FARMINGTON — Franklin County commissioners voted Tuesday to give the town of Eustis $35,437.50 from tax-increment financing funds toward a fire truck to use in the unorganized territory.

They also voted to accept the recommendations to hire five new employees, deputies and dispatchers, and approved using $175,000 from undesignated funds to offset the tax assessment for 2021-22.

Commissioners voted in August 2020 to pay 30% from TIF funds for a fire truck for Eustis.

The department covers unorganized territory from Wyman Township to Coburn Gore and some in Somerset County. It also handles calls to the wind energy project on Kibby Ridge in Kibby and Skinner townships.

Sprague Wise, chief of Eustis Fire Rescue Department, told commissioners last year that calls to the unorganized territories have increased since 2016.

The fire truck is a 2006 Rosenbauer America, 4-by-4 rescue pumper. It has a custom chassis, which is a first for Eustis’ fleet. The cost is $118,125. Eustis selectmen gave conditional approval to the purchase a couple of weeks ago pending results of a pump test. The board was expected to make a final decision on Tuesday night, Wise said after the commissioners meeting. The truck also has compressed air foam system.

During the commissioners meeting, Chief Deputy Steven Lowell received approval to make conditional offers to two deputy candidates, pending successful completion of polygraph and background checks.  They have already been through oral boards and interviews. A full-time position is being offered to Othniel Kroger of Peru and a part-time position is being offered to Stephen Kusson of Farmington.

Interim Communications Director Amanda Simoneau also presented three candidates to work at the Regional Communications Center, Everett Spaulding of Wilton, Ashley Mcdowell of Rumford and Alan Burke of Farmington.

Spaulding is a firefighter on the Wilton Fire Rescue Department, is self-employed and has a history of public service, Simoneau said. Mcdowell has a, “vast experience in the medical field with most recent job being at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston,” she said. Burke has worked as a dispatcher at the Carrabassett Valley Police Department since 2018.

They are expected to start on July 1.

Braley said John Welch, custodian at the jail, wanted to know what commissioners would like to do with a Vulcan 36-inch stove that has a grill and oven. A new commercial stove replaced it at the jail kitchen.  It would need to have the liner fixed along the bottom of the door, Braley said.

Brann asked that they find out what the value is of the used stove is and then get rid of it. Commissioners Clyde Barker of Strong said it could be offered to organizations who may need one.