JAY — Police Chief Richard Caton IV has drafted a proposal for coverage of Dixfield for consideration by the Select Board at 6 p.m. Monday at the Town Office.

Selectmen tabled action on the request May 28 until Caton IV could talk to Dixfield Town Manager Alicia Conn on what the town was looking for in services.

Conn said in a phone call May 28 that she sent requests for police coverage to Jay, Wilton, Rumford, Mexico and the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office earlier that month.

Dixfield contracts coverage with the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office since it disbanded its Police Department in 2020. The contract expires July 1.

The cost of coverage is proposed to increase this coming fiscal year, Conn said May 28.

The Dixfield Select Board is exploring its options for law enforcement services for 18 hours and 24 hours a day, Conn said.

“We have reviewed your town’s reputation for effective law enforcement and community engagement, and we believe that collaborating with your police force could significantly benefit both our communities,” Conn wrote in a letter to Jay officials dated May 16. “Our goal is to provide seamless and efficient policing services while maintaining fiscal responsibility.”

The request is for a comprehensive contract that covers routine patrols, emergency response, criminal investigations, traffic enforcement and community policing.

“We are interested in proposals for 18-hour patrol, with on-call coverage for the remaining six hours, and, 24-hour patrol,” Conn wrote.

The proposed cost would include an initial three-year contract for salaries, equipment maintenance and administrative expenses. There would be an option to review. The letter also said that either party may terminate the contract, with or without cause, upon written notification, to be effective 60 days after receipt of notice.

“These would be preliminary numbers just to give Dixfield an idea of where we would be starting the conversation at,” Jay Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere wrote in an email to the Jay board. “There are a few things that we know are not captured – vehicle insurance, workers comp, any utilities depending on the facilities needed in Dixfield, etc.”

“We’d also need to discuss the contract length as that could impact hiring so this is really a draft form but gives a starting point for discussion,” she wrote. “It is up to the Board on whether you want us to proceed with giving this to Dixfield as an option for further discussion.”

The Wilton Select Board is also considering coverage with Dixfield.