ROXBURY — Residents suspicious of a list of names being checked for residency were told Tuesday night that it’s the annual verification of voters before upcoming elections.

Bob Worthley Sr. said he’d heard rumors that his name was on a list and chastised the board and Town Clerk Nina Hodgkins for even checking on him when he said he’s lived in Roxbury for 50 years.

Additionally, some people worried aloud that rumors were true that names being checked were people considered anti-wind power.

When asked about this by Selectman Tim Derouche, Hodgkins, however, said there is a list, but it’s just an annual process to verify residencies of town voters prior to upcoming elections.

“I’m not just checking anyone based on how they voted on the wind project,” Hodgkins said. “We don’t even know how people voted.”

Selectman Mike Worthley asked to see a copy of the list, as did Anne Morin, but Hodgkins twice told Worthley that neither he nor his family’s names are on the list of residents to check for residency.

Morin, a resident and business owner, also asked to see the list and criteria detailing what a resident must do when registering to vote.

Derouche said he would check on the lists and provide access to the public to view the names.

In other business, Derouche said Roxbury would start advertising Wednesday for a code enforcement officer and plumbing inspector.

David Bonney, who filled the jobs, had resigned, although Derouche said selectmen would hold an executive session with him next week to learn why.

Selectmen also learned that possibly because no one showed up in court to present the town’s side of issues against two junkyard owners, complaints against them were dropped. Derouche said that if that’s what happened, the same thing could happen next month when a third junkyard owner’s case comes up in court.

However, he said he would try to be there with a Planning Board member to ensure that doesn’t happen.

River Valley Growth Council members Rich Allen and Bill Hine then showed the council’s new DVD movie about the River Valley area and what it has to offer.

Allen, the council president, said the movie was produced “to show we have a large labor force available.”

He then answered questions, the first few of which criticized the council for having Record Hill Wind principal Rob Gardiner of Falmouth Foreside, “represent” Roxbury and green energy. Gardner and former Maine Gov. Angus King won approval last August from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to construct a 22-turbine wind farm atop Roxbury hills.

Morin also told them they should re-edit the movie to say that Black Mountain ski resort in Rumford is known worldwide and is an important economic engine for the River Valley area.

“Black Mountain will provide more job opportunities than wind power will ever do,” Morin said.

“We’re trying to show that this is a great place to have your industry,” Hine said.

“We have tremendous beauty here,” Allen said. “But we don’t have the problem of being overwhelmed with jobs.”

tkarkos@sunjournal.com