PARIS — The Board of Selectmen voted unanimously Monday evening to approve amendments to the Norway-Paris Solid Waste Inc. interlocal agreement.

The vote came four days after Norway residents approved them.

The biggest change to the agreement is adding two alternates to the six-member board.

Each town would add an alternate, who could only vote if there was a tie. Depending on whether it is an odd- or even-numbered year, either the Norway or Paris alternate would vote.

Gary Vaughn, president of the Norway-Paris Solid Waste Board, said another amendment bars a board member and his or her immediate family member from serving at the same time.

The Waste Board governs the waste station on Brown Street in Norway used by Norway and Paris residents.

In other business, the board voted unanimously to close the Town Office on Main Street on Friday to allow Central Maine Power to do maintenance.

Town Manager Vic Hodgkins said the work would take “a minimum of three hours.”.

“It seems like it’d be wise to just make it official and close the office for the day,” Hodgkins said.

Selectman Chris Summers asked Town Clerk Elizabeth Knox if there was anything she and the other employees at the Town Office could do without power.

Knox said everything requires power.

Chairman Rusty Brackett suggested that the board vote to close the Town Office and pay the employees instead of making them use vacation or sick time.

“We have the money in the budget, and I don’t think it’s unreasonable to just pay them for the day that they have off,” Brackett said.

Vaughn agreed, adding, “I don’t think paying the staff for one day will bankrupt us.”

mdaigle@sunmediagroup.net

Selectmen Chris Summers, Scott Buffington, Gary Vaughn and John Andrews, left to right, review amendments to the Norway-Paris Solid Waste Inc. agreement at their meeting Monday evening. (Matthew Daigle/Sun Journal)

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