Erving Select Board Approves Bridge Engineering Contract, Restores Radio Funds

ERVING — March 1, 2021 — Erving Select Board unanimously approved a $2,700 engineering contract for the Church Street bridge and restored $75,000 in public-safety radio equipment to the fiscal year 2022 budget at its March 1 meeting. Chair Jacob Smith, Member William Bembury, and Member James Loynd also voted to give a two percent raise to four stipended positions — emergency management director, assistant EMD, IT coordinator, and IT technician — after debating whether current compensation, including a $1,040 IT coordinator stipend, adequately reflects workload that has grown sharply during the pandemic. Police Chief Wonka told the joint board-Finance Committee session that vehicle repeaters are needed because portable radios fail on side streets away from the Route 2 corridor, saying officers on traffic stops "are not going to be able to reach out to dispatch." The Finance Committee accepted the special town meeting warrant covering at least six articles, including a $122,000 public safety budget amendment; a meeting date of late March or early April was under discussion but not formally set.