MINOT — A portion of the development impact fees the town has collected over the past five years may be going back to the people who paid the assessments when they built their homes.

Selectmen on Monday night asked town administrator Arlan Saunders to get a legal opinion on whether the town should return the portion collected for schools, now that the Minot Consolidated School has become the property of newly formed Regional School Unit 16.

Beginning in 2004, the town, responding to a housing boom that threatened to place more demands on town services, particularly schools, instituted a development impact fee program.

For the past five years, the town has collected $2,800 with each housing permit it issued: $2,000 of it was earmarked for the school; $500 was to be held for public safety improvements, and $300 was for recreation.

Selectmen noted that while subdivisions were approved and houses were built, the town’s population soared in response but the number of students at Minot Consolidated School didn’t.

Today, the town holds about $208,000 in escrow to address growth problems for a school that has a population that didn’t budge and now a school it no longer owns.

Once a legal opinion is obtained, selectmen intend to call a meeting of the impact fee committee to decide how to proceed.

In other business, selectmen awarded the 2009 winter sand bid to Albert Hemond for his bid of $4.69 per cubic yard, delivered.

Saunders said the town intends to stockpile about 5,500 cubic yards the last week in September or the first week in October. Hemond’s bid was the lowest of six received. 

Selectmen also agreed to seek bids from local contractors to construct about 2,000 feet of the town’s walking trail network. Saunders was directed to work with Recreation Committee member Candace Gilpatric to secure the field bids for review at the board’s Aug. 24 meeting, with the intention that the work be completed this construction season.

Saunders was directed to inform Don Fortin that the board wants him to complete the paving of Fortin Drive this paving season. 

Selectman Steve French read a letter from Buckfield selectmen commending Minot firefighters’ assistance at the July 25 fire at R.E. Lowell lumber yard. It read in part: “It is comforting to know your neighbors are there and willing to help when you need it most.”