PARIS – Barbara Payne’s plea seemed to fall on deaf ears Monday as she asked the Board of Selectmen to take a good look at the way it does business.

A selectman herself, Payne said she has had “serious concerns” about the board’s conduct since joining in July.

“Too often I feel that what I believe is public has been kept private, and what should be kept private has been made public,” she said.

For what Payne said was the second time, she asked the board to consider holding a workshop on Maine’s Freedom of Access law. The law regulates how public bodies, including boards of selectmen, inform the public about meetings and conduct business.

One area that has been a consistent problem, Payne said, is executive sessions. The board has not, as required under the Freedom of Access law, stated the specific reasons for holding many executive sessions, she said.

Payne implied that many matters discussed behind closed doors should have in fact been discussed in public session. There have been 19 executive-session items in the last 10 selectmen’s meetings, she said.

“I think as we begin to search for a new town manager we should take a good, hard look at ourselves,” Payne said. She added that she wants to make sure the board is not abusing its power.

Selectmen Raymond Glover, Gerald Kilgore, Vice Chairman Bruce Hanson and Chairman Bill Merrill remained silent while Payne spoke.

As Payne finished, Merrill said only, “Thank you Barbara. The board will take that under advisement.”

When reached Tuesday, Payne said she expected the board to discuss her workshop proposal during the meeting. She had placed a memo in each board member’s mailbox at the town office, she said, and expected the item to appear on Monday’s agenda.

When it didn’t, she was forced to raise the issue under the citizen’s comment portion of the meeting because room for board member comments is not included on the agendas, she said.

“I seem to give them memos and these memos never come up in discussion,” Payne said.

Kilgore said Tuesday that he agrees the board needs to hold a workshop on the Freedom of Access law.

“It’s long overdue, and she’s brought this up twice,” he said.

Payne “dots all her i’s and crosses all her t’s,” he added. “I’m glad she’s on there.”

Calls placed to Hanson, Merrill and Glover were either unanswered or not returned.