RUMFORD – A meeting is scheduled next week between town and state officials on what needs to be done to bring the Municipal Building up to fire safety codes.

The Building Committee and some selectmen will meet with John Dean and Nelson Collins of the Office of the State Fire Marshal at 2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28 in the Municipal Building. It is open to the public.

Town Manager Steve Eldridge said he is trying to get a representative from the Maine Historic Preservation Commission to attend as well. The Municipal Building was built in 1916 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tentative plans by the Building Committee propose spending up to $1 million to comply with state fire regulations. A previous plan, estimated at nearly $3 million, proposed connecting the Municipal Building and the adjacent fire station, which would have helped meet codes for the station as well.

Businessman Ron Theriault said he believes far fewer dollars are needed to bring the building into compliance.

Eldridge said after Thursday night’s meeting that he hopes the meeting will settle matters.

Thursday’s meeting was much quieter than that of Sept. 7 when nearly 150 people turned out to hear complaints against Eldridge’s management, his contract and a call by Selectman Arthur Boivin for his suspension or resignation, which did not get any support.

That meeting was moved from the Municipal Building, which is limited by fire codes to a maximum of 49 people, to the American Legion Hall.

On Thursday, just over 50 people turned so one or two had to leave the hall periodically to maintain the legal occupancy.

While most of the more than two-hour meeting was devoted to handling routine municipal matters, local lawyer Tom Carey appeared early to ask questions related to the Sept. 7 meeting.

Wearing a gray suit, white shirt and tie, he said he was wearing a suit out of respect for his client, the town charter. Carey and several other town residents have claimed that the board has not followed its regulations.

He asked if the town manager was a town official, whether there was a recording device at Wednesday night’s closed session when selectmen discussed Eldridge’s contract and the town charter, and whether the board chairman had a right to make rules governing the operation of a selectmen’s meeting.

At various times during his questioning, town lawyer Jennifer Kreckel advised the board not to answer Carey’s questions because such issues were and will soon again be discussed in closed session.

“You don’t have to answer him,” she said. “This is something to discuss in executive session.”

Board Chairman Jim Rinaldo told Carey the board relied on Kreckel’s expertise, and if she recommended not discussing those matters at that time, the board would not.

After a few minutes of questioning by Carey, Rinaldo told him the discussion had to end.

“We’re not going to discuss Steve’s contract,” he said.