POLAND — Selectmen voted 4-1 Tuesday to have the town crew plow the gravel Hilt Hollow Road leading to Larry Hilt’s property because the road is town property.

Selectman Steve Robinson’s motion passed, with Selectman Janice Kimball abstaining.

The motion acknowledged that the town owns all the land in the failed subdivision where the Hilts live, except for two lots that had been sold. Therefore, the town can plow the road from Hilt’s house to Route 26 because its owns the land.

The vote ended what had turned into a growing uproar over whether the town was picking on a disabled veteran.

Hilt noted Tuesday that he had gotten the Republican National Committee working on his cause, staff members of U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-Maine, contacted him and Gov. Paul LePage was supporting him.

“A lot of veterans and people from all over are behind me,” Hilt said.

Larry and Ricki Hilt built their house in 2007 and constructed the gravel road to meet town specifications. The town plowed the gravel road until a little over two years ago, when it was pointed out to the town shouldn’t be plowing an unaccepted — and unacceptable — road.

Larry Hilt plowed the road the past two winters, but because of his disabilities he asked the town to do it this year.

In other business, selectmen approved Fire Chief Mark Bosse’s proposal for Braun Ambulance of Van Wert, Ohio, to supply a new chassis for Squad 1, the town’s second ambulance, and refurbish, repaint and remount the body on it for $128,850. There will be new warranties on the body and chassis.

Bosse estimated that the town will save about $232,000 by refurbishing.

Selectmen appointed Walter Gallagher and Stan Tetenman to be representatives at a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 25 with Regional School Unit 16 representatives, to work on a settlement of how much RSU 16 owes the town for its use of a bay in the town garage.

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