NEW GLOUCESTER – Selectmen on Monday voted 3-2 against a plan to pay daytime firefighters and administrative officers because not all volunteers were included.

Fire Chief Gary Sacco recommended spending $46,000 to pay 13 administrative officers in the New Gloucester Fire and Rescue Department and two daytime workers who share a full-time firefighter position.

The plan for 2004-05 called for Sacco to get an annual stipend of $5,000, two deputy fire chiefs and a rescue chief $2,000 each, four fire and rescue captains $1,500 each, five rescue and fire lieutenants $1,000 each, and two daytime firefighters who share a single job $11,960 each.

Selectmen were told this was the first phase of a compensation plan to pay volunteers starting this year with the officers and including other volunteers in another budget year.

Voters more than a year ago approved a fire department restructuring plan by passing a fire and rescue department ordinance that abolished the town’s fire association that had governed the town since 1928 when it was created. The ordinance allows compensating volunteers when funds are available but was prohibited before.

“I’m confused,” said Selectman Lenora Conger, who voted against the proposal. She said she thought the proposal would have involved all the volunteers in some way.

“That plan is yet to come in the next year’s budget,” Sacco said.

Selectmen say they want to see the entire plan for compensating the department before they act on any plan.

Selectman Steve Chandler said the town is growing rapidly.

“At some time in the future we will be at another place than where we are now. Growth will not reverse,” he said.

Compensation for volunteers has been a hot topic for several years. The plan is expected to include training, mileage and on-call time in a stipend payment.

Chairman of the board Steve Libby said he recalled a past budget estimate of roughly $100,000 annually to compensate the volunteers.

New Gloucester relies on roughly 35 volunteers to provide fire protection and first responder rescue service. No ambulance transportation is provided by the town.

Town Manager Rosemary Kulow will draft another plan with a complete package to pay all volunteers. In other business, efforts to restructure the town’s Conservation Commission is under review.

Abigail Lumsden, who has spearheaded the campaign to restructure and revive the town’s dormant Conservation Commission by melding it with the Water Resource and Forest Committees, said the plan would include a group of townspeople with expertise to help specific projects as needed.

Selectmen took no action but agreed to consider forming the ad hoc committee in the near future.