RUMFORD – Due to the absence of Town Manager Len Greaney at Thursday night’s board meeting, selectmen tabled discussion items considered old business until their next meeting in two weeks.

These included the River Valley Technology Center, a Sunnyside Terrace standing water/beaver problem, mowing of steep banking in the Strathglass Park district, and problems with a Strafford Avenue road that exists only on paper.

Greaney has been out sick. Selectman Robert Cameron was also absent.

The board did have incoming Town Manager Carlo Puiia sit in on the meeting to fill Greaney’s other role as board secretary and record the minutes.

Puiia was hired by selectmen last month, but doesn’t officially take over the job until after the June 9 municipal elections. He wasn’t allowed to sit in Greaney’s chair. Instead, he sat on the edge of the board table in Cameron’s seat.

Among the municipal decisions made were setting a minimum bid of $10,000 on the fire department’s Engine No. 2 truck, which was decommissioned from the fleet last August due to serious mechanical problems.

After voting to allow Rumford fire Chief Gary Wentzell to speak (he lives in Mexico, not Rumford), Wentzell explained that he would like to sell individually, the firetruck, an old forestry service trailer, a double-axle utility trailer and a portable pump. Several old firefighting tools will also be sold.

Wentzell said a few people may already be interested in bidding on the firetruck, but it was up to selectmen to set the minimum bid.

When asked for possible bid minimums, Wentzell suggested $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000.

“Would we embarrass or discourage anyone by putting a minimum bid of $5,000 on it,” Selectman Brad Adley asked.

“To the right person, it would go for more than that,” Wentzell said. “You just have to find the right person.”

“If you don’t get any bids, you can always put it out to bid again,” Public Safety Officer and police Chief Stacy Carter said.

Both Carter and Wentzell suggested that selectmen could also try to sell it using the online auction company eBay.

Adley said he had no problem trying to sell the firetruck on eBay.

“It wouldn’t take a lot of effort,” he said.

Puiia also suggested trying to sell it through the Maine Municipal Association.

When asked by a Rumford resident, Wentzell said the department does not plan to replace Engine No. 2 with another firetruck, because they’re reducing the fleet.

Selectmen then unanimously OK’d setting a $10,000 minimum bid for the firetruck, but left selling it and the other equipment up to Wentzell using whatever method he prefers.

In other business, at about 7:40 p.m., DiConzo motioned to allow Puiia to sit in on the first of four scheduled executive sessions due to Greaney’s absence. It was unanimously OK’d.

The first closed-door session was convened to discuss a Community Development Block Grant request and not a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant as was stated on the agenda. DiConzo said that was an error.

The other three sessions involve real estate matters.