PARIS – Selectmen approved the municipal bylaws Monday after tabling them several times.

Selectman Raymond Glover had tried unsuccessfully at prior meetings to add an amendment that a new election would be held if a board vacancy occurred in either the chairman or vice chairman’s seat. In a 3-2 decision at the last meeting, the board decided to add an amendment allowing the vice chairman to move up to the chairman’s seat with a new election held to fill the vice chairman’s seat.

On Monday, Glover moved to accept the revised bylaws, and it was seconded by Vice Chairman David Ivey, who introduced the successful amendment. The board voted unanimously to approve the revised document.

Two businesses were granted speedy approval of liquor license applications. Eben Hobbs of Hobbs Lucky Lanes was granted a renewal for sale of alcohol at the bowling alley. Carolyn Johnson and Toby Guilford of Mazzoo’s Inc. were also granted a first-time license for a restaurant they are opening on Olson Road.

Johnson and Guilford had originally applied for a special entertainment permit as well, but the application was withdrawn prior to the meeting.

“We just decided not to go with it at this time,” Johnson said.

Selectmen also signed off on the Fire Department’s tobacco use policy, which will go into effect Saturday. The policy, seeking to cut down on the cleanup of spent tobacco products, designates a specific area outside the Fire Department as a smoking area.

The policy forbids using tobacco inside the department or in its vehicles, and may use disciplinary action against employees who do. It also reserves the right to charge renters of the fire hall an extra $20 if cleanup of tobacco products is necessary after an event. The department may also refuse to allow those who violate the policy to rent the hall again after an offense.

During a discussion item, Chairman Ernest Fitts suggested that Paris may start displaying U.S. flags along the town’s roadways for the summer season.

“It’s just more of a respectful thing we can do,” Fitts said.

Selectman Gerald Kilgore said that such flags would need maintenance, and that the town departments that might do so were already busy. He said volunteers might maintain the flags, but that such a process would be less reliable.

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t hang them,” Kilgore said. “I’m saying it’s going to be hard to find volunteers.”

Ivey suggested that the American Legion could be recruited to help with the process, and resident Franca Ainsworth said businesses near the flags might be charged with maintaining them.

Town Manager Sharon Jackson said the flags would cost about $50 each.

A 1999 Crown Victoria police cruiser was sold to William Pollard for $519.99. The other bidder, Thomas Harville, offered $356.

Jackson said the taxes for 2007-08 were committed on Wednesday, with the tax rate set at $13.50, down from $16.20 last year. She said the change is due to a recent revaluation by assessor Kevin McGillicuddy.

Resident Troy Ripley cited a statement made at the annual town meeting that taxes would stay the same and asked if that remained the case.

Jackson said some taxes would increase, some would decrease, and some would remain the same.

“It depends on where you live and where there were sales of property,” Jackson said.

Ripley said he was concerned that a vote at the annual town meeting may have been taken on a statement that was “less than candid. It kind of seems like we’re playing a smoke and mirrors game with the taxes,” he said.

Dave Stanley added that he was hearing “opinions being stated as fact” and suggested that those commenting should make sure to differentiate between the two.

“A dead horse is being beaten quite a bit,” Kathy Richardson said.

Christopher Stearns complained that selectmen “lost control of the meeting” on Aug. 13. At that meeting, Stearns was asked to stop speaking when presenting grievances about the town’s code enforcement officer. Jackson said after that meeting that it is illegal to discuss a town employee if they are not present to defend themselves.

“There’s a difference between making a mistake and wrongdoing,” Jackson said to Stearns Monday. “There was no wrongdoing here.”

The selectmen also approved the appointment of Chuck Rowe to a three-year term on the parks and recreation committee and Alfred Atkinson to a five-year term replacing Bob Jewell on the planning board.