PARIS — The Board of Selectmen on Monday postponed a decision on whether to allow the Town Office to close 30 minutes for lunch or to hire an extra person to cover those hours.

The town staggers the lunch break for Town Office employees, always making sure that at least two employees are in the office. Town Clerk Elizabeth Knox said her staff has for the past four weeks, tracked how much walk-in traffic came in between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Based on those numbers, she felt the least disruptive time would be between 12:30 to 1 p.m.

But during property tax payment time, as many as 50 people could be in the office during that half-hour.

The other idea, Town Manager Dawn Noyes said, would be to hire a part-time employee to work between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. That person could double as a General Assistance administrator because that position is vacant and being covered by the Noyes.

Board Chairman Christopher Summers said he wanted to see a cost impact report on adding another person to the payroll.

The board agreed to postpone action on whether to close for lunch or hire another person until Noyes can provide a cost analysis.

In other business, selectmen postponed a request by the Paris softball program to hold a toll road to raise funds for its snack shack. As proposed, the softball program would stop vehicles on Route 26 near the post office and ask the occupants for a donation.

The Fire Department holds a similar fundraiser, but its members are trained in traffic control, Selectman Scott McElravy said.

“We have no policy in place,” McElravy said. “I’m cautious.”

Summers suggested that officials check with Norway officials to view their policy on toll road fundraisers. He also wondered if the post office was the best location for the toll road

“We need to do it in a responsible manner,” Summers said.

Due to the lack of a policy and guidelines and concerned with safety if youngsters were involved, the board postponed action until more information could be gathered.

Noyes presented the latest proposal to repair the stone town line monument between Paris and Norway, that was severely damaged when a vehicle crashed into it. An area stonemason has offered to repair and replace the stones for about $3,400. The two towns would split the insurance deductible of $2,500.

“Let’s get it done and over with,” Selectman Peter Kilgore said. “It’s been going on for over a year. It will make both towns look good.”

McElravy thought it would be a poor investment and said he was leery of spending money to fix it. He wished he could see samples of the person’s work.

The board voted 4-1 to proceed with the project, contingent upon an investigation by Noyes on the viability of the project.

Noyes reported that due to the town’s excellent safety and wellness procedures, Paris would receive a $3,500 refund on its workers’ compensation payments.

The board approved a liquor license for The Square Restaurant at 24 Market Square.

At the start of the meeting, Noyes read a pair of letters from Paula Hakala and a Toni (no last name) praising the Town Office employees for their good work.

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