Barre Select Board writes off $47,000 in ambulance debt, approves Halloween events

BARRE -- September 23, 2019, Barre Select Board declares $47,000 in ambulance debt uncollectable and approves two Halloween events. The board voted unanimously at its September 23 meeting to write off billings from 2015 that the town accountant said could not be collected, while noting most ambulance costs are typically recovered through insurance reimbursement. Police response hours at Stetson School are on pace to drop roughly 30 percent in 2019, from an estimated $3,193 in personnel costs last year to roughly $1,915 through mid-September; the board also noted a fire department figure of $46,000 for 257 school-related incidents in 2018, though members cautioned the net out-of-pocket cost remains unverified. A new on-call firefighter was authorized at a salary of $1,597, and Megan Petal, a Barre Historical Society board member and Stone Cow Brewery manager with a master's in public history, was appointed to the 250th Anniversary Committee on a 2-0-1 vote.