We, the elected selectmen of Otisfield, would like to set the record straight. Contrary to what you may have heard, our administrative assistant did not destroy any valuable documents of the town.

What was going to be destroyed were boxes marked “destroy” in big letters, which contained old papers from 1988 to 1991. Items included were old motor vehicle registrations (green copies), snowmobile and trailer registration copies, and old bank statements from 1989, stamped certified mail receipts from 1988.

Most records of the town are to be destroyed after six years. These boxes were over due to be destroyed by nine years or more. The records were not destroyed but returned in the original, marked “destroy” boxes to the town office by municipal employees.

The administrative assistant has a book titled “Rules for Disposition of Local Government Records,” which was written by the secretary of state and the Maine Archives. The book states which records are to be retained and which ones may be destroyed after a certain number of years for each area of municipal government.

We are sorry for any misunderstanding or confusion to those of you out in the public. We write this to clarify the facts.

Leonard J. Adler, chairman,

Board of Selectmen, Otisfield

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