LIVERMORE FALLS — Two selectmen agreed Tuesday to serve on a joint committee to talk with Jay officials about sharing fire services, including possibly a chief.
Town Manager Amanda Allen told selectmen Tuesday that Jay officials are willing to meet to discuss the matter.
Board Chairman Jeff Bryant and Selectman Jim Long both volunteered to serve on the committee. Also serving are Allen and Jay Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere, Livermore Falls interim Fire Rescue Chief Scott Shink and Jay Fire Rescue Chief Mike Booker, and possibly Jay Selectperson Chairman Terry Bergeron and Vice Chairman Tim DeMillo.
Livermore Falls selectmen decided Sept. 7 to renew interest in talking with Jay about possibly sharing services, equipment, firefighters and officers.
The Jay board agreed Sept. 13 to hear what Livermore Falls wants.
Both fire departments, like many towns in the state, are struggling to find and keep firefighters.
The Livermore Falls board also discussed setting up a business recruitment panel to try and find ways to entice new businesses to come to town.
Long and Vice Chairman Ernie Souther both agreed to serve on the recruitment committee. It was Souther’s idea to set up a panel.
He suggested that Long, who has run a business before, be on the committee. He recommended they find a local business owner to also be on the committee and suggested asking resident Josh Tainter, an investment banker, to be on the committee.
Tainter ran for selectman, he said.
Allen will also serve on the recruitment committee.
The business owner would have to be interested in the growth of the town’s business core, Souther said. Preferably it would be someone who owns a business, not one who manages for a corporation, he said.
Souther suggested an incentive of a 10% tax break for the first two years, followed by a 5% tax break for three years.
“We need to be more aggressive,” Souther said, to get new businesses to come to town.
More businesses would bring in more money and help offset taxes for other taxpayers, he said.
The committee would report to the Select Board on its progress.
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