PARIS – The town office was closed Monday morning because the boiler was “plugged up with soot,” Town Manager Steve McAllister told selectmen Monday night.
After the boiler had been cleaned and the building had returned to a comfortable temperature, the town office reopened at 1 p.m.
The building is not well heated, McAllister said, because the pipes go into the attic, which is not properly insulated. McAllister is awaiting an estimate on blown-in insulation from Karen Electric of Portland, and hopes to have the problem resolved soon.
In other business, selectmen discussed their unsuccessful search for a town health officer. Paris has been without a health officer since July, although it has been “trying to recruit one,” McAllister said.
State law requires that each town have a health officer. The officer’s responsibilities include reporting outbreaks of communicable diseases to state officials and overseeing the cleaning of dwellings deemed to be unsanitary. If a town is unable to find a suitable health officer, the law allows selectmen to appoint the town manager to the position. Should they choose not to do so, the position falls to the chairman.
Selectmen tabled the issue for their next meeting so they may have time to review the health officer’s manual.
Chairman Gerald Kilgore, who has held the position during the town’s search for a better qualified candidate, said, “It would be better if we had somebody professional with a license.”
McAllister pointed out he had nine years background in medicine.
State law does not require that the health officer have medical training and allows the officer to request help from a physician when needed.
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