PERU – Selectmen and Road Commissioner David Gammon calmly explained to Burbank Road residents Monday that they should expect problems with dirt roads during mud season, but residents said an impassable road is unacceptable.

“It might be OK for you to accept it (walking up impassable dirt roads), but it isn’t OK for me. I bet there will be war!” Jeffrey Miele said.

Miele, Holly Severance, who lives with him, and Miele’s father, Norman Miele, who all live on the road, met with the board.

Selectman Norman DeRoche said his road was worse than Burbank.

And Selectman Burchard Scott said he understood the problem because he lived on a dirt road for many years.

Gammon said this is a particularly bad mud season.

DeRoche said that 30 years ago most of the old houses on dirt roads were abandoned, and there were few if any people living on most of them. Now, people are building on these roads which were never built for more traffic.

Residents said they were willing to pay more taxes to improve all dirt roads in town.

Board Chairman Bill Hine said that within six months the town would have a plan and cost estimates for fixing those roads.

“Once we have cost estimates we can go to the townspeople to see what they want to spend.” He said residents, not selectmen, vote how much money to spend on roads.

Gammon said he considered the fact that some residents were paying all the taxes they could afford when he developed his budget request.

Hine said residents could vote down the school budget to show there are other needs in the community.

Severance asked how she was supposed to know when the school budget vote was held.

When Hine told her it was in the paper, she said that with five kids to raise and a full-time job she didn’t have time to read the paper, she just used it for starting the fire.

When selectmen’s Secretary Kathy Hussey pointed out that every resident also received a notice by mail, she said she didn’t read school information unless it was one of her kids’ detention notices. She also said she didn’t vote in the town election.

In other business, Hine said Paul Bickford’s application for a year-round occupancy permit for his Worthley Pond residence should be held until selectmen discuss it with Code Enforcement Officer Jack Plumley.

For several years Bickford and the town have been at odds over the property. Plumley finally obtained a warrant to permit him to inspect the property. He cited Bickford for building too close to the shoreline, improperly removing vegetation and living full time in a house not permitted as a year-round residence.

Bickford appealed to the Peru Board of Appeals.

Selectmen expressed concern with the ruling of that board, which required that trees be replaced one for one. Selectmen believe the law requires three saplings be planted to replace each mature tree. The Board of Appeals also voted to overlook the set-back requirement, but found Bickford in violation for using the house year-round without a proper permit.

Selectmen said the house is too small for a full-time permit to be issued under the shoreland zoning ordinance.

Also Monday, Hine said cleanup of the Diamond Match property was progressing well. He said the River Valley Growth Council has not been satisfied with bids its has received for the property.

School board member Rick Colpitts invited selectmen to tour the new school site at 5 p.m. Monday. The board agreed. They will then meet at 5:30 p.m. with Gammon and consultant Dale Carlton to discuss the paving projects planned for this year.