OTISFIELD – Residents brought concerns about abandoned roads, unlicensed junkyards, and the amount of trash generated by the town to Wednesday’s selectmen’s meeting.

Resident Chuck Butler asked about the status of Jackson Road.

Selectmen Chairman Lenny Adler explained that the road has been abandoned since before 1965. The public easement has ended and ownership has reverted to the abutting landowners.

Selectman Mark Cyr added that he believes the landowners put a gate across the road a week ago to stop people from speeding on it late at night.

Resident Gordon Chamberlain informed selectmen that the town of Limington has placed a “bounty” on unlicensed junkyards. He said the town is paying half of the fee for an unlicensed junkyard to anyone who informs the town of one.

“I guarantee that if we were to vote that into effect, every back road that isn’t gated would be,” Adler said.

Chamberlain said he has found in the 2003 recycling report for Otisfield that the average amount of waste generated per resident that year was .82 tons, an amount that he said “seems excessive.”

What concerned Chamberlain, though, was that the “spikes” in the amount dumped tended to be on the town’s account.

Selectmen explained that when someone does work for the town, the town issues them a day pass to use the Oxford County recycling center or the transfer station in Casco.

Adler cut off Chamberlain when his allotted five minutes were over, but other residents continued the discussion.

Anne El-Nagdi asked for clarification on the day passes issued by the town.

It was explained that any Otisfield resident may take trash to the Oxford County or Casco facilities.

If, however, they are unable to do so, someone else may use the facilities on their behalf if they have a day pass from the town.

Resident John Nicosia asked about contractors who charge to bring trash to the transfer station.

“If I hire a contractor do to a roof job for me, and he charges me to haul that, does he come here and get a day pass?”

Told that yes, he could, Nicosia continued, “So if a guy does a roof and he says, Well it’s going to cost another $200 to haul this stuff,’ I can say, Well you can take that off the cost of the job because you can go to the town and get a day pass.'”

“That’s between you and the contractor,” Adler said, noting that contractors have to be paid for their time and the use of their equipment.

“If he tells you he paid a tipping fee and he adds it on, he’s made a few bucks, because there’s absolutely nothing the town office can do to control that,” Adler said

The conversation continued for another 10 minutes before Adler said, “This issue is dead. We’ve discussed it for half an hour and I’m not going to discuss it anymore.”