BUCKFIELD — A crowded room of residents cheered when the board voted down a motion to discontinue winter maintenance on Sodom and Mountain roads Tuesday night. After the motion to discontinue failed, they passed another motion which continued the winter maintenance of the roads.

The board found out that Sodom Road was a much used connector road to Hebron when Judy Berg spoke up saying, “I do use this road” and reminded the board that they had said connector roads would be a priority.

Some suggested it might be closed during mud season, because that’s when the road was destroyed. Selectmen will consider this proposal in the Spring.

Town Manager Dana Lee said they thought no one actually lived there in the winter, but it was quickly pointed out that some did and others used it to get to firewood on their property on the road past where the plowing normally stopped.

Forester Lawrence Caldwell, told the board “thank you” for the process of the hearing and said he used the road a lot and would like service to continue.

Selectman Martha Catevenis remarked that camps on the road would either lose their insurance or have rate increases if the road was not serviced all year.

In other news, members of the Planning Board who had turned in resignations were present to speak to the board. Stacy Scotia, Pearly Lovejoy and James Parker resigned over what they said was a failure of the board to support a small wind ordinance at the annual town meeting, which the Planning Board had understood they would support.

Selectmen Chairman Robin Buswell said they expected the Planning Board to sell the ordinance to the people, and they didn’t support it since that didn’t happen. Buswell and Catevenis said they didn’t like ordinances. Selectman Rodney Allen said he didn’t like ordinances either.

Everyone agreed that there was a lack of communication, and Buswell apologized to Scotia for any misunderstanding. After a plea from Buswell, all three agreed to reconsider their resignations and allowed Buswell to shred the resignations.

Another major action of the board was to vote to have a semi-pro football team, the Notre Dame Cobras, to play on the municipal field. The board had questions on insurance and playing rules, but because the first game was scheduled for July 28, the board voted to let the team play the first two games while they looked over the team’s papers and would vote on an extension at their next meeting. The board wanted to ensure that the town would not be liable for anything.

Football coach Jeremiah Rohner said they were nonprofit and would share gate receipts with the Recreation Department and would allow the Recreation Department to run the concessions.

Lee said this would bring more business into the town for the stores and restaurants.

The team promised to have parking people on hand so no one would block the fire station, which was the main priority for the board. Security is still under discussion.

Eileen Hotham wanted to be sure they would not be using the field on Labor Day, and Rohner said they would march in the parade.

Lee presented his goals for the coming year:

* Develop a 5-year capital investment plan for major vehicles, buildings, roads and equipment for the 2013-14 budget.

* Develop and implement a plan for dealing with junkyards.

* Facilitate and conclude the Single-Stream Recycling study for consideration in the 2013-14 budget.

* Meet with and establish staff goals/discuss evaluation system.

* Seek to increase Public Works’ capabilities and efficiency.

* Seek to better utilize office assistant duties with town clerk.

* Research, write and obtain at least two grants.

* Assist the Recreation Committee to become stronger and better organized.

* Ensure road projects are completed well, on budget and on time.

Lee said the Road Committee’s recommends paving High Street as the top priority and Bear Pond Road as second priority.

He recommended that selectmen rescind their Jan. 17 vote to appropriate as much as $10,000 from the Fire Equipment Replacement Reserve to purchase a squad truck and take the money from the operating budget. This was because the Fire Department Operating Budget withstood the $3,076 without overspending.

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