BUCKFIELD — The Select Board on Tuesday approved contracts to provide rescue and fire department services to neighboring Hartford and Sumner.

The contracts will be sent to the respective towns for their approval and signatures.

The major change is that the agreements for fire service will be set for three years instead of one. The rescue contract remains at three years.

The charge for service is based on each person living in the service area. Rescue service will begin at $18 per capita and increase $1 per year. Fire department service will be set at $77.70 per capita for the first year and increase just over $10 a year in years two and three.

In other business, Town Manager Lorna Nichols said the town is near an agreement with Dana and Seri Lowell concerning an easement for a gravel road on their property that leads to a parking lot for the ball fields on Cross Road. The Lowells use the road to access their farmland and have allowed the town access, but requested to be free from any liability for damage or injury.

Nichols and some selectmen walked the property May 12. It was decided the best course would be for the town to purchase the road and give the Lowells an easement to reach their farm fields. The Lowells’ asking price is for enough to cover their legal fees. The purchase needs voter approval and will be included in the warrant at the August town meeting.

With a nonfunctioning Planning Board after three resignations in the past two weeks, the Select Board appointed Kyle McCafferty and Erin Hinkley to the board for one year each and Jennifer Lowell for three years.

Selectmen also accepted the resignation of Planning Board member Joan Abrams, leaving Glen Holmes  to serve with the three appointees.

The Select Board reviewed a draft for a request for proposals for a full property revaluation, which has not been done since the late 1970s. Members agreed to send the draft to its attorney for review.

No action was taken on a request by the Rescue Department to change one of its paid holidays from the Friday after Thanksgiving to Easter. The board felt all employees should be treated equally and having such a policy could create chaos. The vacation day policy was left unchanged.

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