MINOT – Auburn City Councilor Ronald Potvin brought his frustrations with how county government operates to selectmen Monday night.

“County government is the fourth largest piece in Auburn’s budget and we just get a bill. There’s no accountability, no opportunity to give input,” Potvin said.

Potvin said he wants to open up communications between Auburn and the towns of Minot, Mechanic Falls and Poland, which comprise District Two of Androscoggin County, with the intent to gather support for an effort to create a county charter commission and examine how the operation of county government might be improved.

A selectman agreed that changes in the way the county does business are overdue – starting with when and where county commissioners hold their meetings: at 1:30 p.m. in a room a little larger than the table the commissioners sit at.

“And if you have something to say that they don’t want to hear, they shut you right off,” Selectman Dan Gilpatric said.

Selectmen noted the town has little input into the county budget, and they didn’t think the town received much for the $166,000 bill it is asked to pay.

“We get rural patrol every other month but they’re not in the town all the time even then,” selectmen Dean Campbell said.

Selectman Steve French agreed that charter reform might engender a greater degree of trust among the towns.

Potvin said he would confer with Auburn council members and work on a date for a meeting involving elected officials from the four municipalities.

A selectman also met with school committee members to discuss the transfer of the Minot Consolidated School and land to the proposed new Mechanic Falls, Minot, Poland school unit.

The Minot Consolidated School sits on a corner of the town-owned 160-acre parcel where the school, town office, town garage, fire station, two athletic field complexes, and 3 miles of walking trails are located.

The two boards agreed to meet at the Minot Consolidated School Saturday for a walk around to determine how much of the 160 acres will go with the school.

Since the town will retain ownership of the athletic fields at Minot Community Park, which will be used by the school, selectmen will draw up an interlocal agreement on field maintenance and use.

An interlocal agreement will also be drawn up to cover the well that supplies water to the school. The well is located near the town garage and it appears separate water meters to measure school and town use as will be required.

Road Manager Arlan Saunders reported that following the latest washout of Shaw Hill Road at Indian Brook, he was installing two additional pipes under the road. He estimated this will almost double the flow capacity and should help protect the road.

Saunders said the road crew has started roadside mowing operations but, with having to dance around the monsoons, has only managed to do a portion of the south side of town.

Selectmen tabled a discussion of a proposed Minot-Buckfield highway district.