MADAWASKA, Maine — Madawaska’s Select Board on Feb. 19 unanimously voted to spend $3,500 on targeted advertising to fill two vacant full-time positions within the public works department.
The department currently has eight full-time employees. The vacant positions are a shop mechanic and equipment operator and a shop foreman.
Board Chairman Jason Boucher said he spoke to Human Resources Director Heather Picard about better ways to advertise for the position, and that she suggested using targeted advertising.
“She says that, in the past when we’ve used this method — even though it’s a little more costly — we’ve had a lot more applicants come back,” Boucher said. “And they’ve been more qualified applicants because of the qualified nature of it.”
He said the department is about $400 above budget, however according to state law the town can spend an additional 15 percent if the currently budgeted amount is not sufficient to repair or maintain the roads.
Town Manager David Daigle also attested the effectiveness of targeted advertising.
“We’ve used it in the past to fill some of our positions,” Daigle said, “and we’re satisfied with the dollar value that it brings back in terms of quality of applicants.”
Boucher said Finance Director Caryl Albert told him the advertising money could be taken out of the salaries line, which is higher than anticipated due to the vacancies.
At the start of the meeting, Boucher commended the department’s current short-staffed crew on their work handling the two recent storms.
“Snow removal is never an easy task,” he said. “These storms presented extreme conditions, with high winds creating snow drifts that quickly filled in roads as soon as they were cleared. Even state police reported over 15 road closures across the County due to the sheer volume of snow.”
He said the storm stretched resources thin, and thanked the crew for going above and beyond. Boucher added that several town employees, including a paramedic, a police officer, a previous selectman and a local contractor, helped out.
“All these folks assisted with driving plow trucks, running the town snowblower, and even making crucial after-hours repairs to keep equipment running,” he said. “This is the kind of community spirit that makes Madawaska strong, and we’re all proud of these people.”
He said that every storm is a learning experience, and the town will look at how to better handle upcoming storms in the future.
“Madawaska is not alone in facing these challenges,” he said. “Many towns across the region struggled with impassable roads, drifting snow and delayed travel.”
