PERU — Selectmen on Monday night were faced with two budget issues. The voters cut $10,000 from a town operating budget in a June 28 special town meeting and also voted no funds for the old school.

The school will continue to be a drain on finances because of the need for insurance and the fact that the water for the town office comes from the school well. The security system for the town office is also tied into the school.

Former selectman Dennis Thibodeau said the outside lights were burning in the school building and should be shut off. The board said no one could find a switch. Thibodeau said he would find the breaker and shut them off as it was money being spent. Holland invited him to come to a meeting on Wednesday night to work on cutting more costs associated with the building.

Several groups had signed up to use the building and the board voted to inform them that the building was closed. Secretary and Selectman Kathy Hussey asked where the groups could meet and if they used the rooms in the town office, who would be cleaning, since there was no money. No one came up with a solution.

Cutting $10,000 from the office budget presented a larger challenge and drew comments from Selectman Ed Ferland who suggested they get a tape recorder and not pay Hussey double pay for writing the minutes. Ferland also suggested she not be secretary to the Planning and Appeals Board for extra pay. Ferland also said those receiving insurance should pay part of the cost.

Holland moved that the town office budget be frozen until the board can study the budget more and recommend cuts at the next meeting on Monday, July 18.

In an effort to give selectmen more time to try to come up with solutions, Selectman Chairman Tim Holland told the 18 people present that there would be an open session time, but the board could not answer a million questions from the people and still get their work done. “This is not an open town meeting, but a working selectman meeting and we need to address the agenda issues.”

This drew several comments from the crowd. “We will accept agenda comments from those who have knowledge on the item,” Holland said.

Marie Eastman also asked Holland if they could ask questions. Holland said questions could be asked after the meeting, but they really had to address the items on the agenda as a board.

Pauline MacKinnon said she felt the board was breaking the right-to-know law. She said the meetings were not posted in the paper like other towns. Holland replied that notices were sent to the papers and meetings were posted on the town office doors. Hussey said they always had meetings on Monday night at 6 p.m., but would ask the papers again to post the meetings.

In other news, Leon Bucher from Inland Fisheries and Wildlife gave the board an update on the boat launch and said the low bidder was contractor Off Road Construction.

Abutters to the site sought clarification on maintenance and several other issues that Bucher said he would answer. Bucher said Oct. 1 is the projected completion date for the dam.