The Public Comment section returned to the Wiscasset selectmen's agenda Tuesday night, and with it some praise for selectmen for a job well done.

Federal Street resident and Route 1 businessman George Green told Selectmen Bill Curtis, David Nichols, Nicole Viele and chairman Duane Goud they had done a great job on the dedication of this year's annual town report. Every year the selectmen choose someone to dedicate the report to who has been instrumental in helping the town. This year's annual report, which is now at the printers, was dedicated to Jo Bryer, who died on November 5. Knowing that she was very ill, selectmen went to her house in mid-October to make the dedication.

"I would like to compliment the board. That was a real class act," Green said. "And the newspaper did a very nice job of reporting it."

In other business the selectmen appointed John Blagdon, Jr. and Jean Huber to the Appeals Committee; set a hearing date of January 3 at 6 p.m. at the middle school for the January 15 election; approved reducing the year-long lease payment by half for Falvey, LLC because of problems in getting the project off the ground; appointed Pam Lear to a part-time position as custodian at the town office building; approved spending $47,750 for a plow dump body and accessories to the successful bidder, Howard P. Fairfield, LLC; approved paying Police Lieutenant John Allen $269 for 14 hours of vacation time he will be unable to use this year; and approved closing the town office on December 24 at noon.

Selectmen were scheduled to meet in closed session Wednesday night to discuss hours and a change of work for a public works employee, Bill Thayer. During the public comment section, Road Commissioner Bob Blagden said neither he nor Transfer Station Supervisor Woodie Freeman were made aware of the selectmen's decision to move Thayer to the transfer station until after the fact. Blagden said he would like to have been involved in the discussion because it has a great impact on how the highway department functions. Goud told Blagdon he was welcome to attend the meeting Wednesday night.

The town office will be closed on Thanksgiving, November 22, and the next day, November 23.