RUMFORD — The Board of Selectmen voted 3-2 Thursday in support of a recommendation by Police Chief Stacy Carter to purchase a 2016 Ford SUV Interceptor.

The vehicle will be purchased for $24,340.95 from Bailey Bros. Ford of Livermore Falls. Board of Selectmen Chairman Brad Adley and Selectmen Jeff Sterling and Peter Chase voted in favor of the purchase, with Mark Belanger and Frank DiConzo voting against.

Carter said the SUV will replace a 2011 Charger, which “is our oldest patrol vehicle.”

The Charger has 104,000 miles on it and “has had a considerable amount of maintenance work done to it.” He said the engine also has 10,038 hours on it, with 40 percent of that being idle time, which is added wear and tear on the vehicle.

Carter said they went sought bids for a Ford SUV similar to one the department has.

There were five bids from four dealerships, but Carter reminded the board that they can accept “the bid that’s in the best interest of the town.”

The chief said three bids were for vehicles that would have to be ordered, which would mean waiting 12 to 16 weeks. “The SUV that we currently have took exactly four months.”

Two of the bids were from dealers that had vehicles in stock. Carter asked for one of these, which was a blue SUV from Bailey Bros., even though the bid specs called for a white one. He noted that Bailey’s bid was “about $100 more” than the lowest bid submitted by Ripley & Fletcher Ford of South Paris.

“My fear is that over the next four months, we’re going to continue to accumulate maintenance costs, which is basically throwing good money away, in my opinion,” he said, referring to the Charger.

Belanger asked about the difference in cost from a car to an SUV.

Carter said the SUV is about $1,500 more.

“The reason I’m asking for an SUV is that it’s a four-wheel drive. The Dodge Chargers that we have, we struggled to get around in the wintertime. Most every street is on a hill. I wanted to have at least two vehicles that give us the capability to get where we need to get safely,” he said. The mileage is not that much lower with an SUV than with a sedan, she said.

Town Manager John Madigan said, “I just want to add that what we found in Mexico is the additional cost of these you get back two- and threefold when you trade them in. The trade-in value is much higher than a sedan. They’re well worth the money to have with all the hills we have around here.”

In other business, Carter said Cpl. Donald Miller has resigned to take a position with the Lewiston Police Department. His last day was June 19.

He said Miller will be staying on as a reserve police officer.

Carter said Lawrence Briggs, who served as the utility officer, “will move up to fill that spot.”

He said he has placed an advertisement to replace the utility officer.

Carter noted that Briggs will need to go to the Police Academy in August.

bfarrin@sunmediagroup.net

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