PARIS — An attorney who works for Norway and Paris is looking into the feasibility of merging the town’s police departments, an idea Paris Chief David Verrier and Norway Chief Robert Federico first proposed last month.

Geoffrey Hole is looking over the departments’ insurance policies, a process simplified by both agencies using Trident Insurance.

The plan is to adopt a one-year interlocal agreement in June so both towns can try the concept and exit the agreement if it doesn’t work for one or the other. The agreement would have to be approved by the towns at the June 16 town meeting.

Paris Town Manager Phil Tarr said both towns will have to decide how to break up administrative duties between them to run a single police department. Tarr proposed a transition team of himself, Norway Town Manager David Holt and a selectman from each town.

In other business, the town hasn’t received any bids on the Pine Street Fire Station. The deadline is May 2. The building hasn’t been used since the Fire Department moved to its new station on Western Avenue in 2003.

Last year, selectmen were given the options of refurbishing the old station for the town’s use, demolishing it, or selling the building while retaining most of the property for snow dumping in the winter. They chose the third option.

The fire station is on a half-acre lot. Tarr has said at least one party has expressed interest in buying the building.

In other business at this week’s meeting, the board

* Agreed to apply for Gov. Paul LePage’s “Open for Business” program. At the April 9 meeting, Glen Holmes, executive director of the Western Maine Economic Development Council, told the board about the program.

The board voted unanimously to ask Holmes to start the application process. The Department of Economic and Community Development chooses which towns are eligible. Those towns receive an award of certification from LePage and an “open for business” sign to post by the road when people enter Paris.

* Closed off an access road to the town gravel pits and made the pits off-limits to anyone without the proper safety gear and training. Tarr said the rules apply only to the pit itself, not the area around it. He said the rules were changed to meet Mine Safety Health Administration guidelines.

* Voted to recognize May 19 as Curves National Day. Curves is a health club for women, and the week after Mother’s Day is National Women’s Health Week. It has an exercise facility in the Corwnall Plaza on Route 26.

* Agreed that at its next meeting May 14, it would charge the Policy and Procedure Committee with discussing a possible fireworks ordinance and what it would govern.

* Voted unanimously to renew the liquor license for the Paris Hill Country Club. The public hearing was waived, because the club has served liquor for years and a letter from Chief Verrier said there had been no calls for service there.

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