Old South Road’s east fork won’t be regraded this winter because Aquinnah has learned that the town doesn’t own its oldest street.

Brush clearing prior to regrading the unpaved ancient way was halted after selectmen learned that the town never has formally accepted the road, selectman and board chairman Camille Rose told several somewhat perplexed residents at the board’s Nov. 26 meeting.

Residents had come to the meeting to ask why the work had ceased, leaving clumps of cut brush on the rutted and potholed road.

“Since we never formally accepted the road, we can’t spend public funds to work on it,” Ms. Rose said apologetically.

She added: “I feel badly. I really wanted to get the work done before winter.”

Formal acceptance of the road will be presented to a special town meeting in February, Ms. Rose said.

Old South Road was the principal byway of the town dating from European settlement; its name dates to 1870. Today, the east fork is home to both tribal and non-tribal families as well as the site of several homes used for affordable housing.

Fire chief Walter Delaney stopped the brush clearing, which Ms. Rose said had begun without the knowledge of Deca construction president James Glavin. Aquinnah had awarded a $15,000 contract for road work, but the contract was not signed because of the road ownership issue. Now residents will have to pay for the cost of the brush cleanup.

The South Road bump was one of several feisty moments at the selectmen’s meeting.

At one point, a heated exchange flared up between Roxanne (Johnny) Ackerman and Ms. Rose over bids to refurbish the town hall kitchen were being opened. Then a question surfaced about whether the winning bidder, John Walsh, had a conflict of interest because he is also a member of the finance committee.

Ms. Ackerman, a member of the kitchen advisory committee, contended that bid awarding was premature since public comment on the work had not been heard. Ms. Rose contended that the work awarded this week to Mr. Walsh for $22,500 was simply to make the kitchen space usable this winter and that the advisory committee’s work would be discussed during the second finish phase of the project.

Both Ms. Rose and selectman James Newman said Mr. Walsh is not in conflict because he was designated as a special employee. Mr. Newman said he would also check with town counsel on the matter.

In other action, selectmen:

• Voted to open the bay scallop season on Nov. 29 for licensed residents.

• Received approval from the state Department of Revenue to send estimated third-quarter real estate tax bills.

• Awarded a bid for electrical work at town hall to Gary J. Haley for $4,450.

• Awarded a bid for snow plowing to Carl Widdiss at $425 per event.

The board also set 10-day deadline to sign a memorandum of understanding among the three up-Island towns to begin work on a distributed antennae system intended to improve cell phone service, and began the process of advertising for sale a 3.6-acre landlocked lot near Clay Road to abutters. Selectmen said the land is unusable except by abutters.