MINOT – Selectmen Monday night stood five square behind a motion calling on Androscoggin County commissioners to establish a panel to draw up a county charter.

In addition to signing their names to a petition calling for a charter, selectmen supported a letter calling upon commissioners to implement a list of steps they can take to immediately improve communications between county government and its towns.

The suggestions were contained in an open letter, intended for signing by municipal leaders in Androscoggin County, which Selectman Steve French read to the board.

While most of the suggestions – e-mailing copies of agendas for county commission meetings to town officials, meeting evenings rather than during the day, providing for public comment at commission meetings, televising the meetings – are intended to foster greater transparency of government, some suggestions call for more structural changes:

• Hire a county manager.

• Make the county treasurer an appointed rather than an elected position.

• Give department heads the power to hire subordinates.

French said the petition and letter were the product of a series of meetings that began in August when Auburn City Councilor Ronald Potvin approached Minot selectmen to discuss shared grievances with county government’s lack of accountability, which has since expanded to include other towns.

In other business, selectmen approved placing four capital improvement projects on the Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments’ list of future development needs: Complete development of Minot Community Park, $335,000; a salt and sand facility, $250,000; an addition to the highway department garage, $60,000; and fire and rescue improvements, $850,000.

Selectmen also awarded the bid for cutting, stumping, chipping and clearing 3 acres of the 16-acre addition to the Center Minot Hill Cemetery to Glen Luce Logging of Turner at a bid price of $3,300.

Road Manager Arlan Saunders told selectmen it appeared the town would be eligible to receive about $59,000 from FEMA and nearly $12,000 from the state as reimbursement for expenses dealing with December’s ice and snowstorms.

Selectmen announced the award of scholarships from the Arthur Harris Fund to Victoria Hricko, Dylan Michaud and Stephanie Wallingford; from the Roland and Noella Hemond Fund to Brianna Pratte; and from the Leonard Simion and Elsa Simion Fortin Fund to Gregory Campbell and Erica Carver.

The Town Office will close at noon on Friday, Jan. 30, so staff can close out the books on the town’s fiscal year, which runs February to January.