CANTON – Chairman Jackie Conant said Thursday night that the Board of Selectmen erred when it didn’t consult Fire Chief Wayne Dube before voting to have his department pay for recovering the air boat in Anasagunticook Lake.

Assistant Chief Mark Blanchette was testing the department’s newly repaired $7,000 rescue watercraft Nov. 10 when it caught the water during a turn and overturned. The town received a $600 bill from Bruce Loring of Enfield for retrieving the boat.

On Nov. 27, selectmen voted that the bill be paid by the department.

On Thursday, Selectman Rick Ray said that at the Nov. 27 meeting the board yielded to the complaints of townspeople, who said the department didn’t have proper training, there was no spotter and the money for the rescue shouldn’t come from taxes.

Dube told the board Thursday night that the Fire Department had four training sessions on the use of the air boat this year, and he has planned four or five for next year. He also said he was on a deck on the lake spotting Blanchette at the time of the accident. Dube said he knew the minute the boat went down and was on the scene.

The chief said he was not at the meeting to have the board rescind its vote but to set the record straight. He also said he has sand bags in front of the boat now for better balance.

The board did not rescind its previous vote.

Also Thursday, the board heard a discussion between Chris Dailey and Road Commissioner Craig Gammon.

Dailey has complained since 1998 about Randy Gammon, Craig’s son, working on Hodge Road. He claimed then and still contends that Gammon has built up the road so that it drains across his property.

Craig Gammon said he would go with selectmen to inspect the site and then ditch the road properly.

The board continued to say this is a civil issue.

John Cronin of the Sewer Department reported that the Department of Environmental Protection did its compliance inspection of the sewer plant and found no problems. The department was complimented by the board.