Rochester's selectmen approved a new part-time police officer and studied a town employee's potential conflict of interest on Monday night.

As the selectmen viewed correspondence, one letter,  from Town Treasurer Cynthia Mello, came up for discussion.

Mello sent the selectmen a letter disclosing a potential conflict of interest in the course of her work.

Mello splits Rochester's money between several different banks - one bank receiving money also happens to be a bank where her husband is the vice-president.

"This has been the situation for years," said Town Administrator Suzanne Szyndlar. "She disclosed this from the beginning of her tenure. She has consulted the State Ethics Commission and has been told that what she is doing is perfectly legal."

Szyndlar explained that Mello simply wanted to inform the new selectman, Woody Hartley, of the conflict, the fact that it had been disclosed, and that there was nothing illegal in the process.

The disclosure and conflict still required approval from the board, however.

"If State Ethics says it's legal, it's legal for me," Hartley said.

Selectman Naida Parker was more hesitant. "I would prefer to see a written letter from the State Ethics Commission stating that the process is legal before I approve this," she said. "I wouldn't want to put my name to anything that the commission might disagree with."

Hartley and fellow selectman Brad Morse agreed with Parker, and the approval of the disclosure was shelved until formal written approval from the State Ethics Commission is received.

Sergeant Robert Small came before the board to introduce Rochester's newest part-time police officer. Small, who stood in for Police Chief Paul Magee, introduced Meghan Birnie, a resident of Mansfield.

"Meghan was one of the top students of her police class," Small said. Birnie graduated from the University of Rhode Island and the South Suburban Police Institute in Foxboro.

"Welcome!" Parker said to Birnie cheerfully. "I hope things around here will be a little quieter than they have been lately."