WILTON – With the help of state representative and resident Tom Saviello, selectmen Tuesday took steps toward resolving a year-long disagreement over what type of firetruck the town should purchase.
Though the town has been planning to purchase a new firetruck for the past year, efforts to choose a model left selectmen and Fire Department members deadlocked throughout the spring. On one occasion, a disagreement erupted into a shouting match between selectmen, fire Chief Sonny Dunham and Town Manager Peter Nielsen. And when the town’s ad hoc firetruck committee failed to come up with a suggestion that both selectmen and Fire Department members agreed upon, the matter was postponed until after this month’s town meeting.
But Saviello attended the May 17 selectmen’s meeting to tell the board he thought the issue needed to be resolved as soon as possible. “I don’t think any of us in this room want a tragedy to happen while we sit here to discuss it,” he said.
He suggested forming a new committee, comprising uninvolved experts instead of possibly biased town residents. Selectmen did not vote on the issue in May, since it had not been on the agenda.
On Tuesday, the board voted unanimously to begin forming a committee, Nielsen said. Saviello suggested setting up “an unbiased panel to assess the needs and requirements as to what the town needs for fire equipment,” Nielsen said.
Fire Chief Sonny Dunham “was there, and he was supportive” of the idea, Nielsen said. “This matter has to be approached, one way or another. And having a plan is better than not, so I’m hopeful,” he added. Selectmen plan to discuss the matter further on July 11.
Selectmen voted three-to-two to discuss discontinuing town roads that some board members think should be classified as driveways, sometime this summer.
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