HARTFORD — Members of the Ordinance and Road committees met with selectmen Tuesday night to discuss enforcing local laws and town policies on road projects.

Road Committee member Dan Maddox asked if the Ordinance Committee would consider requiring that any new roads be engineered by a professional. He said it was a preliminary step and wanted all three panels to be in agreement.

“We are making a massive effort to bring roads in town up to standards. Let’s do it right,” Road Committee member Leslie Boness said.

The expense of hiring engineers was a major issue Tuesday. Selectman Lee Holman said the town has access to engineers from the Androscoggin Valley Council of Government and the Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Road Committee member and town road employee Harley Swanson said workers have encountered ledge and clay on the Guerney Hill Road rebuilding project.

“This is where we could use an engineer’s advice,” he said.

He also said David Bragg of Sumner, the contractor for the work, has an excellent reputation and seems to know what he is doing but is not an engineer.

It was suggested to have a qualified person look at the work to see if it meets local road-building standards.

Several people had questions for Road Commissioner Jeremy Johnson, who was not present.

Ordinance Committee member Lennie Eichman said, “We don’t need to go to extremes, but we need to find a way to have decent roads we can afford and not be open to liability” because road standards were not followed.

Ordinance Committee member Daryl Boness said the town could have all sorts of ordinances, but it they are not enforced, they are no good.

“Not enforcing what we have is not to be tolerated,” he said.

Some town officials have said local ordinances are not being followed on the Guerney Hill Road rebuilding project.

Town policy requires bids be solicited for jobs costing more than $5,000, which was not enforced by selectmen. They voted to have Johnson do the pre-paving work and submit a report of what had been done, along with an estimate to finish it. So far, there has been no report, and officials said last month that $40,000 to $50,000 more will probably be needed.

At last week’s selectmen meeting, Maddox asked Johnson what his qualifications are to design the project.

“Experience,” Johnson said.

The town has a Road Standards Ordinance and a Road Ordinance which spell the process and procedures for construction.

The 11 officials attending Tuesday’s workshop were: Ordinance Committee members Darryl Boness, Alan Ray, Morrill Nason and Lennie Eichman; Road Committee members Dan Maddox, Harley Swanson, Leslie Boness, Barry Langer and Selectman Kathy Lowe; and Selectmen Holman and Margaret Poskus.

Ordinance Committee member Arthur Harvey was absent.

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