The $48,000 question in Edgecomb is whether the fire department needs a full-time fire chief.

On March 23, the selectmen discussed the proposal brought forth by the volunteer fire department. The department first requested the chief become a full-time position during the previous board meeting.

Fire Chief Roy Potter made the request on the department’s behalf during the March 9 board meeting. He delivered a letter from the department’s volunteer members requesting the town consider making the position full-time.

The selectmen instructed the fire department to draft a proposal with all the associated costs. According to Selectman Jack Sarmanian, the proposed salary requested, without benefits, is $48,000. 

As a volunteer chief, Potter works about 25 hours per week and receives a $7,000 stipend.

On March 9, Potter told the board his department was “at the breaking point” regarding volunteer participation. The volunteer department has 13 members with only four or five who regularly respond to calls and training sessions.

Potter said the department believes a full-time chief could recruit more volunteers with the caveat that more time would be spent training and less on maintaining equipment.

If adopted by voters, the fire chief would become a municipal employee. The selectmen will check with the Maine Municipal Association about the process for adding a full-time employee. The selectmen have other questions about the salary and benefit package, whether a specified replacement is needed for the chief’s vacation and sick days, and the hiring process.

Sarmanian favors an open hiring process.

“If the position is created then I’d like to open it up and advertise for candidates,” Sarmanian said.

The volunteer firefighters favor a closed process. Ever since the fire department became a municipal department over two decades ago, it had an agreement with the municipality that the firefighters would select the fire chief.

The selectmen will further discuss making the position full-time at the next board meeting. The selectmen have until the end of April to place the proposal on the May town meeting warrant.

“This is something that definitely has to be decided by the voters,” Sarmanian said. “We’re just collecting all the information now in preparation for the town meeting.”

In other action, the selectmen tabled discussion about another issue that might appear on the town meeting warrant. The board voted on March 23 to discuss Sarmanian’s proposal to borrow Woodend Account funds at the next meeting. Sarmanian proposed that the loan could reduce the local tax burden.

“I’m not sure how much it would be. We didn’t talk about an amount because it was tabled,” Sarmanian said.

The Woodend Account was established by the town in the 1970s. A Davis Island property was forfeited to the federal government following the former owner’s, (Woodend’s), drug conviction. The federal government gave the property to the town. The property was sold.

The town used the proceeds to establish a fund to purchase public access around the Sheepscot and Damariscotta rivers. Over the years, the town has also contributed boat registration fees into the fund. According to town officials, the fund has between $120,000 and $180,000.

The town has borrowed once from the Woodend Account to purchase land for the Schmid Land Preserve.

The selectmen will meet next at 6 p.m., on Monday, April 6 in the municipal room.