JAY — The Select Board approved a proposal Monday to merge the town’s Police Department with Wilton’s, combining two of the four law enforcement collaboration options recommended by a study committee.
The Jay board voted on a motion by Selectwoman Lee Ann Dalessandro to ask Wilton to enter a contract under which Jay would provide police services for both towns while the two communities work out how to form a quasi‑municipal corporation to merge their departments.
“They (Wilton) could pay us and come under our umbrella,” she said.
The Wilton-Jay Police Collaboration Committee outlined four options: make no changes (Option 1); contract with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office for police services (Option 2); have one town contract with the other for policing (Option 3); or form a quasi‑municipal corporation with equal control by both towns (Option 4).
The committee submitted the options to the Jay board Feb. 9.
The Wilton Board of Selectpersons has not discussed the four options, presented Feb. 3, because two selectwomen were absent from its Feb. 17 meeting.
When Select Board Chair Terry Bergeron asked whether any members favored contracting with the Sheriff’s Office, each said no.
“It would cost more,” Dalessandro said, “and they would be letting people go.”
Chief Joseph Sage of the Jay Police Department told the Select Board on Monday, “The issue is, can we provide the same or better service for the same price?”
He added that he favored Options 3 and 4.
“It depends on how fast you want to do it,” Sage said. “The quasi-municipal option has the most variables, and we don’t really know the total cost yet.”
He estimated that setting up a quasi‑municipal operation could take a year or two, though it might happen sooner.
“The fastest would be Option 3,” he said, referring to one town contracting with the other for police services. He noted that even that option would take time, because Wilton would need to decide what services it wants from Jay and how to pay for them.
Jay Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said police union contracts in both towns expire June 30, and the agreements would need to be aligned if the towns enter a pact. She said the pension plans already align, though other adjustments might be needed.
Dalessandro suggested asking Wilton to turn policing over to Jay while the two towns set up an independent corporation. Her motion carried 4-1.
Selectman Gary McGrane voted against it, saying he preferred moving directly to a quasi‑municipal corporation.
Sage noted that Jay is accredited by the Maine Law Enforcement Accreditation Program.
Dalessandro said that certification would extend to Wilton and benefit the town under a contract with Jay.
Accreditation holds departments to higher standards and lowers Jay’s insurance costs, Sage said.
The Maine Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, or MLEAP, was created by the Maine Chiefs of Police Association to improve policing. In western Maine, only Jay, Farmington and the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office are among the 39 police agencies accredited through MLEAP.
Dalessandro, who chaired the Wilton-Jay Police Collaboration Committee, said three or four other states have turned to quasi‑municipal departments in rural areas. She said the committee looked most closely at Pennsylvania, where 141 departments consolidated into 43.
“Other towns (in Pennsylvania) are now asking to come into the ‘quasis,’” she said. “I only recommended Option 3 because it’s faster, but I would like to move to Option 4,” which would form a quasi‑municipal corporation.
Dalessandro also said her idea for a contract with Wilton would include an oversight committee made up of residents from both towns.
“A merger (with Wilton) would be my choice,” Jay Selectman Tim DeMillo said.
Whether Wilton accepts Jay’s proposal will take time to determine. The Wilton board is scheduled to meet Monday, March 2.
Both select boards have emphasized they need time to meet with residents and hear reactions and suggestions.
“We won’t push this through without a town vote,” Jay Selectman Thomas Goding said.
Jay Select Board Chair Terry Bergeron added: “Take this one step at a time. Retention (of officers) and money are the two big issues.”
Jay is the larger town, with an estimated population of 4,620. Wilton’s population is estimated at 3,835.
Jay also covers more land area — 48.4 square miles, compared with Wilton’s 41.3 square miles.
The Wilton-Jay Police Collaboration Committee comprised two selectpersons, two residents, the town manager and the police chief from each town. It began its work about six months ago.
“We’ll see if Wilton has any interest in joining with us,” DeMillo said.
In other matters, the Select Board voted to raise the agents’ fee for vehicle registration to $6 for new registrations and $5 for renewals.
Goding voted no.
“The dollars add up,” he said.
The board also voted 5-0 to begin posting roads and heard a report from Tom Saviello that the Western Maine Energy Storage Project’s permit application has been accepted for processing.
Saviello, a registered forester, former legislator and now a Franklin County commissioner, represents the company. He said the Select Board will be asked to join the stakeholder group as the process unfolds.
LaFreniere reported that the Jay Sewer Department sold three old pumps on an auction website — two for $720 and one, which had been repaired, for $4,260. No bids were received from an earlier posting.
The board also voted unanimously to remove the comments section from the town’s Facebook page and to allow a retiring reserve police officer to purchase his service firearm for $100. The weapon had been valued at $50 to $75.
