OXFORD — Interim Town Manager Becky Lippincott told selectmen Thursday night that she is ready to put together a hiring committee for a new fire chief.

Acting Fire Chief David Heidrich has indicated he is not interested in the position. He became chief when former Chief Wayne Jones unexpectedly resigned, effective Dec. 31.

“I have contacted five members of the community to sit on the hiring committee,” Lippincott said.

Committee members include Heidrich; Jay Goforth, a former selectmen and member of the Fire Department; Selectman Scott Hunter, former Oxford fire chief , a battalion chief for the Auburn Fire Department and interim fire chief in the town of Paris; Selectman Pete Laverdiere; and Oxford Police Lt. Mike Ward.

“They know all about firefighting,” Lippincott said. “It’s an extremely important position for the town. I’m expecting to have better success this time,” she said.

Jones submitted his letter of resignation Dec. 6 in a one-line memo to his department members after he was handed a letter of no-confidence signed by an unknown number of Fire Department members. Jones had served as chief since June 2015.

In other business Thursday, Lippincott noted the opening of the Hampton Inn, which is now contributing to the town’s new sewer system, and the reopening of Oxford Meadow elderly housing complex, which had been closed for seven months after a fire killed on resident and displaced 40 others.

Samantha Hewey, the town’s health officer, has resigned. Lippincott said the position will be combined with the code enforcement officer.

Lippincott also noted that she will start monthly meetings with department heads.

“We’re going to start working together as a team,” she said.

The board also voted to give a junkyard permit to Oxford Auto Salvage, appointed ballot clerks and appointed Town Clerk Elizabeth Olsen as registrar of voters.

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