JAY — Town Manager Ruth Cushman is looking for a better used car that employees can drive to training sessions, conferences and other job-related activities.

Selectmen directed Cushman on Oct. 24 to see if there are any used cars in good condition for under $5,000.

Cushman had initially asked to buy the 2004 Ford Escape that Sewer Department Superintendent Mark Holt bought in 2008 at a vehicle auction. Holt modified it to suit the needs of the department and save the town money on gas. It had less than 30,000 miles on it and cost $11,900. Additional expenses, including a trailer, a light bar for the roof and two-way radio, brought the price to about $14,000. It was far less than the $40,000 he initially was going to spend on a full-size truck with a plow. The latter is a 1997 and had about 115,000 miles on it three years ago.

Holt has used the sport utility vehicle for more than three years and it has 65,000 miles on it, Cushman told selectmen.

The car town employees use for traveling on town business is in bad condition. That car is not in as bad as the one used by transfer station coordinator Todd Hiscock to go back and forth from the station to the town office, she said.

The car that is currently used by staff would go to Hiscock for the shorter travel, she said.

Holt already has two purchases he needs to make to replace the pump truck and a pickup truck, she said.

Cushman asked the board to allow her to buy the Escape and allow Holt to purchase a third vehicle to replace it, which would bring him to three purchases needed in 2011-12.

“I was thinking of taking $5,000 out of capital and put it into his sewer account,“ Cushman said.

Selectman Tim DeMillo said he was not opposed to the idea but would rather Cushman look around for another used vehicle to suit their needs.

“Sixty-five thousand miles on a vehicle would go Mark a long time,” DeMillo said.

Cushman said the Escape would also go a long time for the town office staff and others who need it, such as selectmen when they travel on town business.

Chairman Steve McCourt said they should look around for a vehicle that could be used as a town car. He said they could probably find one for $3,000 to $4,000.

“It definitely needs to be replaced,” McCourt said.

Paying someone mileage to use their own vehicle to travel on town business would cost the town more money than having a town car, Cushman said.

“We can look and if we can’t find anything under $5,000 than we’ll look at Mark, but with all the purchases he has coming up, I’m not in favor of it,” McCourt said.

[email protected]