WOODSTOCK — The Board of Selectmen unanimously voted to allow the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War to purchase a new flagpole for the town’s monument area.
Town Manager Vern Maxfield said the DUV would install the pole.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Board of Selectmen Chairman Ron Deegan said.
In other business, selectmen agreed to table discussion on what to do with the 2007 Sterling 8500 plow truck until Maxfield makes a recommendation.
Maxfield said earlier this month that the truck needed repairs to the body and the rear end gears should be “changed from a highway truck setup to a plow truck setup.”
He estimated repairs could exceed $34,000.
Deegan and Selectman Mike Nadeau said repairing the truck would be like throwing good money after bad, and the board agreed to look into getting an appraisal for a trade-in for a new truck.
Maxfield said the issue would have to be tabled until the next board meeting May 5.
Selectmen also tasked Maxfield with looking into tax-acquired property laws for Maine before their next meeting.
Deegan said the town had a list of potential tax-acquired land, and the town’s ordinance requires Maxfield to offer the land to the owner first, and then owner’s heirs.
“I know that Vern has already covered the first step, so next, we need to look into offering the land to heirs,” Deegan said. “However, I think that Vern should check with the state and figure out how far we need to go, in terms of notifying them.”
Maxfield told Deegan the town would have to put an advertisement in the paper to notify any heirs that the land was available.
“Yes, but how long would we need to advertise the fact?” Deegan asked. “Let’s say we advertise for a year and nobody answers. We sell the land to someone, and a year later, we get an heir who says they want the land. Is there a certain amount of time where we wouldn’t have to offer it to the heir anymore?”
Maxfield said he could check state law.
“I want to know if ‘heirs’ means immediate family, or if it means second and third cousins,” Deegan said.
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