Town adding fifth full-time firefighter
MOUNT DESERT Fire Chief Mike Bender is looking to hire an additional full-time, paid firefighter, bringing the total number, including himself, to five.
The fire department’s budget for the coming fiscal year, which voters approved at Town Meeting last Tuesday, includes funding for the new position. Following the Town Meeting, the Board of Selectmen authorized Bender to begin the recruitment process.
“This is the new position that was discussed and included in our 10-Year Strategic Plan,” he said in a memo to Town Manager Durlin Lunt. “Originally, I had planned to create one position this year and two more next year to bring us up to a staffing level that would enable us to begin 24 hour/7 days a week fire department coverage.”
Bond money to cover street project overrun
MOUNT DESERT The budget for the Main Street Improvement Project in Northeast Harbor included $337,049 for contingencies, but that amount has already been exceeded by $48,564.
However, the town has more than enough bond money to cover that overrun.
Voters in 2018 authorized borrowing $3.96 million for the Main Street project. But before construction began, changes were made that reduced the total estimated cost to $3.3 million.
The Board of Selectmen voted Monday to authorize transferring enough money from the bond balance to the contingency line in the budget to cover the overrun.
While they were at it, they voted to transfer another $50,000 to cover contingencies that may arise between now and completion of the project, which is scheduled for next spring. That leaves a bond balance of $615,189.