LIVERMORE FALLS – The town’s Budget Committee voted unanimously Monday to recommend to selectmen that the town not submit a bid on Farmington’s ladder truck, committee Chairwoman Louise Chabot said Tuesday.

Selectmen directed the newly formed Budget Committee to examine whether the town should bid on Farmington’s truck to replace an uncertified one, and if so, what amount they recommend spending.

Townspeople voted in June to raise $100,000 to buy the truck. Farmington put the truck out to bid with $100,000 being the minimum bid. Bids are due back by 2 p.m. Jan. 5, 2007.

The budget panel’s approach to the issue was to look at three basic questions.

The panel used a Joint Fire Services Study of five area towns, including Livermore Falls and Farmington, and reviewed Insurance Service Office Inc. classification on fire protection and accompanying information, according to the three-page recommendation outlining the committee’s decision.

Panel members also reviewed repair reports and expenditures from Livermore Falls and Farmington on existing ladder trucks along with other information.

“We invited (fire) Chief Ken Jones to speak with us because while we wanted to make a fact-based decision, the dedication and experience of our firefighters is not always easily quantified, but their input is still vital to the decisions that must be made,” the panel’s document states. “We all firmly believe that while you need a Seagraves or an EV-1 to fight the fires, the men and women who use them are doing the truly heroic work.”

The committee stated there were two reasons to recommend Livermore Falls make an offer on Farmington’s truck.

“First, and most important of the two, was the recommendation of Chief Jones. He made his case based upon the ongoing struggles they have had keeping the present aerial on the road, the fact that it is not certified, and that because of its conditions his firefighters are not comfortable with it,” the panel stated.

The second reason was that their study and Jones’ research indicate that a purchase price anything less than about $130,000 represents a good buy,” the committee wrote.

The panel’s case against buying the truck is a combination of what is found in the ISO survey, and what they were told by the chief.

“The chief acknowledged to us, as he has to others previously, that the most vital need that his department has right now is for a pumper/rescue vehicle,” the committee stated.

“We did not take this as an invalidation of his reasons for wanting to procure the aerial, but it puts into perspective the costs involved and the clear need to prioritize,” the panel stated. “So we coupled this statement with the fact that ISO actually gives Livermore Falls some of its highest marks on the survey for its ladder company, which is the current aerial.”

Among the committee’s recommendations are to have the town manager, fire chief and selectmen prepare a plan for the Fire Department that includes addressing long-term major equipment needs and how to fund them.

They also recommend the town’s existing ladder truck be repaired and certified as soon as possible.

Jones said Tuesday that he and the department support buying the truck but he hadn’t seen the recommendation yet. They will review it and respond to it.

Selectmen’s Chairwoman Julie Deschesne said selectmen will discuss the recommendation at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18, at the Town Office.

“We can accept it, take it under consideration or put off making a decision to another meeting,” she said.