JAY – Selectmen agreed Monday to put articles before townspeople to renovate town and school garages, and eliminate a school lunch program deficit. Both proposals will go before voters Tuesday, Dec. 9.

The board also agreed to have Town Manager Ruth Marden put together some figures to buy a new fire truck and build a town office/police station complex. The latter proposals would go before voters during the annual town meeting in April.

School Superintendent Robert Wall and School Committee members are asking townspeople to appropriate $55,689 from the school department’s unexpended fund balance to eliminated an unfunded liability.

For several years, at least since 1996-97, the school lunch program has had a fluctuating unfunded liability despite voters approval of increased tax dollars.

The deficit was $77,404 in 1996-97 and voters approved $21,748 in community dollars. The deficit dropped to $34,175 in 1997-98 when townspeople agreed to contribute $36,448. In 1998-99 the deficit ran at $62,880 and townspeople increased support to $40,848.

This year, the deficit is $55,689 and local support is $82,955.

Wall said the food service program is not self-supporting.

“Expenses are far greater than income,” Wall said.

Taking care of the deficit is the first thing that needs to happen, Wall said. The School Committee has to do other things to make the program more efficient, he said.

The school department has $332,000 in an unexpended fund balance, Wall said, with much of the money allocated to other things.

Wall said the deficit in the food service program is owed to the town of Jay.

A presentation on the deficit is scheduled during a Budget Committee meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Middle School cafeteria.

Fire Chief Brian Shink told selectmen he wanted to resubmit an article to buy a new fire truck. Voters rejected a proposal last year.

The department wants to replace a truck that is nearly 25 years old with a frontline truck that would be custom built and carry foam to fight fires and be equipped with lighting and carry rescue gear.

Firefighters have money in reserve and would need to either raise or borrow about $200,000 for the $389,095 heavy duty truck expected to last 30 years.

Shink said firefighters were looking to the future of the town.

“We’re doing a lot more than firefighting,” Shink said.

Asked if it was all or nothing, Shink replied, “Right now I’m going to stand my ground.”

Firefighters had met with several dealers to arrive at the specifications they thought would meet the towns needs.

Budget Committee members requested an alternate plan.

The Building Committee also requested that two articles be placed on the April referendum.

One would raise another $100,000 to add to $400,000 in reserve and to borrow $400,000 to build a new town office/police station complex.

Voters previously rejected a proposal to build a complex but the price tag then was $1.5 million. The new proposal is about $900,000.

dperry@sunjournal.com

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