BUCKFIELD — Selectmen will meet Thursday, Jan. 5, to discuss the procedure for hiring an interim town manager, they decided Tuesday.

Glen Holmes resigned the manager’s position, effective Feb. 3.

After if was announced that the meeting would be closed, residents questioned whether it should  be.

Joyce Hartson pointed out that the position had not been advertised, but Holmes said it wasn’t necessary.

Selectmen Robin Buswell and Rodney Allen said they had people interested in taking the job.

In answer to questions about pay, hours and benefits, Buswell the board is looking at a ballpark figure of $200 per day with no benefits.  The interim position is for 60 to 90 days, and the board agreed they wanted someone to work with Holmes about a week before he leaves office.

In other business, engineer Mark Gray reported on his assessment of the Oxford Networks property. He gave each board member an extensive report on his findings on moving the fire station and the municipal offices to the property. The board will study the findings and meet with Gray at their next regular meeting.

One urgent need is a new roof for the property, but Gray said the town would save a lot of money over building a new fire station even if it put on a new roof on the communications building.

Judy Berg said buying the property would take the best piece of property for commercial development in the town off the market. They would also be losing taxable property in the fire station.

In other news, the board enacted a fund balance policy that states the undesignated fund balance should be above the minimum level but under the target level. The minimum level is equal to 30 days of funds based on the current year’s approved expense budget and the target level is equal to 90 days of funds based on the current year’s approved expense budget.