POLAND — Selectmen voted 3-2 Tuesday to contract with Community Dynamics to separate the financial accounts flowing into and out of the two Poland Spring Bottling Co. Tax Increment Financing districts.

In his proposal, John Cleveland of Community Dynamics estimated the cost to set accounts straight at about $6,900, based on his hourly rates.

Cleveland explained that when the town attempted to amend the TIF districts, officials at the state Department of Economic and Community Development said there had been a change in the department’s interpretation of the law regulating TIFs that required the town to maintain completely separate accounts.

The DECD wants the separation of accounts back to 2008.

Selectmen noted that accounting for the TIF districts, which date to 2000, is exceedingly hard to recreate because the town got into a major accounting mess in the early years and, it was the town’s good fortune that DECD agreed to an accounting for just the past five years. By that time Cleveland was hired as an economic development consultant.

The town would like to make the amendment to include five properties, which are surrounded by the current TIF district boundaries, in order to assist a development that involves an investment in excess of $1 million.

The DECD also requires that the amendment be first approved by a town meeting vote.

Selectmen Walter Gallagher and Janice Kimball voted against the contract. Gallagher objected on several grounds.

He questioned whether the board could enter into the contract since the town is supposed to seek bids for items exceeding $5,000. He was told that contracting for services was exempt from the $5,000 cap.

Gallagher said the board’s main concern should be to protect the taxpayers’ pocketbooks and the town should at least see if there was someone who would do the job for less.

Kimball wanted to know why the town’s staff couldn’t reconcile revenues and spending of accounts for the two TIFs.

Selectman Stanley Tetenman noted there was no one with Cleveland’s level of familiarity with the town’s TIF accounts.

Selectman Steve Robinson said he doubted anyone could sort out the accounts for less and, more than likely, wouldn’t be able to complete the task in time for April’s town meeting.

Cleveland said he would set up separate accounts that town employees would be able to carry forward.

In other business, selectmen awarded the bid to provide fencing and make repairs to dugouts, dugout railings and roofs at the town’s ball fields to Double TT Fencing on a bid of $27,650. The town received five bids.

Selectman also accepted, for a first reading, an agreement between the town Public Works Department and Regional School Unit 16 for the use of a bay in the town garage. The agreement specifies responsibilities and establishes a rent of $800 per month through June 2015.