MINOT – Selectmen voted unanimously Tuesday night to adopt a fee schedule for new house construction that will help pay for future expansion of Minot Consolidated School.

The two public hearings that preceded the vote attracted four people, most of whom were concerned that the fee might be levied on existing homes.

Resident John St. Hilaire, who said the impact fee amounted to “an unfair taxation” and a way for selectmen to gather “double taxes,” was relieved when he learned the fee wouldn’t be applied retroactively to the building permit he recently received.

Effective immediately, however, anyone obtaining a building permit for a new house with up to four bedrooms will receive a bill for $2,000. Each additional bedroom will cost $500 each. Anyone adding on to an existing structure will also be charged $500 per new bedroom.

The fees, which are being set aside for future expansion at the Minot Consolidated School, must be paid before an occupancy permit will be issued.

After opening bids on four parcels of tax-acquired property, selectmen found themselves in a bit of a quandary concerning three of them.

Selectmen however said they learned just hours before bid opening that a lending institution challenged the process regarding the Goodney property. While accepting Callahan’s bid they agreed to inform him of potential problems, which they hope could be ironed out in the next few days.

Selection of the high bidders for properties on West Minot Road (Route 124) and off Marston Hill Road was put on hold because of some apparent mislabeling of Thomas Harville’s bids for these properties.

Selectmen were told by road manager Arlan Saunders that the summer roads program is proceeding on schedule and within budget.

Selectman Eda Tripp reported that the property reassessment program, being conducted by outside assessors, is in full swing, and she has learned the complete reassessment of all properties in town will be completed in time for the results to be figured into the 2003 tax bills, scheduled to go out in late August/early September.

In her report Town Clerk Nickki Verrill thanked Tuft’s Perennial Farm and Roak Florist for donating flowers for the town office gardens and also thanked Brownie Troop 1604 for planting them.