RUMFORD - Plans are moving ahead toward construction of a new Med-Care Ambulance Service facility as each of the 11 member towns vote on whether to approve a new 10-year local agreement.

So far, five towns - Carthage, Canton, Peru, Newry and Roxbury - have approved the new agreement, while one - Andover - has not, and five have yet to decide. Those towns are Byron, Hanover, Mexico, Dixfield and Rumford, Med-Care board Chairman Steve Brown said Wednesday at the board's meeting.

Decisions by the five towns that have not yet voted are expected to be made later this month and early in June.

Several Andover residents, including three selectmen, attended the board meeting to ask for several amendments to the proposed agreement, and to request a proposal for supplying ambulance service to their town.

Because a majority of voters in the town had voted not to renew the interlocal agreement at their annual March town meeting, Andover is now looking for the best deal to provide service.

A special town meeting will be held in Andover in a couple of weeks to decide what steps to take. The town has asked for proposals from other ambulance services as well.

The Med-Care board overwhelmingly voted to offer Andover the same agreement that other towns in the regional organization will receive. Only Elaine Morton, Andover's representative to the Med-Care board, abstained. No one voted against the proposal.

At issue is the increased costs from each member town needed to pay for the new facility.

Andover Selectman Susan Merrow, in her presentation to the Med-Care board where she suggested several possible amendments, included a request for member-town residents to vote on any capital cost over $250,000.

Several Rumford selectmen have suggested a similar request at past meetings.

However, the Med-Care board is considered a quasi-governmental board with members appointed by member towns who can make such decisions.

The proposed building, including the land and a contingency fund, is estimated to cost about $2 million.

The Med-Care board and Med-Care administrators have proposed that the organization finance the construction through a low-interest loan from the United States Department of Agriculture over a 30-year period.

Brown said that most capital projects have been paid off sooner than the length of the loan.

Merrow was told that since the current, 10-year interlocal agreement expires on June 7, insufficient time is available to try to make any amendments to the agreement.