CANTON — The Board of Selectmen voted 3-1 Thursday evening to adopt a “‘carry-in, carry-out” trash policy for all town properties starting June 1.

Administrative Assistant Tina Cagle said Road Foreman Paul McKenna doesn’t want to pick up trash at the town ball field on Route 140 or the Canton Lake boat launch anymore because of the amount of feces found in trash cans.

“He’s pulling out more poop, literal poop, than he is trash,” she said. “People are just dumping their diapers, dumping their dog poop, and he’s picking that up and he doesn’t want to do it anymore.”

Voting in favor of the policy were Robert Walker, Russell Adams and Carol Robbins. Brian Keene voted no and Don Hutchins was absent.

Included in the policy is the expectation that all event organizers at the ball field and other town properties will be in charge of disposing of the trash after their events, selectmen said.

Thomas Peters takes the oath of office for the Canton Planning Board at Thursday’s selectmen meeting. Rumford Falls Times photo by Marianne Hutchinson

In other business, resident Barbara Dolloff asked selectmen if the dead maple trees marked for removal on Staples Hill Road will be replaced.

Adams said he wasn’t against the idea of replanting trees, but it would depend on the cost.

Cagle said she would get estimates from local nurseries.

Selectmen chose RHR Smith & Co. of Buxton to audit town finances for $7,000 per year for three years. Walker said the company has been town auditor for several years.

A bid from Purdy Powers & Company of Portland was almost double that of Smith’s, Walker said.

The board also:

• Approved the purchase of two propane tanks, with installation included, for the sewer pump on Virgin Street;
• Approved a final payment to the state for the highway garage on Jewett Hill Road; and
• Appointed Thomas Peters, Robyn McClintock and Jackie Kilbreth to the Planning Board for one year.

mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net