RUMFORD — Selectmen on Thursday approved a contract between the Park and Recreation Department and Western Foothills Regional School Unit No. 10 for Hosmer Field.

The contract gives the town ownership of all concession stand equipment, while RSU 10 reserves the right to use the stand and its equipment at all RSU 10 activities.

The decision followed a discussion about a clause on the Snack Shack concession stand that would give the town full ownership of it and its equipment. However, Park and Recreation Superintendent Mike Mills said later in the meeting that town owns the building and land its on.

Park Commission Chairman Dan Richard wanted ownership of the building resolved and to establish a user fee to protect the town from liability should some organization using it break equipment or fail to adequately sterilize cooking equipment.

“Nothing will change in the way it’s used,” he said.

Selectman Mark Belanger wanted to know the benefits of the town taking over the Snack Shack or what would happen if it didn’t.

Richard said should anything adverse happen there, the liability would be on the town if the town approved the contract with the clause about the town taking ownership of the shack’s equipment staying in the contract. He said any money coming in from use of the concession stand would go into the general fund. Instead, he asked that it go to the Park Department which would be maintaining it.

The conversation then shifted to costs associated with striping the athletic field, electrical costs for lights and other things.

Richard attempted to steer discussion back to a fee for use of the Snack Shack to hold someone accountable “if someone messes up,” rather than have the onus fall on taxpayers.

“There is nothing stated about who pays for that and that’s all I’m trying to accomplish,” Richard said.

Selectman Greg Buccina agreed that there ought to be a rental fee to use the building.

Resident Bill Porter, still believing the school owned the building, said he couldn’t understand why the school unit would give up ownership of it when its students have ran it properly and used proceeds to benefit school projects.

“As soon as the town takes it over, you lose that,” he said. “Do you realize that’s the only building that hasn’t been vandalized down there? It’s because the kids own that and now we’re going to fix something that ain’t broke?”

“For 25 years, the senior class has sold food there, and the Parks Department is not going to go down there during a football game and say they can’t make hamburgers. That building is the town’s property, so there’s no need of some stupid, silly contract going to this extent,” Park and Recreation Superintendent Mills said.

“If the school is willing to make this change, then I think it’s logical,” Selectman Jeff Sterling said.

“We do not want to take anything away from the kids,” Richard reiterated. “We’re just looking for other identities who use the building to do the same as the senior class” in cleaning equipment and the building after use.

Town Manager Carlo Puiia said the town owns the building and it was constructed with money from senior class funds.

After more discussion, selectmen OK’d the contract 5-0. It wasn’t clear what happened with Richard’s request to establish a usage fee.

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