JAY — The Select Board approved Monday the police chief’s request to sell eight firearms that were received through forfeitures in closed criminal cases.

Chief Richard Caton IV said he would ask local gun shop owners their price for the guns. Any money received would go back into the department’s forfeiture account.

The board also approved going out to bid for carpet and vinyl tile for the Municipal Building. Carpet would be installed in 1o rooms, the hallway and treasurer’s storage room. Vinyl tile would be installed in three rooms, including the meeting space for selectpersons and the Planning Board. The existing material is to be removed and disposed of offsite. The money will come from a reserve account.

They also agreed to go out to bid for repairs to Whistle Stop Trail. The trail and sewer line needs to be restored due to storm washouts from June 29, 2023. The intended work plans to bring back facilities to pre-disaster design, function and capacity within the existing footprint of the trail, according to Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere.

The project work includes repairing the roof of an old granite culvert. Flooding from the storm caused the granite stones to shift and damaged the foam insulation above and below the sewer main pipe.

Approximately 20 granite slabs that form the top of the culvert will be removed and reset. Another culvert also needs to be replaced. Over 2.58 miles of trail needs to be repaired, according to LaFreniere’s information.

Bids for the flooring and repair to the trail are due by 2 p.m. on Aug. 8 at the Town Office. Bids will be analyzed before the board holds its next meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 12.

The board voted to use $5,825 from the joint sewer reservice account for a new incubator in the laboratory at the Livermore Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant in Livermore Falls. The purchase cost of up to $6,500 was previously approved before Mark Holt, the Jay/Livermore Falls sewer superintendent, knew the exact cost. It takes both Livermore Falls and Jay boards to approve a purchase from the joint account for the plant.

As part of the $21 million sewer plant upgrade, up to $5,000 was approved to replace two 15-inch culverts with 36-inch culverts. The culverts have overflowed several times in the past few years causing washouts to an access road and to Foundry Road in Livermore Falls where the plant is located. The Livermore Falls board will also be asked for approval of the expense.

There was $186,000 in the reserve account as of June 30, Holt said, not including these expenses and $12,000 for paving.

Selectpersons also approved up to $35,000 from a Jay reserve account to install a liner in a sewer main on Jay Hill on state Route 4, which was washed out. Of that amount, Vortex Services bid $19,250 to install a 12-inch liner, and to maintain traffic, including two flaggers. Holt requested the extra money for any additional work that may be required including excavation, backfill material and erosion control for the project.