PERU – Selectmen voted Monday night to make Andre St. Pierre its new chairman.

St. Pierre takes over the position formerly held by Norman DeRoche, who was named vice chairman after being re-elected last week.

In his weekly report, Road Commissioner David Gammon presented a final version of the specifications for a plow truck Peru will purchase later this year. Bids for the project will be due in about a month so plans can be made to get the truck by next winter.

Gammon also told the board that he may be called to jury duty soon, and that the county had asked him whether the town would pay the difference between his normal pay and the per diem of approximately $10 given to jurors. Inquiries earlier in the week revealed that surrounding towns generally do pay their employees if they serve on a jury. After a brief discussion, the board voted to sign a letter stating that the town would make up the difference should Gammon serve.

Tax collector Vera Parent updated the board on the shrinking list of people in danger of being delinquent in paying their property taxes. Parent said that in some cases, payment plans that were approved by the selectmen have allowed people to make headway toward paying off their tax, interest and fees. Others, she said, have paid their balance to keep property from going to auction.

In contemplating a payment plan up for discussion, St. Pierre suggested that the board should be firm but understanding when it comes to delinquents. “I agree the town needs to be paid,” he said, “but people fall on hard times and we don’t always know. It’s their job to come talk to us so that we can do our job.”