LIVERMORE FALLS – Selectmen voted to exchange 15 tons of salt in lieu of some of the payment the town will owe a Livermore Falls contractor for cutting and removing 15 trees at Sewall Park.

The board also agreed to sell up to 35 more tons of salt to local contractors. Any requests for salt will need to go before the board and be decided on a case by case basis.

Castonguay Excavation had bid about $4,200 for the tree work and asked about the possible exchange of 15 tons of salt in lieu of some of the payment, highway foreman Bill Nichols said.

The trucks could be weighed at the biomass plant empty and then weighed again when loaded, Nichols said.

The town has a contract to buy up to 600 tons of salt at $78.60 a ton this season, he said, up from $59.90 a ton last year. About 530 tons were used by the town last winter, Nichols said.

Selectman Bill Demaray said sales of sand have been done in the past.

When selectmen asked how Nichols felt about selling the salt, he said it doesn’t bother him but he would set a limit of selling 50 tons of a salt in all.

New bell

Nichols also told selectmen that he had installed a new bell outside the town office for those who may need assistance getting into the building.

In other matters, interim Town Manager Kristal Flagg said the town office will be closed to regular business while voting is being conducted on Tuesday, Nov. 4, Election Day.

Selectmen agreed to put a request for $3,000 from Spruce Mountain Ski Club before the Budget Committee to be considered during the budget process for next year.

The donation would go to a fuel reserve account, club representative Judy Diaz said.

Diaz has requested funds from all three towns that own and share expenses at Spruce Mountain. The club owns the equipment and operates the ski area.

Jay selectmen held off on making a decision on the club’s request for $5,000 from that town until Livermore and Livermore Falls make a decision. Livermore select board also sent a request for $2,000 from the club to the town’s Budget Committee on Monday to be considered for next year.