PERU — Former Selectman Jim Pulsifer brought some levity to Monday night’s hearing on purchasing new computer programs to replace what he developed for the town decades ago.

“The software may be obsolete, but I am not,” he said.

The town is considering spending $25,000 for a new integrated software system.

More than 20 years ago when he was a selectman, Pulsifer created computer programs on his own time to facilitate the town’s operations. He said that at that time Peru was years ahead of most small Maine towns. Through the intervening years he has maintained the system for the town. Now, he said, the system needs to be replaced.

 Town officials have reviewed software packages and have selected a Trio/Harris system that is used by many nearby towns. A system with the needed features will cost about $25,000 with maintenance fees running about $4,000 per year.

 Marie Eastman asked why there was a rush to obtain the software.

Town Clerk Vera Parent explained they needed to install the software early in the new year so it would be in place and proven by the start of the fiscal year on July 1. It was suggested that both systems should be operated in parallel at least until the beginning of the new fiscal year.

 Pulsifer, who has not charged the town for writing and maintaining the old program, recently charged the town $25 for time and travel to make an electronic copy of town data requested by resident Dwight Hines. Hines, who refused to pay for the copy after it was made, asked if Pulsifer’s charging the town for making the copy was a conflict of interest. He was assured that Pulsifer is not a town employee and has not been a selectman for several years.

 There were questions on how involved residents were in decision making. Board of Selectmen Chairman Lourieann Milligan said, “It takes a town to run a town. Get involved. We are all in this together.”

She pointed out there are openings on several important town committees and that they were actively trying to get more residents involved in town affairs.

 At the selectmen’s meeting after the hearing Hines continued questioning the selectmen on their charge for an electronic copy of town data.

Milligan’s assurance that the town’s attorney and the Maine Municipal Association agreed it was reasonable for Pulsifer to charge for his time and travel to make the disk and for the town to pass through the cost to Hines did not satisfy him.

“I believe you are in violation of the law,” Hines said, and threatened to bring legal action against the town.

 Selectman Tim Holland asked where the town was in violation of the law and Hines said it is because the town could not give him an electronic copy of data when he asked for it and then wanted to charge excessively for the data when it was made available.

 Holland told Hines that he was costing all taxpayers by his numerous requests for information and his treatment of the town clerk and the selectmen’s secretary bordered on harassment.

Former Selectman Bill Hine made a plea for the selectmen to put a request for a town Conservation Commission on the upcoming referendum ballot. He pointed out there were many interesting and beautiful sites that should be protected in Peru.

Richard Powell, a lifelong resident of Peru, discussed the Indian trails that passed through the town. He said some of them date back at least to the 1400s.