LIVERMORE FALLS – Selectmen Monday learned the Farmington ladder truck that residents had voted to purchase for $100,000 at the July 10 special town meeting may be out of the town’s reach.
Fire Chief Ken Jones told the board Monday that he learned last week a higher offer had been made on the truck, and that Farmington officials might renege on their offer to sell the truck to Livermore Falls.
Jones said he and Farmington fire Chief Terry Bell had discussed the possible sale informally prior to Farmington’s June 13 annual town meeting. On June 14, after Farmington residents approved Bell’s proposal to buy a new, more than $800,000 truck and dispose of the old one for at least $100,000, Jones says Bell called him and offered the truck to Livermore.
“At that time I had requested first refusal on their apparatus,” Jones said, which would have meant the truck would not be offered to other potential buyers unless Livermore Falls decided not to buy it. Jones said he believed there was a “verbal agreement between the two chiefs that Liv Falls would have first refusal for ($100,000).”
“And at that point in time, that’s when I went to my board and asked for that X amount of dollars, which they in turn agreed upon and put it in an article for the special town meeting that we had,” Jones said Tuesday.
Last Tuesday, after the $100,000 purchase was approved by Livermore Falls voters in the July 10 special town meeting, Jones said he called Bell to give him the news Livermore Falls would be buying the truck.
But he learned that Farmington had gotten another, higher offer on the truck, for $130,000.
Jones said he is obviously upset, because “it’s a truck we’re really interested in, and it certainly would support Livermore Falls in the utmost.”
Selectmen Monday voted to instruct Town Manager Martin Puckett to write a letter to Farmington, outlining the town’s position and emphasizing Livermore Falls’ desire to buy the truck.
Selectmen “charged me to draft a letter explaining that we are interested in the firetruck and we hope we can still obtain it and that the offer still stands,” Puckett said.
But Puckett said he understands why Farmington might sell it to someone else.
“I think obviously they’re looking to get the most money for this truck they can. New firetrucks are expensive and they’re looking out for the best interest of Farmington.”
Bell is staying mum on the issue, but Farmington Town Manager Richard Davis said, “This is a situation where we want to help out a neighboring town if possible, but we’re obligated to get as much for the truck as we can.”
Davis said he will wait for the letter from Livermore Falls before making more comments. “I’d be curious to see what their selectmen have to say and what their feeling is.”
“I was hoping it wouldn’t become a controversial issue. We’ve got our obligations and they’ve got theirs,” he added.
Jones said he is waiting, too. “Terry is a friend of mine, and obviously I just wish the other phone call hadn’t come in. Hopefully we can resolve this issue and the truck still ends up in Livermore Falls.”
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