Residents urge action on tire-strewn properties; town says state oversight, limited authority

Two residents raised concerns about properties in town where tires and other debris have accumulated.

Cindy Young and Richard Knight spoke to the board about a property at the bottom of Underpass Road and another at 5121 US Route 5 that have numerous tires and other items on the land. According to the minutes, Richard Knight said he called the state and was told the state has only five employees who handle such pollution complaints; he said the town legally cannot enter private property to perform cleanup and that the town could not afford to do such cleanup itself.

The minutes record the complaint and the resident’s description of state capacity, but no action, referral or enforcement step by the board is recorded in the minutes; the matter therefore remains unresolved in the record.