Jay Maine -Official Municipal Web Site

The Town of Jay, Maine

Jay is nestled in a valley formed by the Androscoggin River in Southern Franklin County. That geographical fact led the area to become a hotbed of industry during the industrial revolution. The Androscoggin provided power for a multitude of mills and factories, and while industry remains a strong part of Jay's past, the town retains a rural feel. With a population of just under 5,000 Jay has kept the small-town characteristics that make Western Maine an ideal place to live, work, and raise a family. .

Chisholm

Community
Jay boasts a very active civic atmosphere, with 2 Veteran's Organizations, an Historical Society, many churches, a Youth Organization, a Paper and Heritage Museum, Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary, just to name a few.

Jay Historical Society

Recreation
Located right on the edge of the western mountains and at the gateway to the major ski areas, Jay has access to abundant recreational activities. Right here in town there is French Falls recreational area, a ball field in the summer that is flooded and maintained for ice skating in winter; Spruce Mountain Ski Slope, a tri-municipality ski area; tennis courts located at the Elementary School; and a Rail Trail Snowmobile/ATV/Hiking system, spanning a distance of 14 miles from Jay to Farmington. The Androscoggin River itself provides opportunities for excellent fishing, and is the venue for many fishing tournaments. Canoes and kayaks are a common site, as local folk are using the river for recreation as never before.

North Jay White Granite Park

North Jay boasts a now-idle granite quarry that for decades provided high-quality white granite for buildings throughout New England , including the city hall in Portland . A walking path in a neighboring orchard provides the opportunity to view this site. The Paper making industry and the granite quarry attracted a diverse ethnic background that has survived for over 200 years and provides a rich environment.

Fun on the Androscoggin during the Source to Sea Trek

Town Notices

HELP WANTED: Custodian -
The Town of Jay is currently seeking a Custodian for the Jay Municipal Building, including the Town Office and Police Department. The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, flexible and willing to take on routine and non-routine cleaning and special projects as the need arises. The Custodian will be responsible for cleaning and sanitizing all areas of the Municipal Building and performing minor maintenance and related projects. Previous experience as a Custodian is preferred and physical ability to perform related duties and ability to pass fingerprint background check is required. This is a part-time, 10-12 hour per week position with competitive wages. For consideration, submit application to: Town Manager; 340 Main Street, Jay, ME 04239 or jmanager@jay-maine.org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The Town of Jay is an equal opportunity employer.

Survey for Grant Funding North Jay Sewer Project
The Town of Jay is applying for grant funding from the Maine DEP to offset costs related to the North Jay Sewer project. Eligibility for this funding is based in part on the median income level of the households that would benefit from the project. Unfortunately, updated and valid income information does not exist for the Town of Jay sewer user population. Maine Rural Water Association, an independent 3rd party, has agreed to perform an income survey. Be assured that your individual information will remain confidential, as MRW will only report aggregate information to the grant funders. Individual information will be held at MRW and destroyed at the end of this application cycle.

We are asking that citizens please take a moment to fill out and return the survey that they receive in the mail in the coming weeks. The survey asks for the number of people that live in the household and the total income earned by all people living there. If MRW does not receive a response, they will be in Jay, going house to house collecting surveys, between January 7-25, 2019. Their representatives will have proper identification displayed at all times.

Your cooperation is critical to obtaining this grant funding. Without your help, the total cost of the project will be borne by the Town, which may result in higher taxes and sewer rates.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Mark Holt, Sewer Superintendent at jsewer@jay-maine.org or 645-4246 or Alex Wong at MRW awong@mainerwa.org or 841-9488.

Proposals requested for curbside pickup

The Town of Jay is requesting proposals from qualified contractors for the weekly curbside collection of municipal solid waste and single sort recyclable waste. Proposals are being requested for a 36-month term that will commence on July 1, 2019. For a copy of the Request For Proposal, please contact the Town Office at 897-6785 or by email at jmanager@jay-maine.org.

Community Development Block Grant Application

The Town of Jay anticipates making application to the 2019 State of Maine Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Micro-Enterprise Assistance Grant Program. Funds from the program can be utilized to help existing or developing businesses with 5 or fewer employees, one of whom owns the enterprise, and whose family income is low-to-moderate (LMI). Alternatively, if the owners do not qualify as LMI, the business owner must create 1 full-time equivalent job (based on $30,000 grant) or 2 full-time equivalent jobs (based on $50,000 grant), which must be taken by LMI individuals and must be maintained for a minimum of one year. Businesses applying for these funds must have a business plan not older than 18 months and must have met with a Small Business Development Center business counselor in the 3 months prior to applying for assistance.

Funds may also be available under this program for Business Façade Grants. To qualify for façade funds, the business must submit documentation showing that it qualifies as a spot slum/blight area. Estimated cost for funds under this program must be provided by an engineer or architect.

If you are interested in obtaining more information on this program, please contact: Shiloh LaFreniere, Town Manager, 340 Main Street, Jay. By phone at 897-6785 or by email at jmanager@jay-maine.org. It is anticipated that the Letter of Intent for projects will be reviewed by the Board in January and due to the State by February 8th. Additional information on the CDBG program can be found at: https://www.maine.gov/decd/meocd/cdbg/index.shtml.

Need Help with Snow Removal?

The Town Office often gets calls from citizens who are looking for someone to plow their driveways, shovel their roofs, decks, etc. We have compiled the following list to try to help. If you offer this service and would like to have your contact information included, please let us know.

J & W Snow Plowing 645-6121
Thomas Goding 578-3796
Gene Allen, Sr. 897-4683 or 931-8355
Tom Frazier 491-5828
M & Z Lawncare 860-9285
Corey LeClerc 897-8029
Paul Pomerleau 754-3320

TOWN OF JAY - 2019 TAX CLUB INFORMATION

What is the purpose of a Tax Club? The 2019 Tax Club provides the taxpayer an eight (8) month period to budget payments without interest thereby relieving the pressure of lump sum payments. This in turn benefits the Town by creating a more predictable cash flow. Click here for more info.

Town Meeting results 2018 Click here

Report Streetlight Outages on CMP's website

http://www.cmpco.com/Outages/CMPstreetlightoutageform.html

New Facebook Page

The Town of Jay now has a Facebook page that is a work in progress. Please visit and "like" to stay abreast of happenings when on Facebook.

See Jay's Social Media Policy here

Volunteer Opportunities:

The Town of Jay is in the process of developing a volunteer program to benefit the community. We are partnering with the United Way and Service Enterprise Points of Light to strengthen the Towns capacity to attract volunteers with the skills needed to address community needs. If you are interested in being a part of this, please contact the Town Office at 897-6785. Examples of ways you might help your community include: developing the volunteer program, adopt-a-spot, gardening, seasonal recreational opportunities, volunteering on boards and committees and many other local opportunities. Be on the lookout for more information on this.