WEST PARIS – Some unexpected expenses for a new firetruck have prompted selectmen to delay signing a contract to buy it, selectmen’s Chairman Wade Rainey said.

The board reviewed the contract Thursday and decided to hold off on signing it until they could talk further with fire Chief Norman St. Pierre, Rainey said.

Rainey said the truck was going to cost more than the $214,043 the board agreed to because a $1,353 charge for a heat pan that was omitted previously and a $3 per mile delivery charge from Jasper, Ga.

“So we are going to talk with Norm and see if there is a better way to make up the extra charges than taking extra money from the fire department capital equipment account,” Rainey said.

Selectmen will also consider sending a Fire Department representative to Georgia to bring the truck back. A town official will fly to Georgia to inspect the truck when it is ready, Rainey said.

Selectman Dennis Henderson figured it would cost between $3,000 and $4,000 if Southern Fire Apparatus delivers the truck for $3 a mile, and it might as well be brought back by the person who will be inspecting the truck while in Jasper.

“Southern Fire Apparatus is flying our representative to Georgia to do the inspection so that person might just as well bring the truck back,” he said.

As a result, the selectmen plan to talk over the issue with St. Pierre to see if some department money from other accounts can be used to cover the extra costs and the truck could simply be driven back be the person or people chosen to do the inspection.

After making a decision regarding these issues, the board plans to revote purchasing the truck and giving St. Pierre the go ahead to complete the order.

Once ordered the truck is expected to be ready to join the fleet later this summer.

St. Pierre is also announcing that one lane on High Street will be closed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday while firefighters burn down an old farmhouse at 192 High St.

“The house, owned by Kenneth Poland, will be burned Sunday after a daylong training session that we have planned for Saturday,” St. Pierre said. “Kenny wants the lot cleared to make room for a new house to be built there, and we feel we can burn the house safely and get valuable training for our firefighters and firefighters from neighboring towns at the same time.”

Drivers are asked to avoid the area.