OXFORD — Town Manager Adam Garland told selectmen Thursday night that the town now owns the property at 127 Pottle Road, the new municipal office building possibly opening in September.

He said a capital funding plan will be necessary to replace the roof within five years, and the HVAC system will eventually need to be replaced. Before the move, some pavement repair and exterior trim and resealing will also be necessary.

Garland said for interior work, rather than send requests for bids and wait 30 days, he wanted permission to waive the procedure and get estimates.

Selectman Caldwell Jackson and Vice Chairman Dana Dillingham were in favor, and Dillingham encouraged contractors in the area to reach out to Garland.

“It shouldn’t be more than a week’s worth of work,” Dillingham said.

Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway accepted Oxford’s bid of $750,000 for the one-story building May 5.

The Municipal Center at 85 Pleasant St. is for sale. Situated on 1.2 acres, the 12,420-square-foot building was constructed about 1900 and served as Oxford’s school for decades. The town acquired it in 1998 and converted it to municipal offices. For years it has been plagued by basement flooding, moisture and mold issues, as well as structural deterioration.

In other business Thursday selectmen authorized one equipment purchase and tabled one, both submitted by the highway department. The first was for a tractor with attachments for sidewalk snow removal and roadside mowing. The submitted bids ranged from $55,374 from Reed Service Center to $78,120 from United Ag & Turf. Highway Foreman Jim Bennett was unable to attend, but Garland relayed that his recommendation was to purchase from Reed, not just for the price difference but because the warrantee package was stronger.

Bennett had also told Garland he recommended the town purchase a zero-turn 42″ mower from Reed for $89,038. United Ag & Turf had submitted a bid for $93,093 for a 48″ mower. Dillingham indicated that with United Ag & Turf offering a bigger unit for not much more money, he wanted to hear from Bennett his reasoning before approving the bid. The purchase request was tabled until the next meeting.

Garland addressed an ongoing practice of residents taking discarded materials from the transfer station.

The transfer station brochure says nothing may be taken without asking staff first, but the town ordinance says nothing can be removed without the board’s authorization. The board said the ordinance supersedes the brochure, which should be clarified.

Board Chairwoman Sharon Jackson reiterated that no one from the public and no municipal employees should remove materials from the transfer station.

Assessor Donna Hays advised that an oversight from the last property revaluation in 2008 resulted in some property owners never being taxed for a renovated residence. The renovations were properly permitted but not assessed.

The oversight came to light recently when the property owners applied for a different permit.

By state law, only three years worth of taxes can be collected after the fact.

Hays said a correct tax bill for 2022 has been issued, but selectmen must approve sending corrected bills for 2021 and 2020. The board gave unanimous approval.

Garland said two properties set for foreclosure remain unresolved. A final 30-day notice is being issued to the owners who together own the two properties, as required for those over the age of 65. If they do not respond, the properties will be prepared for sale by bid.

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