RUMFORD — Selectmen approved licenses for two taxicab companies Thursday night and decided they wanted to jazz up the town website.
The board also reappointed Jennifer Kreckel as town attorney.
Gilbert Scott received a license for his new service, Private Taxi, which was delayed when Selectman Frank DiConzo asked board Chairman Greg Buccina if Scott had met all the ordinance requirements. He also wanted to know if police Chief Stacy Carter had signed off on the business.
Buccina, however, couldn’t find Rumford’s taxicab ordinance, so the board took a break while Town Manager John Madigan retrieved a copy.
Buccina told Scott that the board and town had adopted a new ordinance a few years ago after several residents raised concerns.
“What we’re trying to do is make sure that ordinance is being followed,” he said. “There are certain aspects, like no smoking in cars and background checks on drivers, that we need to ensure are followed, and that’s what Mr. DiConzo is asking. We want your service. It’s a service that our citizens need.”
Scott said he just sold EZ Taxi and started a new business called Private Taxi.
Madigan read the ordinance before telling the board that Scott was in compliance.
Selectmen unanimously approved Scott’s license.
The board took up Charles Proffit’s application for a taxicab license for EZ Taxi, which he had purchased from Scott. Selectmen also approved that license.
In other business, Selectman Mark Belanger asked if agendas could be published sooner and placed on the town website in a timely manner. He said that in the past, selectmen got their agenda packets a week before the meeting.
Madigan noted that Executive Secretary Terri Palmer creates the agendas after he provides the information and emails them to board members. Palmer was on vacation and Madigan was out of the office, so the agenda for one board meeting was late.
Agendas go up on the website on Monday, but they are usually amended twice before Thursday board meetings, Madigan said.
Belanger noted that the website needed to be updated and purged of old information.
Buccina agreed.
Selectman Jeff Sterling said he thought the town website, www.rumfordmaine.net, works fine.
“Aesthetically, it needs a major upgrade,” he said. “If we are going to use it for economic development, it needs to be more exciting. It needs some help.”
“Other towns’ websites are more jazzier,” Belanger said.
Buccina agreed.
The board asked Madigan to check with the site’s webmaster to see what could be done.
Selectmen also appointed Jolene Lovejoy to the Board of Appeals for one year, as the three-year seat has been vacant for two years. Lovejoy was previously an alternate.
At the previous board meeting, selectmen erroneously appointed Gary Morrison to both the Board of Appeals and Parks and Recreation Commission. A resident can only serve on one board at a time.
On Thursday night, Madigan said Morrison chose the Parks and Recreation Commission term. Selectmen voted to rescind the motion to place him on the Board of Appeals.
Madigan asked if he should advertise a fourth time for alternates for the Board of Appeals and Planning Board, because no one had applied. Selectmen dissented.
“If any citizen wants to step up (for the positions), it would be well received and it would be good experience to learn,” Buccina said.
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