CANTON — Selectmen agreed to send delinquency notices to residents who are behind in their taxes and have not agreed to a plan for full payment.

Selectman Donny Hutchins said, “The town is doing a disservice to those who pay their taxes if they do not pursue collecting from all.”

Selectmen directed Administrative Assistant Kathy Hutchins to write a letter to delinquent landowners giving them 30 days to pay or make arrangements for a repayment plan. The town will foreclose on any that ignore the notice.

Chairman Scott Kilbreth said, “This is part of the job that is not enjoyable, but it must be done.”

In other business, the town has received numerous complaints about excessive noise from the Michael McCarron property. A letter will be sent asking for a reduction in noise. Board members agreed that they would rather not have to bring in law enforcement and charge the residents with disturbing the peace.

Selectmen also agreed to allow the Ponemah-Rebekah Lodge 28 to use the old town office for  meetings. As the group has aged, it has become more difficult to maintain its old meeting place in the former Canton Railroad Depot.

Donny Hutchins said that the new Canton Heritage Park has been such a success and that he has approached the Maine Department of Transportation about installing a crosswalk. The town has offered to pay for the painting of the crosswalk while MDOT would install warning signs and adjust speed limits to make the crosswalk as safe as possible. The Victoria Villa is across the road from the park and many of their residents are taking advantage of the attractive setting.

Jonathan LaBonte of the Androscoggin Land Trust and Jay Braunscheidel of Integrated Forest Management made a presentation on land controlled by the trust in Canton. LaBonte said that the trust has management rights over nearly 1,100 acres in Canton. His job is to develop closer ties to the towns where the trust has land. Any money it makes from the sale of timber is used to improve access for recreation. Hunting is allowed and there are ATV and snowmobile trails on the land.

Braunscheidel represents the forest management consultant retained by the trust. He laid out plans for a partial harvest on 260 acres in Canton. Tops will be converted to bio-fuel while limbs will be used in the woods for erosion control. He will inspect the roads and portions of town land that he proposes to use in the harvest with the selectmen on Sept. 3. The harvest is planned for the coming fall and winter. Braunscheidel said that the harvest was part of the long-range forestry plan being developed for the trust’s land.

The selectmen have set the mill rate at $17.50 per $1,000 of property, the same as last year. There has been a reduction in the state payment of Homestead Exemption so that there will be a $44 increase in taxes on homes with the exemption.

Retiring Fire Chief Wayne Dube will be honored at a potluck supper at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Canton Fire Station. The event is being arranged by Mike Maxwell, 597-3108. Contact Maxwell for additional details.