BUCKFIELD – Selectmen on Tuesday night refused to approve the appointment of Lisa Buck as rescue chief and instead extended Chief Tony Lord’s time for 60 days until they can hold interviews.
The 17-member Rescue Department held elections recently to elect officers, and Lord was replaced by Buck. She’s presently the assistant chief.
Selectman Skip Stanley said he had received as many as 20 phone calls since the election and thought it was in the best interest of the town to hold interviews. He said the board’s decision was not a reflection on either Buck or Lord.
Rescue member Chip Richardson demanded to know why selectmen wouldn’t confirm Buck. “We voted as a department for the one we wanted as chief. You can’t do this,” he said. “Why don’t you honor our decision?”
He also said Buck should have been in on the board’s executive session where the issue might have been discussed.
Town Manager Glen Holmes said selectmen discussed procedure not personnel, so they were within their rights to go into executive session.
Richardson was finally asked to be quiet and he left the room saying, “This is a joke. You guys will see.”
In other matters:
• Lisa Brackbill was appointed to replace Gerald Simpson on the Planning Board.
• Thomas Verrill was reappointed as sealer of weights and measures.
• Tom Holland was reappointed to the Road Committee.
Selectmen also approved a quit-claim deed for Emory W. and Marilyn M. Ackley for a parcel of land known as the town farm lot containing 1.3 acres for a bid of $10,001. Ackley said he was willing to donate the money to the town’s conservation fund as he felt the land, which is wetland, needed to be protected. The board voted to put $5,000 in the conservation fund and $5,001 in the general fund.
Selectmen spent considerable time comparing bids for summer roads. David Bragg and Maynard Farrar were so close on their bids that a decision was tabled until further research could be done.
The next selectmen’s meeting will be on July 17. There will be no meeting July 3.
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