PERU — The Board of Selectmen unanimously voted Monday evening to table discussion on whether to purchase Jersey barriers to protect a gas tank behind the Town Office.

The board members said they are looking into the price of the barriers and expect to make a decision at their meeting next week.

Road Commissioner Joe Roach told the board that a 10-foot Jersey barrier would cost $300.

Chairman Jim Pulsifer asked Roach how many barriers they would need to block off the gas tank.

“It depends on what you want to accomplish. They’re 10 feet wide,” Roach said.

He later said the barriers come in different sizes, which would lower the price.

Selectman Laurieann Milligan asked Pulsifer whether the board had “researched any other options besides the Jersey barrier.”

“We haven’t researched anything right now,” Pulsifer said. “We’re just discussing it.”

“Were we planning on just putting barriers in front of the fuel tanks,” Milligan asked, “or did we have no plan to do anything with the generator next to the gas tank?”

Pulsifer responded, “Right now, it’s just planned for the gas tank. If you hit the generator, nothing happens. If you hit the gas tank, you’ve got a problem.”

Milligan said, “Well, if you hit the generator, it would damage it, so I think we should block off the generator and the gas tank at the same time.”

Selectman Danny Wing agreed, adding that the board needed to discuss whether they even wanted to go with Jersey barriers, and if so, how many barriers they would need.

In other business, Roach explained to the board that the town “had some real heavy rain” on Monday, which caused moderate damage to a couple of the shoulders on East Shore Road.

“There was one place where a whole lot of water and mud came into the road,” Roach said. “We were able to get it pushed out of the way. It just needs to be swept now. Everything else is put back together and safe.”

The board also unanimously voted to approve a building permit for resident Kenneth Jordan to complete a 7-by-14-foot mudroom and to build an 8-by-25-foot roof over his woodpile.

Following the board meeting, selectmen went into executive session to discuss an undisclosed legal case involving former Selectman Kathy Hussey. Following the executive session, the board voted to give the legal issue that Hussey brought before the board to the town attorney.

mdaigle@sunjournal.com