PARIS – Terse words were exchanged among members of the Board of Selectmen while Town Farm Road was discussed Tuesday.

Residents voted at the annual town meeting to accept the road once it meets town standards. On Tuesday, Paris Highway Director Frank Danforth said it may need more work. He also pointed out that Selectman Bill Merrill lives on the road and asked for an impartial inspector to make a decision on the matter.

“By having a qualified and impartial party do the inspection it would avoid the chance of any controversy both internally and from the public,” Danforth wrote in a memo to the board.

A tense, 45-minute discussion ensued. In the end, the board voted 4-0 to allow a third party inspection. Merrill abstained from voting.

Selectman Gerald Kilgore wanted the board to take Danforth’s recommendation and invite Phil Curtis of Maine Local Roads to do the inspection.

“I have spoken with several people who feel the road is not ready,” Selectman Barbara Payne said, in agreement. The board should avoid any appearance of favoritism toward a board member, she said.

She also was concerned about a memo from Town Manager Steve McAllister suggesting that some property may have to be taken by eminent domain in order to secure drainage easements on the road.

Resident Erwin Merrill said he has lived on Town Farm Road for 12 years and is frustrated by the town’s unwillingness to take it over. He said residents have repeatedly been given new standards to meet before the road will become a town road.

“Until it’s a superhighway, we feel that you’re not going to take it over,” he said.

Board members agreed there are conflicts within the town’s road standards and said they are being addressed by a committee.

Resident Reggie Morey agreed with Merrill’s statements. Bill Merrill, he said, responding to the issue of possible favoritism, “is just one person who lives there.”

Selectmen Bruce Hanson did not seem pleased with the situation, but started to say he would agree to the third-party inspection. After being interrupted by Payne, who was reiterating her support, he asked whether she was “done talking so I can finish now?”

He then argued with Kilgore over a second to a motion Payne made to accept Danforth’s recommendation. When Kilgore agreed to retract his second, Hanson replied, “That’s wonderful.”