PARIS — Tensions rose at the Sept. 23 Paris Board of Selectmen’s meeting, culminating in a back-and-forth exchange between the board and residents on Monday night.

The opportunity for residents to address the agenda items, from weighing the cost of placing the Special Amusement Ordinance on November’s regional ballot, to safety of the Paris Town Office’s parking lot fence, began as a substantive redress of prior decisions.

But then, for a few moments, terse back-and-forth dialogue between the audience and board members took the spotlight, sidetracking the meeting as residents’ comments took on a personal tone.

The hostility began when the Extended Sick Leave Policy, an item Paris resident Janet Jamison requested to place on the agenda, came up for discussion. Among the public visitors, Jamison questioned the creation of the policy, believing the board had overstepped its bounds by amending the policy.

“Why, oh why, would you sit at that front table and make policy on the fly — as it is — when you have a policy and procedures committee which is staffed with competent, intelligent, reliable people who have the time and ability to look in to this?” Jamison asked.

“It just doesn’t seem like a very effective way to do business,” she continued.

Chairman Robert Kirchherr responded directly to Jamison.

“Well I will remind you Janet,” pausing to add emphasis on her name, “that we selectmen did not vote. Three voted in favor of it (the Extended Sick Leave Policy), but two did not,” Kirchherr said. “So when you say ‘you selectmen passed a policy’ that is not accurate.”

“Okay, then let’s back up,” Jamison responded. “Why are you, as Chair, not saying, ‘Wait a minute, we have a Policy and Procedures Committee, that’s fully capable looking into this for us’ instead of getting exciting and saying, ‘we’ve got to get this done’?”

Kirchherr, looking around the room, asked, “Are there any other comments?”

Jamison asked if Kirchherr would respond to her comments with Kirchherr responding that he didn’t believe that a question had been asked. Patiently angry, Jamison asked, “Why aren’t policies being run through Policies and Procedures?”

At the suggestion that the issue could be discussed with the entire board, Jamison retorted sarcastically, “Oh, that would be lovely.”

Board members took the opportunity to express regret and frustration with the proceeding’s tone.

“I 100 percent whole-heartily disagree with the tone and presentation,” Selectman Robert Wessels began, “but I agree with her (Jamison) that we could take a look at this. I think it’s a great idea.”

Another selectment echoed Wessels’ sentiments.

“I object to the tone of the comments. I think we need to pay attention to that. We’re welcome to hear any polite, thoughtful comments, concerns, or disagreements, but snide remarks and those nasty comments are over the top, unnecessary and we’ve had enough,” Selectman Samuel Elliot said. “Or at least I have,” he added after a pause.

Selectman Gerald Kilgore acknowledge that the no one, including the board, is infallible.

“We all sit here and try to do our best. We don’t want to sit here and make mistakes, but you tell me which one of you people sitting in the audience has never made a mistake,” Kilgore said.

A silenced followed, and Kilgore continued.

“I don’t see any hands going up. I bet you a lot of you have made mistakes in the past, and we try to rectify our mistakes and do the best we can with what we have to work with,” he ended.

Following no further debate, the board voted to send the Extended Sick Leave Policy to the Policy and Procedures Committee.

Unknowingly, Kathy Richardson, Town of Paris Policy and Procedures board member, had foreshadowed the controversy earlier in the meeting.

“This is a democratic process and it is messy. This is home rule. We are the people of Paris and one of the things we are allowed to do is take part in our government,” Richardson said.

She wasn’t finished there.

“That’s [arguing] what makes this town crawl along, or drag along, or leap along, or fall in a hole and we have to pull it out because we all have to work together, Richardson said. “We’re all different.”