PERU – Selectmen’s secretary Kathy Hussey informed the board Monday that she has mailed out five bid packets for $400,000 in road improvement projects.

Board Chairman Bill Hine asked Road Commissioner David Gammon how soon he would be able to start on work the town needs to finish before the contracted projects begin.

Gammon said he hopes to begin next week. He said he is completing paperwork for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and plans to meet the deadline for funds covering flood damage from the Patriot’s Day rainstorm.

Hine suggested Gammon might want to purchase a Global Positioning System device to assist in his work and thought it would be justified.

Bob Dolloff of the Historical Society requested feedback on the presentation of the Boston Post gold-headed cane, which is given to the town’s oldest resident. Town Clerk Vera Parent said she was concerned that the cane was in the vault where no one could see it. It was last presented in 1997.

Hussey said some towns give a certificate to the eligible recipient rather than the cane, avoiding the possibility of it being lost.

Parent suggested a plaque might be put up in the Town Office with the recipients listed and possibly the cane displayed.

Hine presented an update on the Paul Bickford shoreland violation. He said Bickford had requested an administrative appeal questioning Code Enforcement Officer Jack Plumley’s ruling on the violation of adequate setback and using the Worthley Pond residence for full-time occupancy. Hine said he thought the town had a solid position.

Peru’s free dumping at Northern Oxford Regional Solid Waste facility runs to May 26, and household hazardous waste collection is June 9.

The board will not meet next week, and thereafter will meet every two weeks.