FARMINGTON — Selectmen unanimously approved signing an agreement with a local landlord to secure necessary improvements to three apartment properties when they met Tuesday.

Following an inspection and letter of violations sent to Vivian Savage of Sanford, Fla., Savage called and agreed to make the corrections in apartments at 430 Farmington Falls Road and 115 Hurst Lane by April 30, Code Enforcement Officer Steve Kaiser told the board.  

Violations covered heating, plumbing and electrical issues, lack of  secondary exits, secondary window escapes and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

She also agreed to remove and legally dispose of materials she had illegally dumped in an outdoor swimming pool at 382 Town Farm Road by June 30, he said.

The board authorized Town Manager Richard Davis to sign the agreement.

In other business, selectmen decided to continue to handle additional compensation requests from personnel who assume the duties of department heads out for a prolonged absence on a case-by-case basis rather than adopting a policy.

A draft policy created by Town Manager Richard Davis was abandoned by a vote of 4-1 after the board discussed compensating the interim employee for absences longer than 30-days.

Selectman Ryan Morgan felt the 30-days created a “level playing field” for all departments.

Matt Foster, assistant director of Parks and Recreation, questioned whether the time would accumulate for more than one absence or the time would have to be reached for each absence.

Director Steve Shible requested the board consider compensation at a previous meeting because he has needed to take time for several surgeries leaving the assistant director to assume his duties. The extra compensation goes beyond the time the assistant would fill in for vacations and short-term illnesses.

The board suggested cases of unusual circumstances could be looked at case by case as was done when interims in the Police and Public Works departments were compensated for leaders’ extended absences.

“If you’re going to look at case by case, why have a policy,” asked audience member Tim “TD” Hardy.

The board agreed.

The board also approved a sewer abatement of $1,335.97 for Jonathan Cummings. A portion of Cummings’ property at 185 Maple Ave. was destroyed by fire. A water leak then occurred in the portion of the house that burned and took months to find, said Mavis Gensel, waste water clerk.

The broken water meter has been fixed but the water lost did not go through the sewer, she said.

abryant@sunjournal.com