MINOT – Selectmen are stymied over what to do about illegal dumping around town.

Someone has recently dumped large piles of asphalt shingles at two locations: one along Center Minot Hill Road on Dick Thayer’s property near Marston Hill Road and the other off Garfield Road, near the Auburn town line on Harold Bridgham’s property.

Road Manager Arlan Saunders asked selectmen Monday night for advice on whether he should become involved in the cleanup.

As the piles sat outside the road right of way, Selectmen Dean Campbell and Steve French didn’t want the town to commit to cleaning up messes on private property.

Selectman Danny Gilpatric supported Dan Callahan’s -“common sense” he called it – motion to authorize Saunders to conduct a cleanup, having first obtained releases from the property owners to enter the land and agreements that the property owners will take steps to block access for illegal dumpers in the future.

Selectman Eda Tripp said that since her family was involved, she had to abstain from the vote but wanted to make it clear she supported Callahan’s position.

“If you don’t clean it up, more will follow. We’re smarter to clean it up and ask property owners to block off access,” said Tripp.

Tripp pointed out that the three distinct shingle piles on the Bridgham property contain some personal household trash that offered clues to its origin, but that law enforcement officials didn’t seem overly interested.

“I was disappointed in the state police reaction that this illegal dumping is something that happens all over the place,” she said.

Tripp noted that in November Minot’s every-other-month law enforcement coverage shifts to the Androscoggin County Sheriff Office and that she would probably try to get them involved.

Gilpatric appealed to the public for help.

“Somebody saw that guy, just had to,” said Gilpatric, noting that witnesses aren’t always aware of the significance of what they see.

Campbell asked town administrator Rhonda Irish to check out the town’s liability in this matter and indicated the board could revisit this issue in two weeks.

In other business, the board authorized Saunders to use funds in the equipment reserve account to purchase a used replacement body for the town’s 1998 International truck. Saunders said the existing body is “tender” and that for about $4,000 he could get a replacement that could extend the life of the truck another four or five years.

Selectmen also appointed Marcia Huffman to join Dean Campbell as Minot’s representatives on the Auburn Public Library Board of Trustees, and named Lisa Cesare from the recreation committee and Norman Gurshick from the Fire and Rescue Department to serve on the impact fee committee. It will meet in November for its annual review of the impact fees the town collects on new residential development. Selectmen will name a representative from the school committee once that board decides which member is most interested in serving on the impact committee.