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Jackson Select Board shortens office hours, raises local fees and adopts new policies
Summary
At its Jan. 6 meeting the Jackson Select Board voted unanimously to shorten town office hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, raise several local fees including the bounced-check fee to $50, accept a $1,000 police donation and adopt a revised fire incident fee schedule setting a $1,931 per-call reimbursement.
The Jackson Select Board on Jan. 6 approved a set of administrative changes intended to streamline town office work and shore up accounting practices.
Barbara Campbell, chair of the Jackson Select Board, led the meeting and moved to change town office hours so the Town Clerk’s office and the Select Board office will close at noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays rather than 3 p.m.; the board approved the change unanimously. The board also approved raising the town’s bounced-check fee from $25 to $50, a request the Town Clerk made to help cover bank and administrative costs.
The board approved several facility- and fee-related updates for the Old Library after a briefing from Barbara Theriault on behalf of the Old Library Committee. The approved changes raise the recurring-class base fee from $20 to $25 plus $5 per hour, increase major-event fees from $100 to $150 and raise meeting-space fees from $50 to $100. The board noted additional details about key deposits and potential lock changes will be resolved at a future meeting.
The board accepted a $1,000 donation to the Jackson Police Department and approved a contract with accounting adviser Cohos Advisors under the option that includes monthly meetings, support for conversion to QuickBooks Online, and a one-time capital-asset-list build required by the town’s auditors.
On policy matters the board re-adopted the town Investment Policy and reapproved the Fund Balance Policy. Members took first-read action on a new Procurement Policy (which proposes a $10,000 single-purchase threshold, guidance for competitive bids and a $2,000 credit-card purchase limit) and on a new Credit Card Policy (which requires prior approval for purchases over $2,000 and assigns any card incentives to the town); both were scheduled for second readings at the next meeting. The board also approved a new Delegation of Authority procedure to formalize practices among the treasurer, the Select Board and the finance office, reflecting recent electronic-deposit capabilities.
The board approved a revised Fire Department incident/fee policy that establishes a discretionary per-call reimbursement rate of $1,931 and provides for additional hourly apparatus and personnel charges for large or preplanned incidents. Select Board members said the revised schedule is intended to provide a standard framework for invoicing while retaining discretion for unusual circumstances.
During public comment, resident Sarah Clemons reported problems with recent changes to retiree insurance, citing difficulties with a new provider, changes to prescription-drug coverage and the need to pay costs up front. Chair Campbell said the town is committed to the current provider for one year while staff and the board use feedback to evaluate options going forward. Resident Penny Porath asked whether neighboring towns charge Jackson for mutual aid; Campbell responded that neighboring towns do not charge Jackson for mutual aid. Building Inspector Kevin Bennett praised the fire department’s response to a serious crash at Pink Notch.
The board approved an Intent to Cut for Map R14 Lots 15-B1 and 15B, received construction updates on the new fire station and Town Hall elevator work, and adjourned at 4:34 p.m. The board noted a Jan. 20 meeting that will include second readings of the procurement and credit-card policies and a Jan. 20 4 p.m. budget hearing.
