By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — Saying thank you with a monetary gift is always appreciated.

The Casco Board of Selectmen decided to use federal funding to let town staff know how much they are appreciated for their job performance during the pandemic. 

That thank you will come in the form of a $750 hazardous-pay check. 

On Tuesday, the selectmen voted unanimously to support applying a portion the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to hazardous pay. 

The only regret expressed by the board is that it did not happen sooner.

“I am sorry that this took solong to come about. They were at the frontline and never questioned it,” Selectman Eugene Connolly said. 

Other municipalities have already given out hazardous duty pay. For the past month, Casco has been researching what approach other towns were taking, regarding hazardous pay for employees. Some towns based it on hours worked.

Casco Town Manager Anthony “Tony” Ward  talked about the logistics of doing hazardous duty pay. After all, the U.S. Treasury’s ruling is that heads of department are not eligible for the pay. 

The Town of Casco has 16 full-time employees, who work exclusively for Casco plus six employees who are shared with other towns. Also, the town has 22 part time employees. That adds up to 44 town employees who work full or part time.

“Who is not eligible: the recreation director, the code enforcement officer, the fire chief and myself,” Ward said. 

He recommended the board use administrative funding— essentially money from the town’s budget to compensate the department heads. 

Therefore, the selectmen voted on two things. The first was to “approve $750 stipends for those employees who are eligible under the ARPA funds.” 

The second motion was “to take out of General Operating Fund to pay” Casco CEO John Wiesemann, Fire Chief Brian Cole and Recreation Director Beth Latsey.

“These people put themselves out there when nobody else would. They put themselves out there when everybody else was staying home,” Selectman Scott Avery said.