PARIS — The Board of Selectmen on Tuesday approved changes to the town’s Non-Standard Use of Public Roads and Property form, ending months of discussion on wording and context.

The form was originally adopted by the board in 2011 as a way to regulate requests to use town roads determined to be “non-standard,” such as parades, demonstrations or use by ATVs and snowmobiles.

In May, selectmen began discussing ways to amend the form to exempt particular groups and activities that have traditionally used town roads for events as well as more clearly define “non-standard use.”

The new form includes a definition of standard use and streamlines the approval process. 

According to the form, “standard use” is an event, activity or enterprise that is organized by the town or that is scheduled on the town’s calendar. 

In addition, the the town manager may authorize the applicant’s non-standard use in lieu of authorization by the full select board, required on previous versions of the form. 

Town manager authorization will be for events that occur on a regular basis, such as annual parades, Town Manager Amy Bernard said in a memo to the board last week. 

The double-sided form requires applicants to note the roads affected, number of participants and possible impacts to quality of life and the environment, among other questions. 

It also requires the Town Office to notify the police and fire departments, as well as the option to notify “stakeholders” and schedule a public hearing. 

Selectmen decided to review the form after members of a local ATV club claimed the town was discriminating by requiring them to fill out the application while other events, such as annual parades, did not. 

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