CANTON — The town purchased a 2017 Ford F-550 one-ton dump truck for $78,000 and plans to have it early next week, selectmen said at their meeting Thursday night.
Selectman Don Hutchins said the frame on the one-ton truck is broken and beyond repair, so the purchase of the dump truck is “classified as an emergency.”
In Article 10 of last year’s town warrant, townspeople voted to authorize selectmen to take funds from surplus “to take care of any emergency situations,” he said.
“We got a really good buy on it, we shopped around and did the best that we could with the time frame that we had,” Hutchins said.
“(The truck will be) used to plow back roads that we have a very difficult time getting bigger trucks into,” and will also serve as Road Foreman Paul McKenna’s transportation for his work.
In other business, resident Chris Dailey said he attended the meeting because Hutchins slandered him on a Facebook page for Canton residents. Dailey was scheduled to speak later, according to the meeting agenda, but refused to sit down after Hutchins’ request that he wait his turn to speak about the plowing complaint listed on the agenda.
Hutchins told Dailey to leave the meeting, after he refused to sit down, and the meeting was temporarily adjourned while Town Clerk Scotty Kilbreth called the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office. A sheriff’s deputy removed Dailey from the premises.
On Dailey’s paperwork handed to selectmen, he complained that the town’s website was not kept up to date and that the last local event listed was posted on Jan. 17.
“The town site is more likely visited by people and businesses checking out the town for the possibilities of moving to this community. Is this site the first impression that you want to show people?” he asked.
He also said another problem was the town’s “unlawful plowing of the old school property (the former Canton Elementary School on Route 140).” He wanted to know why the town was plowing the water district access road.
“We’re plowing the old school parking lot because there’s a fire hydrant right next to that parking lot and we plow a U-shape area where a firetruck can go in and fill up during emergencies and get right out of there quick,” Hutchins said Friday.
“We have utmost respect for the taxpayers for the town of Canton but we’re certainly not gonna sit there and have people come in and treat us that way. Mr. Dailey may have had some very valid points and some good questions that need to be answered and it would be nice to be able to answer those without being treated like we were,” Hutchins said.
In other news, Selectman Rob Walker said that town cleanup days will be May 13, 17, 20 and 24. Residents can bring items such as mattresses, some construction debris, and anything except tires or environmentally hazardous materials to the Transfer Station on those dates during normal hours.
“We also have volunteers that go out and walk the roads and clean up,” Hutchins said.
Selectman Brian Keene said the terms of Selectmen Malcolm Ray and Russell Adams are expiring this year, and three Planning Board seats are open.
Nomination papers will be available at the Town Office beginning March 20, and are due back by April 28.
Rebecca Howard of Patriot Renewables LLC spoke to selectmen about the wind turbine project on Canton Mountain.
Howard said an informational preconstruction meeting would be held regarding the eight-turbine, 22.8-megawatt wind project, but did not give a date. The project is set to begin commercial operations in December, according to a news release.
