JAY – Fire Rescue Chief Brian Shink told selectmen Monday that he agreed with a specialist’s report on fire apparatus needs for the Jay Fire Rescue Department.

Selectmen hired Neil D. Courtney, a specialist from Maine Fire Training and Education at Southern Maine Community College, to do the needs assessment.

Courtney recommended the town move forward to replace Engine No. 3, a 1980 pumper, with a rescue/pumper in 2005. Voters have rejected buying the $376,000 plus truck the last two years.

Courtney also outlined a truck replacement program over the next 20 years for the department in the executive summary of the report.

However, Shink said Monday he couldn’t make the Jan. 6 budget timeline when department heads are to present fiscal year 2006 budget proposals to the town manager.

There wouldn’t be enough time for truck manufacturers to send back bids and to meet with fire officials, if necessary, on the project before Jan. 6, he said.

The town has a timeline it needs to follow leading up to a referendum vote April 25 on the municipal government and school budget.

Town Manager Ruth Marden asked selectmen for some direction on the truck.

Selectman Rick Simoneau suggested Shink go ahead and get firefighters together on a committee to develop specifications for the truck to be sent out to manufacturers.

Simoneau said he couldn’t see the truck purchase going on this year’s town meeting warrant and would need to go on next year’s budget.

But he recommended Shink include $50,000 in his budget for the truck as he has done in the past.

The reserve account has $212,732 in it for the truck purchase.

The additional $50,000 would put the account at about $262,000, Chairman Bill Harlow said.

Resident Al Landry recommended more money be requested in the Fire Rescue Department’s budget to get the reserve up to $300,000.

Marden said under Gov. John Baldacci’s tax reform proposal that would set a tax cap of 2.56 percent that town’s budget could be increased on the municipal side, if passed. The school budget would also be able to increase its budget by about 2.56 percent, Marden said.

“I don’t think we could commit until we see the budget,” Marden said, of increasing the amount to ask voters to put in the reserve account.