RUMFORD – Meeting in executive session Thursday, selectmen upheld the suspensions of firefighters for violating town law by being involved in a municipal election.

According to interim Town Manager Len Greaney, selectmen supported the action taken by former Town Manager Jim Doar and which Greaney and the town’s attorney, Tom Carey, had also backed.

Firefighters union Local 1601 filed a grievance against the town over the suspension of each member of the Fire Department for at least a day without pay.

The grievance was based on suspensions assessed by Doar in early June for allegedly violating a section of the municipal ordinance that prohibits municipal employees from influencing an election.

Union President Mark Tripp said he wrote a letter to the Rumford Falls Times in support of selectman candidates Rob Cameron and Greg Buccina. The letter, printed in the June 4 edition, was also signed by several other firefighters.

Tripp was suspended for a week without pay. The remaining nine firefighters were suspended for one day without pay.

Greaney said the union, if members chose, could take the grievance to arbitration.

In other business, selectmen negotiated a modified contract with the Police Department, which shifts some job duties and titles, to manage the workload while staying within the taxpayer-mandated budget.

The Police Department’s current contract is set to expire in June 2009, so the modified contract is also set to expire on that date.

According to Greaney, Chief Stacy Carter reallocated the work force, with some officers moved to different positions and others promoted in rank. Greaney called it a good contract. “Very well balanced,” he said.

Selectmen also voted to reopen conversations with Rep. Michael Michaud’s office and the Maine Department of Transportation for a $3.5 million grant for redesign work on portions of Route 108. Use of the grant, which will allow DOT to establish traffic lanes at the turn to the Rumford Business Park, remove some ledge near the bridge into Mexico, and do some reconstruction work near the Wyman Hill Road, will “give us momentum on our business park,” Greaney said.

Construction would start next year and “gives us visual momentum to say there’s something happening there,” Greaney said. It would allow use of a portion of the funds to do some roadwork about 200 feet into the entrance of the business park, which would trim local costs for the project.