JAY — The Select Board approved a request Monday to temporarily close the POW/MIA Memorial Bridge on Riley Road on Sept. 20 for a remembrance ceremony.

The board did this last year and had no problems, Chairman Terry Bergeron said.

The ceremony will begin about 6 p.m. and the bridge spanning the Androscoggin River will be closed for about 15 minutes.

Jim Manter of the VFW Post 3335 is working with police departments, which will escort motorcycles for the service. He will work with the Jay Police Department and Fire Rescue Department regarding blocking the road, according to Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere.

Selectpersons also signed the warrant for a special town meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 23 for voters to consider transferring $63,000 from the undesignated fund balance to compensate police in an effort to keep those in the department and attract recruits.

Jay lost its chief and sergeant to Rangeley Police Department who offered more money.

Also Monday, the board received an update on the town’s $488,829.13 in American Rescue Plan Act funds.

LaFreniere said the money needs to be obligated by December but she would like to see it spent by then.

There is $14,977.90 that is not obligated.

Improvements at the Chisholm Village military monuments will cost significantly less than the $7,500 estimated, according to Vice Chairman Tim DeMillo. There haven’t been any electrical issues with the lights since work on them was done, he said.

The board is considering projects for the remaining money.

The board also approved two sewer abatements for the 2024-25 billing cycle.

Peter Osborne of 19 Belleview Drive was granted at $150 abatement because the winter quarter was higher than the previous three quarters.

The Sewer User Ordinance states that if the winter quarter is at least 20% higher than the average of the previous three quarters, a customer may request the town to use all four quarters for billing purposes.

“This property qualifies for an abatement because the winter quarter reading was more than 20% higher than the average of the previous three quarters,” Sewer Superintendent Mark Holt wrote in his recommendation to the board.

The board also approved a sewer abatement of $250 for Ann Crafts at 58 East Dixfield Road. The abatement was due to an administrative error.

The ordinance states that if a mistake is made in the assessment of sewer fees, or if a correction in billing circumstance is warranted, the board may act to correct such billing errors. The sewer fee should be recalculated using 1,000 cubic feet instead of 2,900 cubic, according to Holt.

However, the town staff noticed the high winter quarter usage and used all four quarters, which was 6,000 cubic feet, to calculate the sewer fee.

Crafts was billed $670, minus what should have been billed, which was $420, which comes out to a $250 abatement.