MINOT — Selectmen on Tuesday directed Town Administrator Arlan Saunders to send letters to eight former property owners whose properties recently were foreclosed upon because of unpaid taxes.

On Jan. 15, the town foreclosed on 10 properties. The letters to be sent give notice to the former owners that they have 90 days to redeem the properties, after which the Board of Selectmen will dispose of them as it sees fit.

Selectmen also directed Saunders to write a memo to town employees with direct contact with the public, detailing the procedures they should follow in dealing with rude and unruly customers.

Saunders had told the board that personnel in the front office were given grief over issues associated with property foreclosures, but also said it is a problem that surfaces in other situations.

“They shouldn’t have to tolerate a hostile work environment,” Saunders said.

Saunders also gave selectmen a report on the Budget Committee’s recommendations from its Jan. 7 meeting.

The Budget Committee agreed with most of the funding requests that will be presented to town meeting voters on March 7.

However, the committee differed from what selectmen had supported on four of the proposed budget articles: three from the Fire Department and one for the Recreation Committee.

The Recreation Committee requested $15,000 to start development of a new athletic field in the complex behind Minot Consolidated School. The Budget Committee recommended $13,000 for the project.

The Fire Department proposed two options for solving space problems in the town’s fire station facilities.

The Budget Committee recommended against spending about $540,000 on a major expansion to the Central Fire Station.

The Fire Department’s proposal for $180,000, which would be for smaller additions at the Central Station and the Orchard Station off Death Valley Road, also failed to win the committee’s full support. It recommended $90,000.

The Budget Committee also recommended against funding the Fire Department’s $39,000 proposal to switch its communications to the American tower on Harris Road.

The location of the tower presently used for communications does not cover the whole town, with direct contact with West Minot particularly a problem.

Town Clerk Heidi Schneider reported three people have submitted nomination papers for the two selectmen positions, but no one has done so for the two RSU 16 committee seats. The deadline for filing was Tuesday.

Elections are March 6.

Selectman Dan Callahan and residents Lisa Cesare and William Perry have submitted papers. Selectman Dean Campbell is not running for another term.

School Committee member Scott Tiner previously announced he wasn’t seeking another term. Tina Love’s term also is expiring but she also didn’t submit papers, leaving Schneider to conclude that it appeared the two positions would have to be filled by write-in candidates.