BETHEL — Bethel selectmen anticipate holding a special Town Meeting in January to move funds from the Undesignated Fund Balance account to other accounts expected to otherwise end up in the red.

One of those is the Cole Block account, which has incurred unexpected expenses for mitigation of a mold problem in the building. The board this summer approved $72,000 toward that, but there have been additional expenses for other issues found since the work began in October.

For example, four desks had to be disposed of due to non-removable mold, and flooring has to be replaced. The total additional cost has not yet been determined. The work has delayed moving the Town Office back from the Fire Station until mid-December, town officials said at last week’s board meeting.

Also in the red are airport and sewer accounts, Town Manager Sharon Jackson said.

More details on items to be addressed and a proposed warrant are expected for a selectmen’s meeting in December.

Other matters

At last week’s board meeting selectmen approved a Waste Water Treatment Plant budget of $745,865 for 2025.

They also voted to split the cost of a new state-required Paid Family Medical Leave program between the town and its 20 full and part-time employees. The new law requires that 1 percent of an employee’s wages be contributed for the program beginning Jan 1.

Jackson said the first six months would cost $6,000, and the town had the option of paying all of that or having the employees pay half.

Bethel employees are currently eligible to go out on family medical leave for up to 12 weeks by using sick time and/or just going out without pay, she said.

The program would not be available to employees until May of 2026. Jackson and board Chair Michele Varuolo Cole said there have been questions statewide about how effective the program will be in covering expenses.

In other business the board approved an employment agreement with Jackson covering the period of July 1, 2024 to Oct. 31, 2025 at a wage of $75 an hour. The town would also pay her commute time to her residence and mileage reimbursement for that distance. In addition, Bethel would pay 5% of her weekly wage to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System as part of her requirement to pay 5% of her post-retirement wage.

Selectmen also heard a presentation from John Snell of John Snell LLC on an energy audit he did for the town, which was funded by grant money.

Snell presented current energy usage and costs for the town’s buildings and outlined possible ways to increase efficiency, such as installing renewable energy sources and more efficient heating and cooling equipment. He said most towns undertake such projects as part of a larger improvement project. Jackson said the information would be a good road map to guide improvements in the future.

The board meets next on Dec. 4.