STRONG — Selectman Mike Pond told board members Tuesday night that they should not get involved in a dispute over access to a discontinued section of Hunter Road.

“This is a civil matter,” Pond said. “I don’t want to get into it.”

Hunter Road connects Church Hill and Norton Hill roads. The Church Hill Road end was discontinued at a special town meeting in 1957, according to Board of Selectmen Chairman James Burrill. The town retained a short section of the road, renamed Birch Lane, which is used primarily as a turnaround for the school bus and snowplows.

Burrill said he asked property owner Wendall Voter to attend Tuesday’s meeting to present reasons why he and townspeople should have access over Rob Elliott’s property on the discontinued section of Hunter Road.

Voter was not able to attend and his nephews Dan Shurtleff and Phil Shurtleff Jr. represented him.

Dan Shurtleff alleged selectmen have kept the Voters’ and Shurtleffs’ property landlocked, and town officials have ulterior motives for doing so.

“They want to put a wind project on our property,” Dan Shurtleff said. “We’re landlocked, and you’re trying to confiscate our property, and it ain’t happening.”

Burrill said the town has a right of way over Birch Lane and until Elliott can prove otherwise, Strong residents have access over the discontinued Hunter Road and Elliott should remove the gate he erected on that section.

Burrill said he would provide Voter the opportunity to present his case at the next selectmen meeting.

“I can hear voices on both sides of this,” Selectman Pond said.

Unless a judge decides that Elliott, the property owner, is at fault, he suggested the town should not become involved.

In other matters, selectmen finalized their investigation of affordable health insurance options. The town has a policy for employees through Maine Municipal Association. Maine Community Health Options, based in Lewiston, has presented a plan that offers close to $14,000 in savings for the town. Employees will be on that plan as of Sept. 1.