Rebuilding a primary clarifier at the Livermore Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant is one of several upgrades needed. Voters will consider financing the project at a special town meeting at 6 p.m. March 19 at the Town Office. (Sun Journal file photo)

LIVERMORE FALLS — Residents will vote March 19 on whether to finance work at the wastewater treatment plant, buy or lease-purchase two police cruisers and buy a firetruck.

The special town meeting is at 6 p.m. at the Town Office.

Several pieces of equipment at the treatment plant need to be rebuilt, according to town officials. They include sludge holding tanks, primary clarifiers, chlorine contact chamber, water pumps and primary sludge pump.

The plant was built in the 1970s and received a nearly $6 million upgrade in 1998, although not everything was upgraded then.

While Livermore Falls is handling the finance package because it owns the plant, Jay will pay 50 percent of the reconstruction because it uses the plant.

The total cost is estimated at about $5.7 million.

Livermore Falls voters will be asked to authorize $4.98 million in loans, which include $3.97 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and about $1 million from the Maine Municipal Bond Bank, according to the meeting warrant. The figures do not include interest.

The remainder of the project is expected to be offset by nearly $1.5 million in grants and loan principal forgiveness.

The Board of Selectmen and the Budget Committee recommend passage of the article, Town Manager Stephen Gould said.

Another article asks voters to appropriate $15,000 from the Police Department cruiser account as a down payment on the purchase or lease-purchase of a police cruiser.

An identical article asks for the same amount for a second cruiser.

The reason for acquiring two Ford Interceptors is that each will cost $5,000 more in 2020 because the body is expected to change and the engine power to increase.

The Budget Committee supports financing both cruisers while selectmen recommend financing one.

Voters will also be asked whether to buy a Quint firetruck, which is a combined ladder and pumper truck, and authorize selectmen to obtain financing for up to $600,000. The truck will replace the 1988 ladder truck and the 1993 Engine One.

Voters will be able to lower that amount if they choose to buy a used truck.

Selectmen recommend a “no” vote on the truck; the Budget Committee favors the question.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net