise the hourly rate for reserve officers from $13.79 to $16.50. It is the same amount the Livermore Falls Police Department pays its reserve officers, Jay Police Chief Richard Caton IV said.

Prior to the vote, Caton said he would like the board to bump up the salary. After speaking to full-time officers, reserve officers tell them it is not worth it come in for 12-hour shifts for $13.79 an hour, he said.

It is hard to keep reserve officers, Caton said. The officers are trained and outfitted.

Caton said he was down to two full-time officers this week to cover shifts and he is one of them. 

Ultimately the pay raise will save money if they are able to fill shifts so full-time officers aren’t working overtime, Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere wrote in a memo to the board.

Caton said he believes the full-time officers will be grateful for the change.

In other business, the board voted to put a truck cap out to bid, as is where is. The cap had been on a Ford F-250 pickup truck used by buildings and grounds for animal control work. When the buildings and grounds position was restructured last year, the truck went to the Public Works Department. The department did not use the cap, which is about 15 years old and put it in storage, according to LaFreniere.

The cap will be put up for bid on the side lawn at the Town Office.

In another matter, the Town Office will close at noon Friday to closing the books for fiscal year 2017-18.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net