STRONG – Residents at Saturday’s annual town meeting upped the $700 recommended for the town park account by the Budget Committee to $1,000 after listening to Perry Ellsworth.

This year, the town park will celebrate its 15th year, and many people have worked on it over the years, Ellsworth said. He said he donated more than $1,000 for equipment and maintenance. The Park Committee raised $4,500 and works to provide activities for children in the summer, including crafts, fishing and basketball.

“It’s a beautiful park utilized by the town. I see kids every day there in the summer using equipment raised by donation,” he said, asking for $1,000. The motion carried.

After a lengthy discussion on the type of plow truck to purchase and changes in how the town plows in order to keep costs down, the town unanimously agreed to let selectmen purchase a plow truck and equipment for $86,000.

A forestry truck and equipment will also be purchased by the town’s Fire Department after residents authorized using up to $40,000 from the department’s truck reserve account.

The state Department of Conservation gave the department a truck years ago to help fight forest fires, said Fire Chief Scott Dyar after being asked to explain the purpose of a forestry truck.

With the truck worn out, firefighters have resorted to loading equipment into their own vehicles, he said. The department proposes to purchase a used one-ton diesel vehicle. It has priced vehicles in the range of $15,000 to $18,000, Dyar said, but will need to also have a skid tank, hose and tools added to the truck. Dyar expects the total price to still be less than the $40,000 approved by residents.

A motion to drop the amount for the Fire Department Truck Reserve account from $20,000 to $19,000 passed. In previous years, the town had put $15,000 into the account, and although the Budget Committee recommended the $20,000, voters chose to go with the amended amount.

“We put money into these reserve accounts and it grows,” resident Sue Pratt said. “It gives us some resources to help finance items like a new fire truck.”