Auburn Select Board unanimously adopts wage theft policy ahead of fire station bid

AUBURN — January 27, 2026 — Auburn Select Board adopts wage theft responsible-employer policy and approves state safety grant application. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a new wage theft prevention policy developed over more than a year by a seven-member ad hoc committee chaired by Patrick Jones, with Select Board Vice Chair Todd M. Kirrane serving as the board's representative on the panel. The policy will be inserted immediately into the fire station request for proposals scheduled to go out January 30 and allows Auburn, for the first time, to disqualify contractors with a documented wage-violation history — closing a gap in the state's low-bid procurement law. The board also authorized Fire Chief Steve Coleman to apply for up to $19,000 through the state's FY2026 firefighter safety equipment grant, which the town has received in each of the past several years. Kirrane noted the application requires Auburn to certify compliance with the MBTA Communities Act, calling it a direct, concrete benefit of town meeting's prior zoning votes. One section of the wage theft policy addressing tax increment financing agreements was pulled pending further review with town counsel and is expected to return as an amendment.