Roxbury selectmen authorize bottle-donation box and move to seek phone-line fix for firehouse alarms

Roxbury — The Board of Selectmen voted Sept. 26 to allow the fire department to place a bottle-donation box next to the firehouse as a fundraiser and to pursue a technical fix after the department reported daily false alarm activations. The board also approved asking a local contractor to inspect a problematic roof corner at the town building.

The fire chief told the board the firehouse alarm is connected to the town’s phone line and “whenever the phone line is down it goes off,” prompting frequent calls to the department. The board agreed to send a letter to Consolidated Communications describing the phone issue and its effects on emergency services.

Selectmen also approved the donation box proposal so the department can raise funds for equipment or operations. The board instructed the fire department to check culverts and flush any that require it and noted that mud on Horseshoe Valley Road from nearby windtower work should be cleared by the fire chief before winter or sooner if complaints come in.

Separately, Selectman Timothy Derouche moved that the board contact “Charlie” to ask whether his crew can inspect and repair the corner where two roofs connect at the town building; the motion passed 3-0. The board did not record a dollar amount for the repair at the meeting.

The board did not provide a timeline for Consolidated Communications’ response or for the roof repair. The next Selectmen meeting is scheduled for Oct. 10 at 6 p.m.