Board: Minot Selectmen

Met: Monday night

Administrators’ contracts

Scoop: Selectmen approved a three-year contract with Rhonda Irish to continue in her post as town administrator, extending her service through Jan. 31, 2011. Irish was hired as administrator in 2005. Selectmen also approved annual letters of agreement with Road Manager Arlan Saunders and Town Treasurer Constance Taker.

Town meeting

Scoop: Selectmen approved 78 warrant articles up for consideration at the March 1 annual town meeting.

Up next: Municipal elections will be held Friday, Feb. 29, to choose one selectman and one School Committee member. On Saturday, March 1, residents will vote on town and school budget requests that total about $5.5 million – nearly $4 million for schools and $1.5 million on the town side.

Winter roads

Scoop: Saunders told selectmen that with luck, the town’s supplies of sand and salt will be sufficient to carry through until spring. Saunders said that while his crew has treated the roads 20 times so far this season, about average for an entire season, the amount the town’s salt supplier has guaranteed in this year’s bid should be able to handle another nine storms. The sand supply is down to about 25 percent, but Saunders said, the town’s sand supplier could have screened sand ready for pickup on a day’s notice.

Road equipment

Scoop: Saunders said the town’s 1989 wheeler-sander broke down twice in January, once with a blown head gasket and cracked pistons, but now is back in service. Saunders also noted that he is gathering proposals for the replacement of the 1988 L-8000 plow truck and should have some information on a replacement by town meeting.

-Winslow Durgin