BUCKFIELD – Fire Chief Steve Campbell wants an ordinance requiring businesses to have KNOX-BOXes, small wall-mounted safes that hold building keys for firefighters to retrieve in the event of a fire. The proposal will go before the Ordinance Committee and then to voters at next year’s annual town meeting.

Campbell will ask for $2,000 to give 10 businesses boxes but the owners would have to install the boxes at their expense. Any new business in town will be asked to buy its own. Campbell says this is a more secure method for firefighters to access a business when they get a call.

Campbell said a master key to the boxes would be in a secure place in the primary engine that is first to go on a fire call. That would eliminate confusion of trying to find the right key and save time.

The Fire Department has also been working on a fire chief appointment policy that would set a four-year term for the elected chief with term limit. Only Buckfield Fire Department members having served for the previous six months would be eligible to vote.

Selectman Chip Richardson said he would like to see an annual review of the chief by the selectman written into the policy. Town Manager Glen Holmes made note of the suggestion.

In other business, Holmes said the Bureau of Labor Standards inspection revealed some deficiencies that will have to be addressed. He said with limited resources in the budget, he will have to find money somewhere to follow the suggestions by the inspector. He said there will be fines, but an option is that the state may allow him to use the fine money to fix the deficiencies.

Selectmen also voted to become part of the Pine Tree Zone program at the request of Lowell Lumber, which is expanding its Buckfield operation. The zone would allow the lumber mill to be eligible for tax incentives.

A public hearing on the Pine Tree application will be held before the next selectmen’s meeting on Aug. 19. Holmes said there would be no cost to the town other than the cost of the hearing.

Holmes said the Economic Development Committee will meet on Sept. 18. He will invite business owners and some land owners. The meeting will focus on how people in the community drive development.

The board spent considerable time discussing the Homestead Exemption reimbursement. The town assessment is at 77 percent of what the state says it should be. The vote was to go with the 77 percent and take the hit on Homestead reimbursement.

Charles Brown and Gerald Wiley were appointed to the Road Committee.

The board voted to proclaim May 1 “Silber Star Banner Day” to honor the town’s wounded and ill soldiers.