MINOT — Selectmen voted 4-0 Monday to include the purchase of a backhoe on the March 2020 annual town meeting warrant.
At last week’s budget presentation, Highway Department Supervisor Scott Parker said it has been eight years since the town had a backhoe and the department is running behind on smaller ditching projects, including culvert replacements. He said it’s a versatile machine that could be used year-round.
Selectman Lisa Cesare abstained from voting because she wanted to compare the cost of a new machine versus a used one, and finance it for less than three years.
A used backhoe has been priced for $85,000, plus $15,000 for attachments.
Selectmen agreed that even if the full amount of $120,000 is approved, the decision may still be made to buy a used backhoe for less, depending what is available.
In other business, Maine Waste to Energy, the Auburn company that takes Minot’s trash, informed selectmen that private haulers may be picking up trash for customers in other towns and claiming it is from Minot, which means Minot is charged for the extra weight.
Selectmen instructed Town Administer Danielle Loring to send haulers a letter advising that if they continue the practice, they may lose their privileges to haul for Minot residents.
Selectmen also reviewed and approved the Public Safety Answering Point agreement with Androscoggin County Dispatch Center in Auburn. The per capita rates are scheduled to increase in 2021 and 2022, depending on the town’s population in the 2020 Census.
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