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Fire chief reports rising calls; code enforcement warns of junkyard, liquor-license public hearing set
Summary
Fire Chief Jared Welch reported increased spring call volumes and EMS grant spending while Code Enforcement Officer Stan Hackett updated the board on permits, a pending liquor-license public hearing for Town Hill Grill, and ongoing junkyard/auto-graveyard enforcement with potential large fines.
Fire Chief Jared Welch told the Board of Selectmen on May 4 that warmer weather has driven call volume up: the department recorded 62 calls in April and 198 year-to-date. He said the department had 12 fire calls (five out of town) and 50 EMS calls, noted staffing strains caused by illness and injuries, and described recent training and equipment purchases funded in part by an EMS grant.
Welch said the EMS grant paid for GlideScope laryngoscopes (about $5,000) and training (about $2,000) and that he would like to use remaining grant funds to partially pay for paramedic training for a long-serving member, Andrew Lord, rather than return unused money to the state.
Code Enforcement Officer Stan Hackett reported year-to-date plumbing and building permit receipts (about $38,372) and said the Town Hill Grill property has been sold and the new owner is seeking to add beer and wine (and liquor) to the license. Hackett asked the board to set a public hearing; the board scheduled that hearing for May 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Hackett also summarized a long-running business-park violation that is now under a consent agreement and warned about a separate potential tire-storage situation that could reach quantities he described as a major hazard. He said DEP conducted ground testing near an historic landfill site and will continue sampling; the tests so far look like biological decomposition rather than contamination, but he recommended caution and further review.
On billing practices, Welch explained the town's EMS intercept fees: a basic life-support (BLS) EMT-level response is billed at $662; if a medic is added, the town bills $938 and pays Waterboro $250 from that amount. He noted that payment depends on insurance or patient self-pay.
The board also discussed ongoing capital and permitting issues, including the status of tax-acquired properties, subdivision moratoria tied to a proposed 100–150 acre development, and upcoming bids for town paving projects.
