LIVERMORE FALLS – Citizens brought complaints to selectmen Monday night, asking for information on tax assessing and help in providing safety in vacant houses.

Peter Riordan presented paperwork for an abatement on property he says is wasteland or wetland. The abatement request began in January, Chairman Clayton Putnam said, and the adjustment has already been made.

Riordan was concerned the assessor feels the land category should be upgraded, something that would be done for the next tax year, 2004-05, Putnam explained.

Riordan said he is thinking of developing the land into a trailer park, something he said would be good for the town.

Tia Knapp brought her concerns about the Franklin-Main street block to the board, telling about three abandoned houses in the area with windows broken out.

“What is the town’s policy about vacant, abandoned houses in a cluster like that?” she asked. “Critters come out of the white house, right in the middle of town,” she said. “I just don’t want it to be unsafe.”

Selectmen Bill Demaray said there is little the board can do since the town has no ordinances covering such instances. “Unless we have local laws, we have to go by state law and they take a long time.”

“If it’s not a hazard, we can only require it to be secured. We can’t make them fix it up as long as they pay their taxes,” he said.

The board advised Knapp to talk to the code enforcement officer, who can look into the situation. If violations are found, they can be handled, but it can be a long process.

Town Manager Alan Gove can step in if there are health issues, he said, and nuisance laws might cover some violations, but the process has to start with the CEO.

Gove will also assist Knapp in obtaining state information on nuisance buildings.

Two members of the Dispatch Committee met with the board to discuss their recent report, but their opinions supported those of the majority of the board who were not interested in having part of the dispatch services done by the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office.

Police Chief Ernest Steward Jr. added that splitting the services, using ASO part of the time, was the crux of the committee’s reason for not looking into it further.

The board is waiting for a proposal from ASO and Gove is working on possible costs for a secure room at the police station entrance.

Selectmen said they would like to meet with the full committee and members of the community when that information arrives.

Selectmen authorized the Community Development Committee to pick the firm to do the downtown study, once it hears from both candidates.

They denied a request for a street light at Cargill Street and Hidden Lane, noting the lane is a private drive to an apartment building.

That request led to further discussion about street lights that do not work or work only intermittently. “We spend $30,000 for street lights, they should work,” said Putnam.

The board voted to file a formal complaint with the Public Utilities Commission about Central Maine Power Co.’s lack of response to repeated requests for the lights to be fixed.

The town office will be closed on Dec. 26, with employees taking personal days, but it will be open on Jan. 2. The office will also close at noon on Dec. 24.

Appreciation was expressed to the fire department for putting up the Christmas decorations.