Alberton school board members squared off with Alberton town council members at Thursday’s board meeting to figure out who should receive old playground equipment, since it was discovered recently both parties thought the equipment was theirs.

It seems miscommunication between the two entities caused a lot of confusion over who was to receive the old playground equipment from Alberton School.

New playground equipment was installed on June 25. The old equipment consisted of basketball hoops, a tether ball set, a slide and swing set. Joe Hanson, who serves on the town council, removed the swing set and slide on Friday, the day before the new equipment was to be installed. He did not have time to remove the tetherball set, which was destroyed, nor the basketball hoops, which are currently unaccounted for.

Hanson said that he was told to come and get it by Friday, or the contractor would dispose of it.

“I didn’t want to see it destroyed,” he said.

The conflict arose over which entity owned the equipment and what was going to be done with it. Town Councilman Richard Hader said that it was discussed a number of times—and he thought the matter was settled—to donate it to the town and was under the impression that it belonged to the town. Once the town voted to accept it, “it’s our business what we do with it, nor yours,” he told the board.

Alberton board chairman, Andy Knapp, said he didn’t think the school board had ever officially voted on giving it to the town.

“We had the impression that the town didn’t want it,” Knapp said.

Currently, the equipment is at the Alberton residents of Ray and Jen Fredette.

The July 5, Town Council meeting minutes state, ”Andy Knapp from the school board was at the meeting to discuss the donated playground equipment. The playground equipment had been given to the town to put in the town’s park…Jen Zimmerman stated that if the town did not want the equipment then the school wanted it back as they are not allowed to give anything to private parties. It would have to go out for bid… At this time John (Bigart) made a motion, seconded by Rich (Hader), to put the equipment out for sealed bid. John, Rich voted yes, Joe abstained, Jaime voted no.”

During the school board meeting, Knapp said the status was unclear.

“At the town meeting, I thought we (the school) had ownership of it, and it was not officially voted on. Is the town still interested in taking it and putting it up (in the town’s park)?” asked Knapp.

“No, I’m not interested, but I can’t speak for the rest of the council, that’s just my personal opinion,” Hader replied.

Hanson also said he wasn’t interested in taking the equipment.

Councilman, John Bigart III, pointed out that a previous Facebook post stated “that the Town had until Thursday (before the new equipment was installed) to get it before it is hauled to the dump.” He also commented about other derogatory remarks that had been made on Facebook by a school board member directed toward the town council.

“I have never seen such unprofessional behavior, and how unethically minded this has been handled,” he said.

Knapp said that the town doesn’t have much to offer the kids and this would have been a good opportunity and he wanted it to go to the town park, “communication was very poor and assumptions were made on both sides.”