RUMFORD – Selectmen will begin their annual scheduling of budget development meetings when they meet on Thursday. They will also discuss whether to begin replacing the old, wooden chairs in the historic Municipal Auditorium.

The regular, twice-monthly meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the conference room of the Municipal Building.

Town Manager Robert Welch said dates will be set for two initiated-articles meetings, which are expected to take place during the third and fourth weeks of March. These meetings are a time for selectmen to listen to social service agency requests as well as to requests for special projects.

Those that are accepted would appear on the annual town meeting warrant in June. This year’s town meeting takes place June 7.

Dates will also be set for meeting with each of the town’s department heads to discuss financial needs for next year.

Welch said many of the auditorium’s 500 wooden chairs are worn and need to be replaced. He said costs could range from $15 to $31 dollars for each new chair. Selectmen are to decide whether to take funds from the Town Hall/maintenance account to buy 200 this year. He hopes others will be replaced in the future.

Other agenda items include:

• Donation requests from the Rumford Historical Society and the Dirigo Music Association and for funds to send one Mountain Valley High School girl to Dirigo Girls’ State.

• Awarding of the bid for the town’s 1964 Bucyrus Erie cable backhoe.

• Action on a request to install a “No parking” sign at the corner of Oxford Avenue and Pine Street.

The board also plans to hold a closed session to discuss union negotiations with the highway and police departments.

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