Reports of a gas leak outside Town Hall startled Selectmen at the board’s Dec. 9 meeting, while families milled about outside after the town’s tree lighting ceremony ended.

Fire Chief Scott Weigel briefly interrupted Selectmen to say the leak had been reported and an NStar technician was on the way.

“Should we evacuate the building chief?” Town Administrator Rich LaCamera asked. Weigel said the leak was minor and there was no cause for alarm. He said NStar would be on scene in about 20 minutes.

The holiday ceremony started at 6:30 p.m. with singing from the Rochester Elementary School choir.

After the tree was lit around 6:45 p.m., several bystanders said they smelled gas near Town Hall. When it was clear there was no danger, Selectmen Chair Naida Parker joked with the board and members of the press.

“We almost started Christmas off with a bang,” she said.