WOODSTOCK — The Board of Selectmen agreed Tuesday evening to add an article to the May 19 town meeting warrant asking voters to authorize the sale of the 1987 pump truck.
The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Town Office. The warrant will include articles asking voters to approve the lease-purchase of a 2016 Freightliner pump truck for up to $220,000, and to approve adding a concrete floor and overhead doors to the pole shed.
The third article approved Tuesday asks for authorization for selectmen to sell the 1987 pump truck by sealed bid. The truck recently was taken out of service because it needs around $46,000 worth of repairs.
Town Manager Vern Maxfield said officials must get voter approval to sell items valued at $3,000 or more.
“We’re valuing the truck at around $3,000, which is why we have to ask permission,” Maxfield said. “It doesn’t matter if we end up selling the truck for more or less than the value. We have to go by anticipated value.”
“That seems a little low for us to have to ask permission,” Selectman Ron Deegan said. “I think, at some point, we should look into making the amount a little higher. $5,000 might do it.”
Fire Chief Kyle Hopps also provided a time line for when he anticipates the new firetruck would be delivered.
“I was told it would be delivered late September or early October, but that’s dependent on whether we place an order by early May,” Hopps said.
He said Midwest Fire Co., which is building the truck, was awaiting a shipment of a chassis and had a backlog of trucks to build.
“They said they should get the chassis by August, and from there, they’ll start going down the list and building trucks,” Hopps said. “It takes them between four to six weeks to build the trucks. I still think this is the best way for us to go.”
Selectman Stephen Bies lauded Hopps for attending every meeting “with all of the information I’m looking for.”
“I always come into these meetings in a panic, and you always come in here with everything laid out and explained,” Bies said.
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