MINOT – Selectmen agreed Monday night to meet with Buckfield town officials to explore the possibility of a shared highway department.

Road Manager Arlan Saunders reported that his July 1 meeting with Buckfield Town Manager Glen Holmes and selectmen had gone very well.

“About 10 people were there and a majority of the comments were positive. They want to get something going,” Saunders said.

Saunders had met with Buckfield officials, at their request, once previously to find out what they wanted and then to see what part Minot might play in meeting their needs.

“We have come to a better understanding of a way to do business as a joint highway department,” he said.

While selectmen agreed to meet with Buckfield officials at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22, Minot Town Office, they directed town Administrator Rhonda Irish to inform Holmes that the meeting would not be about how to create a shared highway department and that they still questioned whether such a move was feasible or in Minot’s best interest.

“Our road manager has plenty to do in this town,” said selectman Dan Callahan.

Selectmen noted that over the years there has been some sharing of men and equipment with Mechanic Falls and Poland and, for the past year or so, considerable cooperation with Hebron. In his report, Saunders noted that a portion of the Minot crew will be working in Hebron for the next two weeks, pay back for use of Hebron’s equipment and labor earlier this summer.

Saunders also noted that Pike Industries began paving Star Drive earlier in the day and, after finishing that, will proceed to pave Millet Road, Bucknam Bridge Road, and then move on to East Oxford Road to wrap up the summer’s paving program.

After meeting with developer Lloyd Poland and his engineer Rick Jones of Jones Associates, selectmen accepted as complete plans for Grand Trunk Road, which runs 1,933 feet along the old railroad bed heading north out of West Minot, and Village Woods Road, which runs from Grand Trunk Road to serve Poland’s 13-lot subdivision.

Commenting on the Appeals Board’s recent refusal to grant a variance to a home owner who began building his garage within 15 feet of his side lot line, selectmen noted that it was imperative that before beginning any construction project, people must pick up their permits and, after having read all the conditions placed upon the work they intend to do and making sure they are in compliance with them, post their building permits at the job site.