LITCHFIELD — How much manure poses a road hazard?

That’s one of the issues selectmen will discuss at their 6:30 p.m. Tuesday meeting.

Town Manager Michael Byron said it appears that a faulty mechanism on a manure wagon traveling down Plains Road is spreading a significant amount of manure on the road itself, prompting concern among town officials.

He said the board will discuss information from Seth Goodall, the town’s attorney, about whether it could constitute a hazard and make the town liable for damages in the event of a crash.

Douglas Read, chairman of the board of selectmen, said the town has numerous farms, and that manure winds up on the road both from vehicles and from animals crossing the roadway from one field to another.

“This time of the year everybody is clearing out their pits and spreading it so they can store more for the winter,” Read said, adding, “The only two times I’ve washed my truck this year were after going through deep manure.”

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Both Byron and Read said selectmen might try to contact the person transporting the load and ask to have the wagon repaired.

Also on Tuesday, the board will open sealed bids on tree-length logs — containing an estimated 16 cords of wood — that were given to the town by Central Maine Power Co. following cutting for a corridor for high tension lines.

Byron said the money received will go to the Litchfield Fuel Assistance Fund. The fund is administered by the town and provides temporary fuel assistance to residents who need help but whose income levels do not qualify them for general assistance.

The fund currently contains about $2,000, Byron said.

Bids on the logs are due by noon on Tuesday. Four sealed bids were received by the end of the week.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com


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