PARIS — The Select Board on Monday officially appointed Michael Ward as police chief and considered five applications to the Budget Committee.

Ward begins his duties Monday. He retired in 2022 as police chief for Oxford, where he resides. He has served in law enforcement for 35 years.

Lisa Palmer, Janet Jamison, Kerri Bailey, Matthew Gary and Patricia O’Brien applied to serve on the first Budget Committee since 2018. The select board tabled the matter until closer to the budget season to allow more people to apply.

The board approved an agreement with TownCloud to use its software system for its agenda, website and accounting functions. The town was previously using Trio, but the “company was sold and the system has become outdated,” according to a letter from TownCloud.

“Customers have informed us that support for the system is being withdrawn,” the letter says of Trio.

TownCloud will provide a three-year subscription, data migration, training, hosting, maintenance, and updates for a fixed cost of $45,000. An annual subscription price of $15,000 will be guaranteed for the first 10 years.

Town Clerk Elizabeth Knox praised the new system and its ease of use.

“You really can’t get any simpler than that,” she said.

The board also approved a liquor license renewal for X Vault Pub & Provisions.

No public hearing was required because the establishment has been in business for more than five years. Interim Police Chief Alan Coffin wrote in a letter that there are “no concerns or objections as there have been no reported issues at or involving the establishment.”

The Town Office will be closed Sept. 11-12 for employees to attend a two-day election class.

The Select Board will next meet at 6 p.m. Sept. 9 at the Town Office, 33 Market Square.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that the Paris Select Board did not appoint any members to the budget committee, but tabled the matter until closer to budget season to allow more people to apply. We regret the error.