GREENWOOD – Tired of spending money on replacing stolen street signs, selectmen approved joining Norway and Paris in a sign-making venture.

Road Foreman Alan Seames told selectmen at the Aug. 5 meeting that people were stealing signs faster than his crew could put them up.

“They take street signs, no parking signs, lane signs. They take everything!” he said. Seames said thievery is costly, as signs cost $30 apiece, the holding bracket $10 and the post is $15.

Seames said there have been about 12 signs stolen this year. He stressed the need for having signs so fire, rescue and police can find a house when there is an emergency.

“It’s going to be cheaper for us to make our own signs,” said Town Manager Carol Whitman. “We joined for $813.50. They will get the blanks in the sizes we need. Then, when we need them, we just have to go to Norway to make them.”

Selectman Wayne Hakala said the $813.50 would be used to compensate the towns for the initial investment in the sign making equipment. The exact cost per sign is undetermined now, but selectmen were informed that the savings would be significant.

Selectmen also approved the name of Farmhouse Lane for a road with one private structure on it. The resident there suggested Farmhouse Lane or Bread & Milk Lane, for possible street names.

“We chose Farmhouse Lane because we thought that a sign with the other name would get stolen more,” Whitman said.

Selectman Ivan Roberts reported that he visited the junkyard site of Norman Millett and said he was close to being in compliance with state junkyard regulations.

He told selectmen that Millett asked permission to change the placement of poles for the fencing and that the fencing would still block the view of the junkyard from passersby.

Selectmen also acknowledged Millett for having a 1,500 gallon water tank on the site in case of fire. Millett does welding on the site.

Whitman said that Code Enforcement Officer John Gauthier would be checking the wells of residents adjacent to the property to ensure they are all at least 300 feet away, as required by law.

Whitman said Millett would have the fence up by October.

In other business, selectmen reviewed the letter sent by the town attorney advising Doug Grover of the town’s intention to start fines of $100 per day unless he allowed a site visit of his proposed junkyard on Sept. 1.

Whitman said Grover’s July 28 deadline to clean and fence his property was extended until Sept. 1.

She said selectmen wanted to give Grover one last chance to remedy his problems.

Whitman said although there were cleaning issues, the main problem with Grover is that a fence needed to be constructed to block the public view of the junkyard.

Whitman said the town has been asking Grover to clean up and fence his place for a long time and has given him numerous written and verbal warnings. She said official action began in June of 2000, when a letter was sent informing him that he was in violation.

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