RUMFORD – Selectmen tabled action on a request by the Moontide Water Festival Committee to put three food vendors at the information center parking lot. The board will wait until local merchants have their say.

Festival Chairman Matt Plante said the committee wants to oversee three vendors from mid-April through mid-October. For each vendor, the committee would collect $400 per month, which would go toward the cost of fireworks and other events during the July 4 celebration. The committee would pay for any electricity used by the vendors.

He estimated the committee could clear about $5,000.

However, several on the board objected to the plan because vendors don’t pay property taxes and downtown businesses do.

“We’ve got businesses in town trying to make a living and paying taxes. How are merchants going to react?” Selectman Jim Rinaldo asked.

Plante said his committee mailed out requests for support to nearly 500 businesses and received only 18 replies.

“This committee wants to bring bigger and better things to the area,” Plante said.

Area businesspeople attending the board meeting also objected.

“As a business person, I don’t think it’s right,” said Henry Zinck.

Others also objected to the use of town property by vendors.

“I pay money to get my name out there,” said Andy Cormier, owner of the Penalty Box, a restaurant in the downtown.

Selectman Jolene Lovejoy had been opposed to the idea, but said she has changed her mind.

“We have tour buses that stop there and there’s lots for them to look at but nothing to make any money on,” she said.

Selectman Jim Peterson thinks having vendors at the information center parking lot would be a good idea, too. But, he thinks six months is a little drastic.

“Maybe something a little shorter,” he suggested.

Board Chairman Jim Thibodeau said selectmen will make a decision after hearing from other businesspeople at the Oct. 7 meeting.

Directional signs

RUMFORD – Selectmen are looking for input from residents on where to place about seven directional signs that could point visitors to the town’s two major business districts on Congress and Waldo streets.

Selectman Jim Rinaldo, who originally proposed the idea of erecting additional directional signs, suggested several locations, including the library area along Rumford Avenue, Lincoln Avenue and Franklin Street.

Requests were also made to remove some of the trees along Franklin Street and Rumford Avenue that block the view onto the downtown Rumford area.

Town Manager Robert Welch was asked to check with the Department of Environmental Protection to learn which trees could be removed. The trees line a portion of the Androscoggin River.