WELD — Voters at town meeting Saturday decided the road commissioner should once again be elected rather than appointed by selectmen.
Difficulty finding someone to run for the road position prompted residents to previously vote for selectmen to appoint someone to the position.
Of the 400 residents, only about 10 have the required Class B license, Selectman Nancy Stowell said. The position was advertised but no one came forward.
Several of the 60 residents in attendance voiced concerns about this winter’s plowing and said the town would have more control if the position were elected.
Current Road Commissioner Alan McGrath of Wilton said he has to stick to the selectmen’s policy of not plowing until 1½ inches of snow are on the ground or unless it’s icy. With a route that takes three to four hours, if it’s snowing a couple of inches an hour, it’s going to collect before he can get back around, McGrath said. It would take more trucks or more money to change it, he said.
Magrath will continue with his contract until next year. The town will elect the next road commissioner at the 2012 town meeting.
In other business, voters endorsed the purchase of a $16,500, 1984 GMC Brigadier pumper with about 21,000 miles from a fire department in New Hampshire, but they wanted to spread out payments. They voted to raise $5,500 for the first year and to authorize selectmen to borrow the remaining $11,000.
The committee working on a wind power ordinance asked voters for $600 for an acoustical engineer’s presentation on levels of sound generated by wind turbines. Some felt those interested could hear the independent consultant, Robert Rand of Brunswick, speak at other towns such as Dixfield this coming week. They voted to take no action on the article.
On Friday, Wayne DuBois was elected selectman with 41 votes. E. Paul Duran got 14 votes to become the RSU 9 director for three years beginning July 1. Carol Cochran was re-elected town clerk and tax collector with 45 votes and Margot Joly was re-elected to the Planning Board with 41 votes.
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