JAY — Selectpersons unanimously voted Monday night to confirm the appointment of Mike Booker of Jay as fire chief.
Booker, 33, has been a Jay firefighter for 19 years, including four years as a junior firefighter. He has been assistant chief since 2010 and acting chief since early 2014.
The town is following state law in appointing a chief, which allows Booker to appoint his officers of the Jay Fire Rescue Department.
Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere presented the board with two new draft job descriptions for fire chief and deputy chief. The two-page documents for each position outline the criteria, education and other duties that the positions require.
Once Booker appoints a deputy chief, a committee that has been working on bylaws for the department will develop job descriptions for the other officers of the department, LaFreniere said.
In other business, the board voted to reappoint Budget Committee members whose terms have expired to serve until Dec. 31, 2016. Reappointed were Terry Bergeron, Charles Riekert, Mike Ventrella, April Hartford and Ricky Merrill.
A budget workshop with the selectboard, department heads, town manager and Budget Committee members will be held Feb. 2.
This will allow the Budget Committee to be involved from the start in the process, Selectperson Pearl Cook said.
It hasn’t been done this way before, she said.
dperry@sunjournal.com
Adams, Mejia promoted
JAY — Board of Selectpersons Chairman Steve McCourt announced Monday that Patrolman Russell Adams has been promoted to sergeant and Patrolman Mike Mejia has been promoted to detective.
Adams fills a position left vacant in November when Sgt. Troy Young took a deputy position with the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department.
Mejia fills the detective position left vacant when Detective Richard Caton IV became police chief in early November. Caton had been acting chief since early 2014.
The town will advertise for only one patrolman.
The other patrol position left vacant with the promotions will be eliminated in the coming year’s budget, Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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