FARMINGTON — Public Works Director Denis Castonguay has offered to stay on in his position through the winter so the town can advertise the position once again in the spring.

The Board of Selectmen agreed Tuesday to compensate Castonguay by adding $3,850 to his regular salary of about $57,000.

Earlier this year, Castonguay announced his intention to retire on Dec. 7. 

Seven applications were received and the top two suitable candidates were interviewed. Both candidates later decided to withdraw their applications, leaving the town back at square one, Town Manager Richard Davis said. 

One candidate lived too far away and decided he could not relocate, and the second candidate didn’t have the plowing experience needed going into the winter season, he said.

Davis recommended accepting Castonguay’s offer with the added compensation and advertising the position in the spring.

“It is a critical position and a bad time to hire someone,” Davis said of upcoming winter road work and the need for someone with experience to lead the department.

Davis thought Castonguay would probably stay on until April, but no ending date was set. He will be paid an annual salary of about $60,000 for whatever time he works for the town, Davis said.

A survey of area towns previously showed Castonguay was underpaid for his position, Davis said. The extra compensation brings the salary up to the amount board members had agreed on for a new director.

In other business, the board agreed to no cost-of-living increases for town employees for 2016. 

The decision is based each year on the Consumer Price Index average for wage and salary adjustments. This year, the average is a negative 0.175, Davis said.

A negative average in 2009 resulted in a pay cut for employees.

Options discussed included no pay increases, using the negotiated contract amount for police of an increase of at least 1 percent but no more than 3 percent or giving employees an average of 1.75 percent.

Davis reminded the board that since 2006, employees pay half of any insurance increases for the year. With no cost-of-living increase and expected increased costs for insurance, some employees could see a cut in pay, Davis said.

To ignore the Consumer Price Index and set a cost-of-living adjustment at 1 percent would be giving employees a raise, Chairman Joshua Bell said, reminding the board of potential economic changes for the area, such as the Verso mill layoffs.

He suggested no increase in wages or salaries other than the police contract and that the board review insurance costs for employees at the next meeting set for Nov. 24. The board agreed.

Davis wanted a decision to allow department heads to begin work on their budgets for the coming year.

abryant@sunmediagroup.net

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