Dresden Selectman Dwight Keene called Monday for a public meeting on apparent understaffing at the town office.

“The people appear to be overworked. They cannot do the work in the allotted hours,” Keene said of the elected town clerk/treasurer Shirley Storkson and tax collector Ann Pierce.

“Is it possible to hire an assistant," asked Keene.

Administrative Assistant Michael Henderson said property tax foreclosure notices had not been sent out this spring. Selectman Allan Moeller Sr. said the town had not been able to collect an estimated $160,000 in unpaid back taxes. At the previous meeting, the board approved getting the online service Whitepages to track addresses of former residents. As far as Henderson was aware, none of them had been found through the service.

Moeller said voters had repeatedly shot down efforts to change the officers from elected to appointed. Former selectman Dave Probert said it might convince voters if the board said "hire" instead of "appoint." He said "appoint" might lead people to believe the board might pick a friend or relative.

Moeller and Selectman Trudy Foss said residents have difficulty getting served at the office due to limited office hours.

“There are people who can’t come in to get something,” said Moeller.

“They (the officers) don’t back up each other,” said Foss.

Henderson suggested the office might be open on fewer days but more hours on those days.

Foss said another advantage of hiring is the officers could be required to take courses. She added, the workload for excise tax payments and re-registrations have gone down due to people paying online.

Moeller suggested he, Probert and possibly others might meet to discuss solutions.

Any changes would need approval at the annual town meeting, he said.

In other business, codes officer James Valley said he drafted ordinance revisions that would clarify whether the select or planning board signs off on business permits.

“The planning board does all the work,” said Valley. Then selectmen sign the final approval, he said.

Valley drafted amendments to land use ordinances to eliminate building codes that conflict with the state’s mandated uniform codes.

“We eliminated what we cannot do and kept what we can do,” said Valley. He said the town can require certain safety-related codes under the revised ordinance.

The revisions must be approved by voters at an annual or special town meeting, said Moeller.

Representatives from Dirigo Waste Oil of Waterville presented figures to replace the transfer station’s waste oil heater.

Jason Labbe said over the 18/year life of the current heater the town had paid over $15,000 to get and maintain it. With a cost of about $7,000 for the new unit and with heating oil at $2.70, over 15 years using waste oil the town could save $13,672, he said.

Labbe said the the installation would include ways to remove water from the system. Probert said contaminated oil probably shortened the life of the current heater.

Foss reported Wiscasset Ambulance Service has no plans to stop service to Dresden.

She added she would remain the town’s health officer because it had been approved at a prior meeting. The post carries a three-year term, she said.