Edgecomb Fire Chief Roy Potter wants selectmen to let the department have a credit card for truck fuel or other needs in an emergency. Potter made the request November 5, after telling selectmen the only way firefighters could fuel up fire trucks ahead of Hurricane Sandy was by paying out of their own pockets.

“That's absurd,” Potter said.

The department's Wright Express fuel card had been shut down when the town's payment was late, Potter said. According to selectmen, the payment was made later than usual due to a combination of fewer board meetings and a large number of bills to pay at once.

“It was a unique situation that happened,” Selectman Stuart Smith said.

The fuel card is working again, but Potter said the incident points up the need for a credit card when time is an issue. It could also save money, if a truck part is cheaper on the Internet, he said.

All payments on the card would go through him for authorization, just as the department's other bills do, he said. That satisfied Selectman Jack Sarmanian and board chairman Jessica Chubbuck, as long as the card's use is “strictly monitored,” Chubbuck said. But Smith voiced concern about the potential for “problems of it getting misused.”

The town already has a Staple's store card, Chubbuck said. But Smith didn't see that as a reason to also take out a card for the fire department. “I don't want to extend any more credit out there on the town's nickel if we can get around that,” he said.

Selectmen will look into options, including a credit card or prepaid credit card, as well as possibly having the fire department fuel up at a fuel depot Smith said other towns on the peninsula use.

Other issues Edgecomb Selectmen discussed at their November 5 meeting included:

-The board agreed to work with pr

operty owners and the Maine Department of Transportation on issues identified in this year's road safety audit. The vote shows the board's support for the state's efforts to improve safety along the Route 1 corridor, Smith said.

-Chubbuck announced that plans are under way for this year's Edgecomb toy drive. Any businesses interested in collecting donations can contact Chubbuck at 841-4038.

Susan Johns can be reached at 844-4633 or sjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com.