The Canton Select Board Tuesday discusses the $9,800 in fines the town owes to the Department of Labor during a meeting at the Town Office. From left are Town Clerk Kathy Walker, Selectperson Carole Robbins, Chairman Brian Keene and Selectperson Michelle Larrivee.

CANTON — The town owes the Maine Department of Labor $9,800 in fines because of citations for town department buildings and noncompliance, Select Board Chairperson Brian Keene said during Tuesday’s Select Board meeting at the Town Office.

Keene said he and Selectperson Carole Robbins met with MDOL representatives Sept. 6 to discuss citations by the MDOL Bureau of Labor Standards received on Nov. 28, 2023, from an inspection of the town.

Keene noted that the inspection from the Bureau of Labor Standards was the first inspection that the town has received in over 13 years. “The good things that came out of that (experience were that we) spent a lot of time with the Department of Labor going over recommendations (and) things that we need to have in place that we did not,” Keene said.

Annual training will need to be “held going forward,” Keene said. Town personnel have also worked with an outside safety contractor and completed mandatory trainings. They have received “a variety of plans for us from things from lock-out to tag-out (for equipment at the highway department); to hazardous materials; to electrical safety; confined space entry, confined space rescue training; (and) hazardous assessments for all of our buildings … ” Keene said.

The final amount due in fines from the citations is $9,800; the fine for violations at the sewer department is $1,400; transfer station, $2,100; public works, $2,100; and Fire Department, $4,200.

Since the Sept. 6 meeting, the Select Board received a letter from MDOL Director Jason Moyer-Lee dated Sept. 12, stating that “all citations have been corrected.”

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“So, we learned a lot. Yes, it was a painful thing, but we are through it and moving forward,” Keene said.

In other business, the Select Board decided which items will be accepted at the transfer station during the town’s cleanup days, Oct. 9, 12, 16 and 19.

Bulky waste furniture is acceptable, however there is a limit of two mattresses per household.

Freon must be removed from all appliances, which must be tagged showing its removal.

Tires will be accepted but there will be a limit on the total and once it is reached, the transfer station will stop accepting tires.

The Select Board also announced the town will hold its Halloween Trunk or Treat celebration at 6 p.m. on Oct. 26 at the boat launch off Staples Hill Road. The town’s Haunted Walk on Whitney Brook Trail is on hold and depends on having volunteers to help with the walk.

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