FARMINGTON – Selectmen voted 3-1 Tuesday to help the Maine Mountain Heritage Network apply for a $10,000 community development block grant.

The grant would pay for a feasibility study to identify projects and possible national funders, and to start making links with those donors.

This type of grant, said Town Manager Richard Davis, requires that a municipality be involved in the application. The town would only act as a conduit for the application process and disbursement of the funds, he said, something that would require limited action by town employees.

Matching funds would be provided by Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, Eastern Maine Development Corporation and Maine Counties Heritage, said Bruce Hazard. The grant would be administered by AVCOG. Hazard outlined, for the board, a starting point in early April for the application with the feasibility study starting next fall and completion of the project in January. The strategic plan, the subject of the study, is a three- to five-year project.

Selectman John Frary asked Hazard what concrete results would show whether the study succeeded or failed and wanted more information about the project, feeling that the proposal as presented was vague.

The board passed a motion to endorse helping with the grant and left the process up to Davis and Hazard to work on a more detailed application.

The board unanimously approved appointment of fire rescue per diem personnel following discussion of the role of firefighters, their wages and hours. Calls for removal of accident debris or carbon monoxide checks would be done by the one or two per diem personnel and fire Chief Terry Bell rather than calling out the average of 11 firefighters who answer calls during day hours.

Bell told selectmen that the day firefighters would be doing all maintenance and cleaning of equipment as well as building inspections. Inspections have been hard to do with a limited amount of manpower so the town will be receiving extra service for the investment, Bell said. The firefighters will only receive an hourly wage and workers comp with no benefits and will probably be limited to 29 hours per week.

Bell and the town manager will meet monthly to review whether this is a cost saving measure and selectmen will receive monthly reports to help determine its effectiveness.

In other business, police Chief Richard Caton will be looking for a used midsize car to replace the 1996 Buick. Money will come from the police vehicles and equipment reserve account, and the trade-in of the Buick. The plain car will be used by detectives and for transportation to training.

The board also accepted a donation of two Maine granite benches from Cole Land Transportation Museum in Bangor. Pam Poisson, speaking for the American Legion and Auxiliary, would like to have the benches placed in Meetinghouse Park. The benches are engraved with “In memory of all veterans, All gave some and some gave all, and Freedom is not free.”

They were donated at no charge by the museum but need to be transported and the base work needs to be done. The town will help with the base work and Poisson said the Legion would provide transport for the benches.