WILTON – In the wake of the retirement of Police Chief James Parker, Selectmen decided Tuesday they will hold a special meeting Aug. 31 to appoint an interim chief.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the town office. Selectmen plan to meet to discuss options for hiring a new permanent police chief at their regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 7.

Parker’s last day on the job will be Sept. 7. He served as chief for 23 years. Selectmen signed a letter of appreciation to Parker. Town Manager Peter Nielsen said the goal is to appoint an interim chief that Parker can pass information on to before he leaves.

Nielsen told selectmen that the Maine Chiefs of Police Association is willing to help the town with hiring a new permanent chief. He said association President Robert Schwartz told him he is available to give officials a free initial consultation.

Nielsen said the association could help with laying out the minimum qualifications for the job, screening resumes, putting together an ad for the position, and giving ideas about the size and make-up of a review board that would make recommendations to officials. If the town decides to hire the association for consulting, it is expected to cost more than $1,000. The process would take two to three months, Nielsen said.

Officials plan to post the interim position. They expect that the temporary position will be given to an officer already on the Wilton force.

Nielsen also presented selectmen with a letter from nine citizens asking that the town study the mission of the Police Department. Selectmen Russell Black, whose name appeared on the letter, said now would be the time to look into overlap and policies of the Police Department, since citizens have been particularly concerned about costs. Officials said they will take the letter under advisement as they go through the process.

In other business, officials agreed to spend up to $10,000 from the town’s bridge replacement fund to repair the “bridge” over Bates Brook on the Pond Road. That account currently has $40,351 in it, with $10,000 of that earmarked for the eventual repair of the Goodspeed Bridge. The structure is actually two culverts with granite over it, but Nielsen said he refers to it as a bridge to get across the scope and importance of the project.

Highway foreman John Welch said the Maine Department of Transportation looked at the bridge and recommended it be repaired because the next big storm could take it out. He gave officials several options for repairing it. Selectmen agreed that the best option would be to replace the two current culverts with 7 feet of 50-inch pipe, which is expected to last about 30 years. Sloping and paving will also be included in the project.

Welch said the Highway Department expects to start the work at the beginning of October and that it will take about 30 days, with the road being closed during the project.