The Board of Selectmen appointed current Treasurer/Collector John D. Foster as interim town administrator during its April 10 meeting.

The appointment will be in effect up until the Board of Selectmen hires a permanent town administrator.

The decision was made by a Board that consisted of newly-elected Selectman Alan Slavin and Selectmen Cara Winslow, Steve Holmes, and Ellen Begley.

The vote was 3-0-1, with Selectman Ellen Begley abstaining from the vote.

The unofficial fifth member of the board -- Selectman-elect Peter Teitelbaum -- was in the audience. Teitelbaum won the two-year seat vacated by former-Selectman Michael Schneider at the April 3 election, but he must wait for legislation to make it through the state legislature before he can begin his work.

The Board of Selectmen asked for special legislation to allow the town to elect someone to fill Schneider's seat, after the former-Selectman resigned too late for the seat to be added to the ballot, due to mandatory deadlines.

Teitelbaum said that it may take a couple of weeks for the bill to get passed, after which he will officially join the Selectmen.

Foster's appointment came after a debate about whether town financial analyst Derek Sullivan should be appointed as interim town administrator.

Current Town Administrator Mark Andrews, who will leave his position as of 5 p.m. on Friday, April 13, said that Sullivan "knows the in and outs of our financial circumstances," and would "work to make sure we have a good solid financial picture going forward."

Selectman Holmes said that though he had "a lot of respect for Mr. Sullivan" and believed "he has done an excellent job," he believed that the position was not the right fit for Sullivan.

Following the discussion, Winslow made a motion to appoint Foster as interim town administrator.

Winslow explained after the meeting that Foster had once served as interim town administrator for almost a year between 2007 and 2008. He had also served once before that for a shorter period of time.

Andrews also briefly presented a transition plan to the Board of Selectmen. The plan outlines 10 areas in a thick notebook, which was given to each of the Selectmen. Areas include the budget, finances, public safety, and economic development.

Andrews said in a previous meeting that he made some "bold" recommendations to the Board about possible changes in those areas.

The Selectmen ended the meeting by presenting Andrews with a gift and a certificate thanking him for his "professionalism, dedication, and service to the Town of Wareham."

Andrews replied with words of thanks and encouragement to the town. "To the folks in the neighborhoods, to the businesses that have come here, my hat's off to the Board of Selectmen, keep moving forward."

In other town business:

The Board voted approved a change of management in two Wareham businesses: the Point Independence Yacht Club in 15-17 Independence Lane in Onset, and Piper Beau's at 207 Main Street.

Management will change from Peter Sullivan to Dennis Langlais at the Point Independence Yacht Club. The Board stipulated that Langlais' approval was contingent on his sending a copy of his "TIPS" (Training for Intervention Procedures) certificate to the Selectmen's office. TIPS trains workers for the responsible sale and service of alcohol.

Tara Wahlstrom, a former bartender at Piper Beau's, will take over as manager at that restaurant.

Demetrios T. Kalkanis, owner of the restaurant, said before the meeting that Piper Beau's had been remodeled in preparation for opening, which was set to happen as early as this week. Piper Beau's will have a new "All-American" menu, Wahlstrom said.