New Salt Shed
On Wednesday evening, the Town of Jay, NY Town Board held a special meeting to discuss the purchase of a new salt shed at the Highway Garage for $582,218. Last fall, the Town was awarded a $600,000 Water Quality Improvement Project (WQIP) grant for this purpose, which requires a 25% local match.
The grant application was based on the Hybrid Building Solutions model, which is the same structure installed at Essex County DPW a few years ago. This new shed will store all the sand and salt currently kept at the Highway Garage, helping to reduce overall usage and ultimately saving money for Town of Jay taxpayers.
The special meeting was called to gather additional information so board members could make an informed decision. After careful consideration, the Town Board chose not to go with the lowest bid. Instead, we selected a structure based on positive recommendations and site visits to other local municipalities.
Our current salt shed sustained significant damage when a tree fell on it, with repair estimates exceeding $100,000. Rather than invest taxpayer dollars into a costly repair, we believe the Hybrid Building Solutions model offers the most efficient and cost-effective path forward for the upcoming storage season. The majority of our required grant match will be fulfilled through in-kind work performed by our Highway Department staff, further reducing costs.

Au Sable Forks Fire Department News
I was honored to attend the Au Sable Forks Fire Department’s annual banquet a couple of weeks ago. Congratulations to this year’s award recipients:
• Fireman of the Year: Kobe Pelkey
• Al Rougeau Memorial Award (Most Dedicated): Shane Fitzgerald
• Michael Nugent Memorial Safety Award: Howard Drake, Jr.
• Chief’s Award: Dave McKie, Sr.
• Most Improved: Brandon McKie
• Rookie of the Year: Nate Darrah
This week, the Fire Department successfully relocated all of their equipment to their brand-new fire station. They will be hosting an Open House on June 7th starting at 11:00 a.m. Please see the attached flyer for details.

Comprehensive Plan Visioning Workshop
The Town of Jay will be holding a Visioning Workshop at the Amos and Julia Ward Theater (next to the Jay Village Green) on Saturday, May 31st, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. If you’re interested in participating, please contact my office so we can provide you with a packet of materials to review in advance.

Hope you have a great weekend,
Matt