A new bucket loader would cost the town about $105,000.
DIXFIELD – Faced with buying a new bucket loader or spending thousands of dollars on repairs, selectmen opted for the latter.
At Monday night’s board meeting, acting Public Works Director Tim Hanson requested an estimated $17,950 to repair the department’s 13-year-old loader.
Its engine is shot and the lining burned out, Hanson said.
He has since instituted a preventative maintenance plan, something which had not been in place.
For the past two weeks, while the loader was at a garage for repair assessment, Public Works has been using a loaner loader.
Hanson said the board had a choice to either repair or trade the old loader in toward a new one, which costs an estimated $105,000.
The town could get $20,000 in trade for the old loader.
Selectmen voted 5-0 to take $17,950 from the equipment reserve fund to repair the loader.
The board decided to fix the machine now, then, starting with the June town meeting, build up a cash reserve fund to purchase another one later.
Selectmen also suggested that Public Works use a backhoe instead of the loaned loader to save money.
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