ALFRED — When Codes Enforcement Officer Jim Allaire told selectmen earlier this spring that he was moving on to another job in North Berwick, it struck a familiar note.

Just a couple of years before, CEO Glenn Charette moved on to nearby Waterboro after several years as Alfred’s 32-hour-a-week codes enforcement officer.

Would Alfred seek another 32-hour-a-week officer and likely have the person trained, only to see a future departure to another municipality that could offer a better salary and benefits?

Alfred decided to take another approach, one that has been used, in varying forms and arrangements, in other York County communities.

It decided to share.

Charette and Allaire will both provide part-time services outside their full-time jobs elsewhere, an arrangement suggested by Selectman Tony Palminteri and endorsed by the town’s two other selectmen – board Chairman George Donovan and Selectman Glenn Dochtermann.

The new arrangement is poised to save Alfred taxpayers about $45,000 this calendar year, said Palminteri. In a municipality that operates on a $2.5 million annual budget, every penny helps, he said.

And while the job-sharing arrangement in Alfred won’t provide 32 hours a week of coverage, the staggered hours that the two CEOs will keep – some mornings, afternoons and evenings scattered throughout the week – offer a flexibility for residents who can’t always get to Town Hall during daytime hours, said Donovan.

The sharing trend has been in the news lately in Saco and Biddeford, which are poised to vote in the coming days on sharing an assessor.

Biddeford is poised to vote on the measure on Tuesday, and Saco councilors, though initially lukewarm to the idea, will vote on May 23, Saco City Administrator Kevin Sutherland said this morning.

A similar arrangement is in its 11th year. In 2005, Old Orchard Beach and Sanford agreed to share the services of assessor George Greene. He works part of the week in Sanford and part in the seaside community, and can access records from each municipality by computer.

“The key to (the arrangements) is having enough quality support staff to run it – and I have in both places,” said Greene.

There are a few other examples as well. Sanford provides some assessing services to Alfred through a contracted arrangement. Waterboro’s IT guru, David Lowe, works part-time in Alfred.

According to Greene, several other communities are sharing assessors, including Scarborough and Cape Elizabeth.

“I think it’s good,” said Waterboro Town Administrator Gary Lamb of the Alfred CEO arrangement.

Lamb believes more could be done to provide services in a different way and suggested that some, like assessing, could be provided at a county level.

Back in Alfred, Palminteri said he asked Allaire whether Alfred really needed a 32-hour-a-week CEO.

“He said ‘no,’” said Palminteri.

Some of the tasks that Allaire performed, such as answering questions and providing information, could be handled by Town Hall staff, he said. Both Allaire and Charette were asked if they could provide part-time hours, and now the two divide 11.5 hours a week between them.

Alfred had paid a $40,000 salary, plus $20,000 in benefits, for the 32-hour-a-week job. Palminteri said the new arrangement will save $46,000 this year.

Each of the two parttime CEOs have their own phone extension and email address, and each will follow the applications they receive to provide continuity. Hours will be 9 a.m. to noon Mondays, 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and 1:30 to 5 p.m. Fridays.

Donovan said the arrangement will be reviewed in six months, but that it seems to be working well so far.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or [email protected].