BUCKFIELD — Selectmen voted Tuesday night to solicit requests for qualifications from architects for the $1.2 million fire-rescue station.

The town has drawings for an 80- by 100-foot building and an estimated cost report prepared by Port City Architects of Portland, Town Manager Dana Lee said.

A scheduled executive session with a representative of Port City Architects was not held Tuesday night because residents questioned the legality of the process.

Town Office assistant Candice Brooks, speaking as a resident, said the executive session was listed as employment negotiations with only Port City Architects. She insisted that the board could not go into executive session with one architect when the fire-rescue project had not been properly bid.

Brooks read from the Policy Handbook, which stated that any purchase of more than $5,000 would be put out to bid with a minimum of three vendors.

Some officials argued that this referred to purchases such as road equipment or other items, not architects.

Brooks insisted that the proper bid process be observed.

“These are my tax dollars you are talking about,” she said, “and I want it done properly.”

Residents and selectmen discussed whether professional services should be bid  because they should be based on qualifications and a request for qualifications had to be established first.

Lee said professional services are different because there are a limited number of people who qualify. He said it’s important that the drawings and specifications be complete because contractors base their bids on them.

Voters approved the project in June by a vote of 31-28. At that meeting, Port City architect Andy Hyland said a new station on the existing site would be considerably less expensive than a full-scale renovation of the 1951 station.

Another issue brought up at the meeting was what to do with the town’s 45-acre landlocked parcel off the recreation trail on the old railroad bed. One suggestion was to harvest the timber, but trucks would not be allowed on the trail.

It was suggested that abutters be contacted to see if any would sell a right of way to the town lot. The board will contact abutters before making a decision.

The board agreed to go with a one-year bid for winter sand, though Lee asked for a two- or three-year bid.

Lee said that unless more people came forward to help, this would be the last community Labor Day celebration for the town.

He also reported that there are so many road washouts that officials may have to replan road work.