Board: Sabattus Board of Selectmen

Met: Tuesday night

Fed money for hires?

Issue: With one retirement last month and one more coming this month, the Sabattus Police Department is dropping from seven to five full-time officers.

The scoop: With federal stimulus money for the Community Oriented Police Services Hiring Recovery Program, the town can apply for $395,314 to pay for two positions for three years, bringing the department back to seven full-timers. Sabattus would pay for the officers’ fourth year of employment.

Up next: Selectmen gave police Chief Thomas Fales the OK to apply for the grant.

New burning permits

Issue: Until recently, residents looking for a burning permit on the weekends would drive to one of the firefighters’ homes to get one. That’s had to change because of liability concerns.

The scoop: Residents may pick up their same-day burning permits during the week at the town office during regular business hours or on the weekends at the fire station on 72 Main St. From April to June, a firefighter will be there from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. There’s a limit of 15 permits per day, first come, first served.

Martin’s Point: Residents only?

Issue: Martin’s Point Park, a beach area and boat loading dock on Sabattus Pond, has a sign that says, by ordinance, the beach is for residents and their guests only. The Maine Department of Conservation has sent a letter taking issue with that.

The scoop: The state paid for the boat dock. It says the adjoining beach should be open to all and cites the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Act.

Up next: Whether to change the ordinance and take down the sign was tabled until another selectmen’s meeting.

Odds and ends

Issue: To thank him for 33 years of service, retired fire Chief Robert Scott was given an embroidered pullover by selectmen. (He’d indicated a plaque would just go in a drawer, Town Clerk Suzanne Adams said.) Scott served with the Sabattus Volunteer Fire Department from 1976 to 2009.

Issue: The town is going to explore the possibility of having jail inmates paint the Central Fire Station. It’s taking an inventory of needed repairs.

Issue: Sabattus police received $16,156 through a Byrne Justice Assistance Grant. The chief has suggested it be spent on a cruiser. Selectmen will weigh in.

Contact reporter Kathryn Skelton via phone at 689-2844 or via e-mail at [email protected]