LIVERMORE FALLS – Selectmen accepted with regret the resignation of Selectman Russell Flagg on Monday night. Flagg has been on the board since early 2004.

He is pursuing new business options in Jackman.

The board also outlined items to go on a special town meeting warrant early next year with the vote to be taken by Australian ballot, also known as a referendum vote at the polls, Town Manager Martin Puckett said Tuesday.

The special town meeting was set tentatively for Jan. 2 but on referendum votes it is required to have absentee ballots available for 30 days prior to the vote and that time frame won’t work.

Puckett said he was getting information on the earliest date possible to hold the referendum and will report back to the board on Monday, Dec. 18.

The town can also do a shorter time frame for nomination papers for candidates to appear on the referendum at the special town meeting to avoid holding a second referendum to fill the vacant selectman’s position.

Flagg’s resignation was effective Monday night, Puckett said.

Flagg’s wife, Town Clerk/Treasurer Kristal Flagg said Tuesday that her husband has bought a second logging and excavation company in the Jackman area that he and their sons are operating as well as their existing logging business.

Kristal Flagg said she will remain living at the family’ home in Livermore Falls for now.

The vote to accept Russell Flagg’s resignation was not unanimous, Puckett said. Selectman Michael Collins was opposed, he said.

The items expected to face voters at the special town meeting are approving a local match of $9,900 to get grant funds of $188,100 to buy a new tanker truck, appropriate about $9,000 in additional funds to cover solid waste budget for tipping fees, a citizen’s initiative of a recall of elected officials ordinance except school board, and deciding whether the town clerk’s position should go from elected to an appointed position.

Another item that was expected to go before voters, if the referendum was held on Jan. 2, was determining what amount voters want to bid on a used Farmington Fire Rescue ladder truck, if it is more than $100,000. Voters approved spending $100,000 at the town meeting in June for the truck but Farmington later put it out to bid starting at $100,000 with bids due Jan. 5. The Livermore Falls Budget Committee is working on a recommendation for the truck, Puckett said.

Money for $9,900 in local match for the grant and about $9,000 for solid waste budget would have to come out of the undesignated fund, formerly known as surplus, Puckett said.

The town has about $600,000 in that account, he said.

In other matters, the board also voted to buy a used F550 pickup truck with a dump body on it for plowing, Puckett said. The truck cost $32,289 from Bailey Bros. dealership in Livermore Falls. It is a 2002 model with a diesel motor and has 42,000 miles on it as well as a plow.

Several used vehicles were looked at, Puckett said, and this was the best deal so far. Most of the others were gas engines, he added.