The Whitefield Board of Selectmen appointed interim fire chief Scott Higgins as fire chief during executive session July 24. At the May 8 select board meeting, Higgins had told the board of his intention to resign as deputy fire chief, saying his decision stemmed from wanting to spend more time with his grandchildren.
When Whitefield Fire Dept. Chief Tim Pellerin resigned June 30, Higgins was appointed interim fire chief.
Higgins has been on the Whitefield Fire Dept. since 1993 and is also Whitefield’s EMA Director. Before coming to Whitefield, Scott Higgins was on the Winthrop Fire Dept. from 1979-93. He drives the school bus for Jefferson and runs Higgins Appliance Service.
They decided not to pay any additional money to the moderator from the last town meeting.
At their April 24 meeting, the board questioned the $553.66 bill from the town meeting moderator Brian Huntley who charged them $100 per hour for his services.
The town paid him $200 which is what was in their budget for the year, but Huntley wanted the additional $353.66, which includes his travel expenses. “He’s an elected official; he can’t set his own salary unilaterally,” said Selectman Frank Ober.
The selectmen decided to prepare an oral testimony supporting the taxpayers of Whitefield in the debate over the Clary Lake water level. The selectmen will read their testimony at the administrative Aug. 17 hearing at 5 p.m. at the Jefferson Fire Station with the Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The selectmen voted to take over the responsibilities of the Coopers Mills Cemetery, in light of the fact that the sexton is not available for the foreseeable future. They reviewed cemetery expansion plans.
