PERU – Selectmen and other town officials were putting together budget articles for the 2005 town warrant Monday.

Road Commissioner David Gammon said his budget articles will contain figures similar to those presented to the town last March. One change is related to the purchase of a new town plow truck approved by voters at the last town meeting. The final cost of the truck is significantly lower than the original estimate of about $105,000, so selectmen will probably recommend paying off the town’s smaller-than-expected loan in one year instead of over two years as originally approved.

One item that may draw some attention next March is a proposed article to finance a new salt and sand shed. The shed would provide protection from rain and ice, which lower the salt content and make for wear and tear on equipment. The shed, which could cost more than $200,000, would ideally be constructed in a central location for easy access. The town’s sand is currently on Pleasant Street, making service time excessively long for some parts of Peru.

Although Peru will make its case for state assistance to help pay for the project, town officials said they think those state dollars may take several years to make their way to town.

According to the board, that’s too long a wait for something that needs to be done sooner rather than later.

“If you look at our return on investment, it may not seem like that much,” said Chairman Andy St. Pierre. “But if