FARMINGTON – Selectmen worked through an 18-item agenda Tuesday, including awarding a bid for replacement of a vehicle used by the police department.

The 1996 Buick is used by detectives and as transportation for training but not for patrols, police Chief Richard Caton said. He had sought bids on a used car to replace the Buick.

Hight Chevrolet was awarded the contract for a 2006 Chevy Impala for $11,900. The car’s warranty is in effect until June 2009 or up to 36,000 miles.

Caton had received four bids from two local dealers. Hight Chevrolet had submitted two other bids and Farmington Ford submitted a bid for a 2005 Ford Taurus.

Bobbie Hanstein, chairwoman of the Conservation Commission, reported to the board that the commission will continue its work on plantings and also plant a tree this summer in the West Farmington traffic island. Members also will replace a couple of lilacs planted in the downtown area. One planting was vandalized and one was hit by a snowplow.

The commission will also hold some public workshops this year, she said.

Selectmen voted 4-0 with one abstention to amend the employee classifications to add a category of per diem employee.

The fire department has eight firefighters who have scheduled time on a per diem basis to work during the day at the fire station. Only two are on duty at a time and the eight take turns to complete no more than 40 hours per week. There are no extra benefits with the positions and because they are per diem, they’re not considered additional employees.

In other business, Byron Davis requested that the board allow his revolving loan with the town be subordinated to another loan that he is taking from a local bank.

The town, Town Manager Richard Davis said, has a revolving loan fund that small businesses can use to expand their businesses.

Davis had borrowed $25,000 to work on his property on Fairbanks Road at the site of the former Maine Dowel Company. The loan is down to $22,000 and the property was recently appraised for $500,000.

Selectman John Frary said the appraised amount would cover the loan and suggested that the board authorize the town manager to grant Davis his request in order for him to continue with the bank loan.

The board also approved hiring Derek Hutchinson as summer staff for the Parks and Recreation Department. His work will include maintenance at Hippach Field and coaching baseball.

The board’s April 24 meeting was canceled so that members could attend a Grow Smart Maine Brookings Report regional town meeting scheduled to take place in Farmington that night. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. in North Dining Hall of Olsen Student Center at the University of Maine at Farmington.

Brookings addresses the state’s issues and how to deal with them, Davis said. Meetings are being held to receive public input.