RUMFORD – A public hearing on an application for a $250,000 housing assistance grant will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, prior to the 7 p.m. selectmen meeting.

The grant money will be used to help landlords with restoring rental properties to comply with fire and other safety standards.

It will also be used to help low- to moderate-income (under $39,000 for a four-person family) building owners in Strathglass Park repair crumbling masonry on the historic brick duplexes.

Because it’s a federal grant, Rumford must provide a local match of $25,000.

Following the hearing, selectmen are scheduled to vote to approve a resolution regarding the housing grant.

Then, selectmen will seek backing by taxpayers when they hit the polls Thursday, Jan. 15, regarding both the housing grant and electing regional school union board members.

Town Manager Len Greaney said during the hearing or selectmen’s meeting, officials expect to answer questions regarding why Rumford should spend taxpayer money to subsidize landlords who don’t safeguard their buildings.

Speaking of safety, Greaney said Wednesday morning that he, selectmen and public works crews will also consider setting snow-removal priorities to better safeguard children using sidewalks.

“I’ve received four complaints from citizens who are concerned about the safety of their children on our sidewalks,” Greaney said.

Since then, he said he discussed setting priorities with town crews regarding sidewalk plowing “so as not to have children walking on the streets where it’s unsafe for them.”

At Thursday night’s meeting, selectmen will weigh in on the discussion.

“This is important for me because we have to answer the safety concerns of children,” Greaney said.

Other agenda topics include continued discussion regarding providing emergency medical services for residents, approving a no parking sign for Knox Street, apartment building inspections, and an executive session regarding Public Works Superintendent Andy Russell and Russell’s attorney.

The EMS talks pertain to Selectman Mark Belanger’s anger at the board’s Dec. 18 meeting toward fire Chief Gary Wentzell regarding last month’s interview in the Rumford Falls Times.

In the article, Wentzell criticized certain town officials for misleading people through the budget process into stopping a perceived duplication of services between firefighters responding to EMS calls and Med-Care Ambulance.

On Wednesday afternoon, Greaney scheduled a meeting that day with Med-Care Executive Director Dean Milligan and two selectmen to try to negotiate having just one EMS provider.

Due to the town’s action, firefighters can no longer respond to ambulance calls. Their state license to do so expired in October. That leaves Med-Care as the sole EMS provider.

Regarding the parking sign, Greaney said, “It’s an old story that we’re bringing back to life.”

During winter, plowing the road becomes difficult when drivers park on both sides of the street. Restricting parking to one side, Greaney said, would alleviate the problem.

Inspecting apartment buildings for safety standards violations will soon resume now that officials have decided not to require landlords to install pull stations for buildings three stories above a basement.

“That puts a great big cost on landlords and slows our process of solving what we see as critical for safety,” Greaney said.

Regarding the closed-door discussion, it’s the third such meeting between selectmen, Greaney and Russell and Russell’s attorney. Although Greaney has said nothing publicly on the matter, he does expect selectmen to vote on whatever it is after the session ends.

“It’s time to say something,” Greaney said.