OXFORD — For the past several weeks, selectmen have been touring the town’s facilities and making a list of wants and needs for building maintenance.

On Monday evening, they held a workshop to discuss and prioritize the items for Town Manager Michael Chammings, who is meeting with the Capital Improvements Committee on developing a plan by December. Selectmen identified several high priorities during the workshop.

The town garage on Route 26 needs more storage space for equipment, and selectmen have asked Chammings to research places where a larger facility could be built. The heating system in the town garage was designed for a much larger space, and Chammings said that they could possibly look at expanding the building.

Selectmen were concerned that the size of the lot would limit the efficiency of the design for any addition.

Another project needed at the town garage is rebuilding the fuel depot. The containment area and tanks are old, according to the selectmen, and keeping track of who is pumping fuel is difficult.

Chammings agreed to look into estimates for replacing the tanks.

A more immediate need is to find on-call drivers for the upcoming winter season. Especially during large storms that last for long stretches of time, relief drivers become necessary to take over.

Roof problems at the Public Safety Building on Route 26 might be resolved with some insulation and ventilation, according to Board of Selectmen Chairman Scott Owens. Because the attic area lacks proper insulation and ventilation, Owens said, excess ice builds up on the roof, causing multiple problems.

First, the ice dams that form on the eaves create water backup and leaks when melting occurs. Second, large chunks of ice fall from the roof and damage the siding. Also, the lack of proper insulation and ventilation creates heating and air conditioning problems throughout the year, he said.

Owens said he needs to take a closer look at the situation, but he’s fairly certain the problems could be fixed with proper insulation and ventilation.

“You’re going to cure three problems — you’re going to cut your fuel bill, your roof won’t ice up and you’ll save money on air conditioning,” he said.

Selectmen identified storage as another problem at the Public Safety Building, particularly for the evidence room.

Selectman Pete Laverdiere said, “The evidence room is so jampacked I don’t know how they find anything. And the amount of weapons they have in that place and where they’re stored and how they’re stored, it’s unbelievable.”

Beyond evidence and weapons storage, papers that statutes require be stored for a certain number of years also need a safe, dry area.

Chammings said the topic of storage has already come up at the committee meetings, and they are working on possible solutions.

Selectmen suggested converting one of the underused garage bays on the southwest side of the building into a storage area to help alleviate the problem in the short term. They suggested that building secure walls around the bay and then locking the doors and barring the windows might provide a place for an evidence room and armory. Eventually, they said, the town may need to consider constructing a climate-controlled building for records storage. They aren’t sure how large to make the building, saying increasing government paperwork keeps adding to the size of the files needing storage.

“You’re going to need a substantial building for 20 to 30 years of records,” Owens said. “You want to build it at least twice as big as you think you’re going to need it, and then it’ll probably still be too small in 10 years.”

Selectmen will meet Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Municipal Building on Pleasant Street.

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