PARIS — Oxford County commissioners said Tuesday that they lack jurisdiction to hear an appeal to Hartford officials’ decision to not provide winter maintenance on Darrington Road, a dead-end road off Route 140.
The unanimous decision by Steven Merrill of Norway, David Duguay of Byron and Timothy Turner of Buckfield followed an executive session with legal counsel.
Commissioners said state law defining when the county can hear such an appeal was not met, because neither a town meeting vote nor the petitioners claimed that the decision was the “final determination.”
The town closed Darrington Road to winter maintenance starting in 1992 and renewed the closure every 10 years. This year, a group of residents sought to have the town plow and maintain the road during the winter, but a majority of residents opposed the proposal at the town meeting.
In response, a petition was filed by a group led by Jeffrey Beaulieu and signed by seven other residents asking the county to overrule the town vote.
Commissioners asked each appellant on Aug. 1 to address the issue of whether the town’s denial to alter the existing winter road closures at the town meeting “constitutes a final determination.” Following an extension to reply by Sept. 12, commissioners received responses from four individuals and the town.
“While each correspondence addressed the merits of the underlying road closure, the commissioners identified no responsive argument from any party as to the threshold question of the commissioners’ jurisdiction to hear the present appeal,” according to the commissioners’ written decision.
Because the town votes every 10 years to keep the road closed, that vote merely maintains the status quo on the closure order and does not meet the final determination definition, the commissioners said.
“There is no decision over which the commission has jurisdiction to hear an appeal,” according to the written statement.
In other business, commissioners are giving serious consideration to hiring a county animal control officer.
Rumford Town Manager Stacy Carter spoke to commissioners about the difficulties some towns have hiring their own animal control officer. An individual who was handling those duties for at least a half-dozen municipalities stepped down earlier this year.
Carter said he met with officials from Newry, Bethel, Mexico and Dixfield to discuss options and solutions. In discussions with County Administrator Donald Durrah, Carter estimated the county could provide coverage for the northern area for $162,000. That cost would include one full-time and one part-time officer, and a vehicle.
To cover the entire county, another full-time officer would be needed, Carter said.
“There’s enough work to keep somebody busy,” Durrah said. The proposal “warrants a discussion and us looking into this,” he said later.
Commissioners were intrigued, but were not yet ready to commit themselves, saying they wanted to study the matter and consider the financial impact.
The commission recognized Constitution Week by approving a proclamation presented by the local chapter of the Daughters of the Revolution.
Sept. 17 marked the 236th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.
A forfeiture of $708 in a criminal case was accepted by commissioners. The board also approved hiring corrections officers Alexander Gallant and Bode Gray, and accepted the resignation of dispatcher Amanda Lantagne.
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