SUMNER — The conditions of the roads in town and complaints about them were discussed at Tuesday’s Board of Selectmen meeting.

One resident said there have been many complaints about winter road conditions and that they may be coming from residents with special-needs children because they are picked up in vans, not yellow buses. The roads are cleared first for the yellow bus routes, he said, and oftentimes, the special-ed vans cannot travel the roads safely because of the conditions.

Winter roads contractor Clifford Lowe said rain with freezing temperatures were making it difficult for him and his crew of five to keep the roads clear of ice.

“We need to double up on the salt in the sand,” Lowe said. He said he personally plows Route 219 and that trucks blow the sand off the road as soon as he gets it down. He said he needs to get more salt down at the beginning of the storm.

Selectmen agreed that Lowe should use the amount of salt he needs and if he runs out, they will just have to buy more at $66.85 a ton. When asked by a selectman how many hours it takes to clear the roads with his five trucks, Lowe said, “It takes eight hours to do all the roads in town.”

In other business, the board voted to charge three years’ back taxes and levy a penalty on Kevin Gillan, who constructed a shed on tree-growth-designated land without getting a permit. The taxes were $97.50 but the penalty was $600 for a total of $697.50.

James McCarthy, who is the facilitator for the Industrial Wind Ordinance Committee, reported that committee members are all on the same page with the ordinance and they are making progress.

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