RUMFORD — Following a public hearing at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 4, on the revised taxi ordinance, selectmen will learn how China is taking away paper company jobs stateside, and continue discussions on ongoing cost-savings efforts.

The hearing is the first of two scheduled to seek comment on the selectmen’s proposal, which essentially establishes time limits on criminal convictions for cabbies.

It also requires cabbies to apply for licenses annually to drive taxis and pay $20 for criminal history background checks on themselves.

The current ordinance amendment adopted two years ago and enforced for the first time in December to the surprise of owners of the town’s three cab companies — Road Hog Express, Courtesy Cab and Mountain Valley Taxi Service — lacks a statute of limitations.

It forces company shutdowns during a company’s annual license renewal application in December if cabbies have criminal convictions.

The amendment wasn’t enforced until last month when police Chief Stacy Carter received a list of drivers and learned nine of the 12 working for Road Hog and Courtesy Cab had criminal convictions dating back to 1968.

That meant they could no longer drive cabs in Rumford according to the ordinance, which makes taxi company owners ensure that their drivers have no felony convictions or more than three misdemeanor convictions related to driving.

Cabbies from Mountain Valley Taxi Service didn’t have any convictions restricted by the ordinance, Carter said.

Neither Carter or selectmen, who OK’d renewals for all three companies before sending the applications to Carter for background checks, want to close the companies and put people out of work.

So, on Jan. 7, selectmen voted 4-0, granting local cab companies a 30-day reprieve from the ordinance, enabling creation of a new amendment.

The second public hearing will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, after which a special town meeting will be held to vote on the amendment.

After the first hearing in Rumford Falls Auditorium, selectmen will meet at 7 p.m.

Agenda items include approving a citizen budget survey seeking public input on the budget, a presentation by Daniel Lawson of Alliance for American Manufacturing, and approving vision insurance for employees and possible nonunion employee wage increases.

Selectmen are also being asked to approve the pending criminal forfeiture transfer of 10 seized firearms to Rumford police, the town fuel bid, appointments to the Park and Recreation Commission, and Black Mountain Ski Resort’s request for $1,000 from the town toward its second annual Winter Fest weekend on Feb. 27 and 28.

Town Manager Carlo Puiia said Wednesday afternoon that Lawson will reveal the effect of unfair foreign dumping of paper products and how that affects communities like Rumford.

“China has been dumping coated paper into the market, which takes away jobs at our facilities like NewPage,” Puiia said.

“Mr. Lawson will be raising awareness of the issue and asking people to contact their local legislators.”

Puiia said the new offering of vision insurance will be paid for by employees who want it, at no cost to the town.

But the wages discussion involves municipal, parks and library department heads seeking direction from selectmen prior to drafting their 2010-11 budgets, he said.

Last year, selectmen didn’t allow any wage increases.

Two executive sessions are also on the agenda. Both involve ongoing labor negotiations with fire and police unions, Puiia said.

Both unions and the Public Works union have all been working off their previous contracts since June 2009.

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