NORWAY — The Board of Selectmen voted 4-1 Thursday evening to buy a 2018 Freightliner truck for the Highway Department, using $155,000 from the department’s reserve account.
Chairman Warren Sessions Jr. and Selectmen Thomas Curtis, Russell Newcomb and Bruce Cook voted in favor. Selectman Mike Twitchell cast the lone dissenting vote.
Assistant Road Foreman Art Chappell said the Highway Department has gotten behind on replacing some of its equipment.
“We have a truck that is scheduled to be changed out in 2019, but it’s in real good shape,” Chappell told the board. “We could probably hold onto that for a little while longer. We have a spare truck that gets run every storm that we have.”
Chappell said the spare truck would need $8,000 to $10,000 worth of work to get an inspection sticker.
“We have the money in our reserve accounts right now where we could get the 2018 truck, which has everything we would want in a replacement truck,” Chappell said. “We want to have the authority to look at the truck, and if we decide we want it, we can purchase it.”
As of July 20, there was $169,312 in the Highway Department reserve account.
Chappell added that it’s important for the town to get on a schedule where a vehicle is replaced every four years.
“Right now, everything is starting to bunch up, and we’re going to have a bunch of trucks that are due to be replaced in the next three or four years,” Chappell said. “I think it’ll be nice to space it out a little bit.”
“Generally, I’m not a (proponent) of spending money from a reserve account just to spend it,” Curtis said.
He said that if purchasing the truck puts the town on a schedule on which they spread out vehicle purchases, “I think it’s worthwhile, and I’m an advocate to that approach. If you feel this is adequate, and that you guys can replace the money that’s spent, then I’m OK with it.”
Chappell said the Highway Department will sell some equipment in the near future that will replenish the reserve account.
At the board’s previous meeting, selectmen voted to approve the purchase of a $120,700 used loader for the Highway Department.
“After this one, you’re done, right?” Curtis asked Chappell just before approving the 2018 Freightliner.
Chappell laughed and said, “This is the last time I’ll be here for a while.”
Norway Board of Selectmen Chairman Warren Sessions Jr., center, and Selectman Bruce Cook, right, listen Thursday as Selectman Russell Newcomb gives his opinion on whether the board should vote to allow the Highway Department to buy a $155,000 2018 Freightliner to replace a spare truck.
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