PERU — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved advertising for a full-time road employee.

The decision followed an hourlong workshop with Road Commissioner Joe Roach and will bring the Highway Department to three full-time workers.

Selectman Lee Merrill did not vote for the addition, saying workers were driving around in the trucks instead of working.

Roach countered that they traveling the roads to see what work needed to be done.

Merrill said he favored having spares on call.

Selectman Danny Wing said part-timers may not stay.

“A part-time person may not have the experience and they need to be able to run the snowplows in an expert fashion,” Selectman Larry Snowman said.

There were complaints over how the Highway Department was run, but board Chairman Jim Pulsifer said people needed to take issues up privately with Roach, not in public.

In other business, selectmen approved construction of a roof over a deck for Warren Packard and an antenna on the U.S Cellular tower for Tilson Technology.

On the subject of a permit for a second trailer on the property of Michael Mickeriz, the board had a lot to say. The lot is only a half acre and, though Mickeriz was only asking to replace a trailer that had fallen down, the board said they couldn’t approve it.

Apparently, when the first permit was granted in 1993, the people thought the lot size was 1.1 acres and that’s why the board approved at that time.

Mrs. Mickeriz asked if the permit was grandfathered. Pulsifer said an illegal act cannot be grandfathered.

Pulsifer asked to table the matter until he could get legal counsel and would have an answer at the next meeting.

Bob Dolloff reported that the Historical Society building had been broken into again and a window broken. He offered to board up the window, because a replacement would cost more than $100 with installation. The building’s sump pump also was broken.

Pulsifer asked Town Clerk Vera Parent for a balance in the Historical Society budget, then told Dolloff to make the repairs and give the invoice to the office.

Dwana Kazregis asked what the $6,000 on the warrant paid to Kathy Hussey was about. Pulsifer said the board voted two weeks ago to pay her back compensations for health insurance after an executive session that ended after all the meeting attendants had left.

Martha Witherell previously questioned why the public was not invited back after the executive session.

Kazregis said that decision should have gone to the people, not the board.

Pulsifer said it was a board decision. “The board has to do what’s in the best interest of the town and the cost could have gone up if more litigation had been required.”

Warren Oldham wanted to know if the money was coming out of the windmill legal fund.

“That money was never for the windmills, it was a legal fee account that the windmill could tap if they needed it for attorneys fees,” Pulsifer said.

Oldham said he thought it was supposed to be windmill money.

In other business, a public hearing on the annual town meeting warrant is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the old Peru school.

On Thursday night, selectmen will tour cemeteries to look at any damage to stones and decide what action to take, if needed.