JAY – The town manager has some nibbles of businesses looking for information on the town and she wants to be ready in case they bite.

Businesses have called her seeking information about available space, building codes, grants and assistance, Town Manager Ruth Marden said.

“There are a lot of nibbles,” she said. “I really believe some people called me because of industry already here and because we have a reputation of being business friendly.” Marden said the town has three tax increment financing agreements with International Paper and Wausau-Mosinee Paper mills, no zoning except for what’s required by the state, a low tax rate and it’s at the intersection of several major routes.

She also noted the town has a great infrastructure.

“We have sewer, water, lights, high speed Internet, great cell phone reception, great phones system with updated phone lines,” she said. “Our roads are good. We have curbside pickup for trash and we have great education opportunities for anybody including children and adults. We have great adult education, we are very close to University of Maine at Farmington, University of Maine at Augusta, Lewiston Community College and Central Maine Community College.

“We have a nationally renowned health network right in our own back yard,” she said. “Why would anyone want to live anywhere else?”

Selectmen appointed four members to a seven-member Jay Development Corporation Committee on Monday and accepted four people to an ad-hoc committee to assist them.

Letters were sent out to former members of the committee with two members agreeing to be reappointed, Marden said.

Reappointed to the committee were John Chouinard and Richard Cook. New appointments were Cindy Bennett and Jim Shink.

Three other members are yet to be named including one from the International Paper community.

Marden requested that she and the town’s representative to Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, John Johnson, Greater Franklin Development Corp. Executive Director Alison Hagerstrom and AVCOG and state Department of Economic and Community Development representative Sarah Doscinski serve on the ad-hoc committee.

“We’re going to have to sit down and discuss what our goals are and what we want to attract,” Marden said.

She said she wants to bring the businesses to town rather than have them go to another town.

“I want them; I’m selfish,” Marden said.