LIVERMORE FALLS — Selectmen approved a request to close the town office on Tuesday, Jan. 25, during a school consolidation referendum.

Interim Town Manager Kristal Flagg told the board Monday night that the three-member staff will be reduced to two on that day due to one employee scheduled to be away.

Flagg and Registrar of Voters Dawn Young will be working the polls at the town office and unable to also provide town office service, she said.

In another matter, fire Chief Gerry Pineau asked how selectmen wanted him to put together a budget for 2011-12. It will be his first budget for the town since he was hired earlier this year.

Pineau said he noticed that there is no capital improvement line in the current budget and wanted to know how they wanted him to handle that.

The department needs to plan for the future, he said, which includes putting away money for new turnout gear that could cost $300,000 if 36 sets needed to be replaced in one year. The department had received a grant several years ago to buy new gear such as jackets, pants, hoods and boots that are treated to make them fire retardant.

Pineau suggested a budget line be created to replace three sets of gear each year.

Selectman Louise Chabot said a line could be created but the money would need to be spent in that budget.

For long-term purchases, a capital improvement account would be needed, she said.

Selectmen directed him to make a regular operating budget and then put below it capital improvement requests.

Budget and capital improvement requests were reduced last year due to budget constraints.

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