OXFORD — Town Manager Butch Asselin informed selectmen at Thursday’s meeting that effective Apr. 7, the Oxford Transfer Station’s recycling center will be closed until further notice. Citing data that suggests coronavirus can survive on materials up to 72 hours, Governor Janet Mills has suspended recycling programs as part of the fight against the pandemic. Asselin said that recycling could be mixed with other household waste for the short term but encourages residents to store it until the Transfer Station can once again accept it.

Selectmen discussed adding scheduled EMT employees for evening shifts from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. Chief Paul Hewey said the positions will be funded in the 2020-2021 budget but said it is important to have staff ready at Public Safety instead of being on call during the public health emergency period. Given the dangers of COVID-19 exposure it is not safe for EMTs to respond to calls and then return to their residences at different points overnight.

Selectman Dana Dillingham questioned whether overnight EMTs could start on call but stay at the public safety building once they’ve been called out. Selectman Sharon Jackson and Asselin both spoke in favor of starting overnight EMT shifts now. No vote was taken on the matter.

Town Clerk Elizabeth Olsen informed the Board that she had completed the application with the Maine Secretary of State to move voting back to the Public Safety Building for the remaining elections this year, the state primary in June and the presidential election in November.

In other business, selectmen approved amended tax bills for three properties; two had been incorrectly assessed and a third was removed from tree growth status. The total of the supplemental bills was $8,201.

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