LISBON — When the Town Council meets in December, townspeople will have a chance to speak informally with councilors for about half an hour before the formal meeting begins.

“These open sessions, prior to our meetings, will be an open forum to broaden our communications,” Council Chairman Fern Larochelle said Tuesday night.

The new format was proposed by Councilor Gina Martin, he said.

“After the new council comes on board, we’ll start small, probably a half hour or so, to just sit around and talk,” Larochelle said.

“I think this is a great idea,” he said, and thanked Martin for proposing it.

Councilors Mike Bowie and Lori Pomelow are not running for re-election. There are four candidates for the two vacancies: Gregg Garrison and Eric Metivier for the at-large seat; and Dillon Pesce and Tyler Golletti for the District 2 seat.

New councilors will be sworn in Dec. 4, the first time the new council will meet. Although the council normally meets the first and third Tuesday, they will not meet on Nov. 6 because it’s Election Day. The current council’s last meeting will be Nov. 20.

In other business, the council:

* Agreed to get legal advice on how to implement a one-time use of a snowmobile trail for an ATV trail ride. Councilor Roger Bickford asked the council to consider the event, which is a charity fundraiser for children. Councilors generally supported the idea but expressed concern about how to do it because a town ordinance disallows any motorized vehicles, except snowmobiles, on town trails.

* Held a public hearing and subsequently approved a victualer’s license for Billy Harris who plans to open X-tra Mart, a takeout and catering business in Lisbon Falls.

* Reviewed a draft of the budget schedule for the 2012-13 budget.

* Heard reports from Mark Stevens on the Recreation Department and from Verla Brooks on the Parks Department.

* Thanked departing Councilor Mike Bowie for the time and work he has put into serving the town.

Pomelow did not attend the meeting.

The last item on the agenda was a vote to go into executive session to discuss a personnel matter.