The land will add an estimated eight parking spaces to the business

RUMFORD – Selectmen and Dunkin’ Donuts franchise owner Charles Labay came to an agreement after a closed session Thursday night to sell a portion of the parking lot on Congress Street.

Town Manager Stephen Eldridge said Labay agreed to buy an approximately .06-acre section of the town parking lot next to the doughnut shop for $22,500.

Selectmen unanimously approved the sale.

The land will add an estimated eight parking spaces to the business, Eldridge said.

The deal is expected to be closed sometime early next month.

Also on Thursday, after a second closed session, the board upheld a denial of a grievance by Eldridge and Public Works Director Andy Russell.

Eldridge said a public works employee had taken issue with a recent promotion within the department, saying that he should have received it because he has seniority.

Eldridge said seniority was not the only factor in the promotion.

In other business, Eldridge said a tentative date for a special town meeting will likely be changed because the warrant could not be prepared in time.

As it stands now, a special town meeting for residents to decide whether to approve spending up to $830,000 to make code and life and safety modifications to the Municipal Building will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 22 in Muskie Auditorium at Mountain Valley High School.

Voters will also decide whether they want to fund the repairs and renovations through a five-year loan from the Maine bond bank.

Also on Thursday, selectmen:

• approved acceptance of about $2,900 in cash and a 1997 GMC pickup truck seized by the Rumford Police Department during the last round of drug busts;

• awarded the contract for new carpeting in the courtroom in the Municipal Building to Sherwin Williams of Rumford at a cost of $4,597; and

• granted liquor licenses, entertainment permits or victualers’ licenses to the Rumford Lodge of Elks, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, King Wok restaurant, and China Town restaurant providing they meet plans of correction approved by Rumford Fire Chief John Woulfe.