FARMINGTON — On Tuesday, the Board of Selectmen unanimously agreed to seek bids on a new vehicle for the Police Department as requested by Chief Jack Peck.
While Peck was looking to purchase a new pickup truck to replace a 2003 Buick, designated as a detective’s vehicle, the board wanted to see and compare prices for a new automobile also.
The Buick has several issues that jeopardize passing an inspection, Peck explained.
He suggested taking some funds from the department’s $21,000 vehicle reserve account and some from a drug forfeiture account, currently at $32,550, to purchase a four-wheel-drive pickup truck.
The truck would help the department haul large amounts of property collected on warrants or haul larger items, such as ATVs, he said.
The detective could also use the unmarked vehicle for surveillance or to check on a neighborhood without everyone recognizing he was there, Peck explained.
The department currently has four cruisers and two detective vehicles, the Buick and a 2005 Chevrolet Impala. The two are used for non-patrol business.
The cruisers are on a replacement rotation with one replaced every year. Peck hopes to get 10 years out of the two detective vehicles.
Selectman Joshua Bell questioned the use of a truck over a vehicle and costs. He suggested bids on both be requested.
The truck would not clock as much mileage as a front-line vehicle for the department, Town Manager Richard Davis said.
Peck will bring the bids back for the board to review and will seek prices with a trade-in for the Buick and without a trade-in.
In other business, the board discussed a rate increase with Waste Management Disposal Services of Maine Inc. for disposal of the town’s bulky waste. The 2 percent rate increase is effective Nov. 1 and is based on the consumer price index, Davis told the board.
Davis spoke with a company representative and was told they want to keep Farmington as a customer. He indicated they are willing to reduce tipping fees to a 2001 price, Davis said.
The town spends about $35,000 a year in tipping fees, he said.
They would also consider a six-month agreement in case the town decides to do something different, he said.
“I’d like to see the proposal,” Board of Selectmen Chairman Ryan Morgan said.
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