JAY - Town Manager Ruth Marden told selectmen Monday she would know more Tuesday about the impact on the tax base when Wausau Paper permanently shuts down one of its two paper machines this fall.

Marden said she asked the town's assessing agent, Paul Binette, to run some figures for her.

The paper company announced Monday it would shut down No. 10 paper machine, formerly known as No. 9, and permanently layoff about 146 of its 235 employees, Marden said.

Most of the employees will be laid off between Oct. 31 and Nov. 14 but some may stay until Dec. 31, she said she was told by a mill official Monday.

It is also possible that the paper machine might run until Dec. 31 based on customer need to stock inventory, according to a letter to Marden from Michael J. Behrens, a Wausau vice president of human resources.

Select board Chairman Steve McCourt said he figured something was going to happen at Wausau because two of its salaried people were hired recently at Verso Paper, where he works.

Marden said Gary Rudemiller, Wausau vice president of operations, visited her Monday and asked her if she was willing to meet with representatives from the mill. She said she agreed to do so.

When she was asked who the layoffs will effect in terms of years employed, Marden said Rudemiller said it would hit people with 20 to 25 years.

"So they'll have an older work force," Marden said.

According to Behrens' letter, which was a notice of mass layoff, some of the affected positions are represented by two unions that serve the Otis mill in Jay: United Steel Workers and the National Conference of Firemen and Oilers Service Employees International Union.

"Union employees have 'bumping rights,'" Behrens wrote.

He attached a list of affected positions that include union and nonunion workers. Those who are not represented by a union have no bumping rights, Behrens wrote.

In other business, selectmen asked Marden to explore options on whether to heat the vacant former town office or drain the pipes. They also asked her to find out how much oil it takes to heat the building and if there is a way to shut off the heat on the three-zone boiler for the upstairs and to just heat the basement.

The former town office is up for sale. Selectmen promised townspeople it would sell the building with any proceeds going back into the general fund to help offset the cost of the new town office.

Jay school Superintendent Robert Wall had previously requested use of the building but was turned down by selectmen, McCourt said, because of the promise made to taxpayers.

Other groups have also requested use of the building, McCourt said.

So far there have been no sales offers on it, he said.