POLAND — The fallout from the Oct. 16 dismissal of Town Manager Rosemary Kulow dominated Tuesday’s selectmen’s meeting as residents, packing the town office conference room for a second time, berated the board for how the situation was handled.

Two weeks ago resident Arthur Berry said he was going to file a petition to recall selectmen Wendy Sanborn, Larry Moreau and Jim Fernald.

At Tuesday’s meeting Fernald read a letter from Berry that had accompanied the petition, signed by 188 residents.

Berry’s letter accused the Board of Selectmen of violating a number of provisions in the town Charter in the way the board removed Kulow and by appointing Rosemary Roy, “first as assistant town manager, then interim town manager, then giving her a five month contract as manager.”

Berry argued that because the Charter hadn’t been followed properly, Poland now had two managers.

“Rosemary Kulow was forced into absence. She is not absent of her own free will. She has not resigned; therefore, she is still the town manager,” Berry wrote.

Speaking at Tuesday’s meeting, Berry defended Kulow as a capable manager, a true professional, and someone the board should have worked with in solving whatever had gone wrong, choosing instead to micromanage and fire.

“I think it is totally wrong what you did. What did you do to help her?” Berry asked.

Responding to Berry, Sanborn defended the procedures that the board followed in dismissing Kulow, assuring Berry that the board had consulted the town’s attorney to make sure it was proceeding in accord with the Charter.

Selectmen were also challenged on whether they followed proper procedure in calling for a special town meeting to address a zoning problem that is holding up construction of a major addition to the town’s Fire/Rescue Station.

Selectmen took no action on the petition to recall three members of the board and won’t until petition signatures have been verified.

Roy acknowledged that an ad placed in the newspaper did not appear in print as soon as it should have but explained that other essential public notification measures were made in a timely fashion.

The Planning Board had (or will) take appropriate action, abuttors were properly notified, and selectmen had approved the warrant as required, Roy said.

Roy noted that fire and rescue officials would be sending out fliers explaining issues involved.

“All is set for a special town meeting on November 29,” Roy said.

Selectmen were also presented with a petition to prepare a warrant article for the April 2013 regular town meeting clarifying that, if approved, the vote to purchase the so-called Walker property obligated the selectmen to do so in a timely manner, provided all conditions are met.

Townspeople approved the matter at last April’s town meeting and, as selectmen have failed to make adequate progress toward purchasing the property, resident Sandy Knowles delivered the petition, signed by more than 200 residents, to selectmen.