Livermore Fire Chief Donald Castonguay explains why a new firetruck is needed during a special meeting Tuesday, April 12. Beside him are diagrams of the truck. Voters approved the purchase. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser
LIVERMORE — During a special town meeting Tuesday night, April 12, about two dozen voters approved purchasing a firetruck and financing up to $382,373 of its cost.
There will be a 10% increase May 1 in the truck’s price, purchasing it before then would save about $70,000, Fire Chief Donald Castonguay said before the vote.
Diagrams of a Pierce custom cab fire truck are seen during a Livermore special town meeting Tuesday, April 12. Voters approved purchasing the truck which will fit in the existing fire station and be able to carry all rescue tools. Pam Harnden/Livermore Falls Advertiser
The Pierce custom cab truck has space for all rescue equipment and would fit in the station.
In January, Castonguay told Selectpersons that ongoing issues with Engine I had stepped up plans to purchase a new truck. The issue seems to be with the modules, which cause the truck to ground while pumping and the problem hadn’t been found, Castonguay said then.
There isn’t room for the Jaws of Life on the truck now and Castonguay had said he sometimes has issues finding two drivers. “I don’t really want to put Engine II out as a frontline truck as it’s too valuable as a water truck,” he had noted.
“If we pay it all when we order [the Pierce truck], they’ll take off $18,000 and some change,” he told Selectpersons March 29. “They are going to allow us $20,000 for [Engine 1].”
Voters approved $100,000 at town meeting last year, the second installment of a three-year plan towards purchase of a new truck. Voters are to consider the final installment at the April 26 town meeting referendum vote.
“Livermore Fire Service has changed since it formed 75 years ago this year,” Castonguay noted. The department was called out more than 160 times last year, is now called for many different situations primarily due to the high volume of traffic on route 4, he said.
The Pierce truck should last 30 years or better, can be serviced in Auburn, Castonguay noted. Two other bids received were within $2,000, he said.
During the regular Select Board meeting held after the special meeting a four-year lease option for financing the truck was approved.
Initially Androscoggin Savings Bank offered three-, five-, and seven-year lease options. Selectperson and firefighter Scott Richmond had requested figures for a four-year plan.
In 2018 Livermore purchased a plow truck and gear using a similar arrangement with the bank.
Borrowing more than $100,000 through a general obligation bond requires a legal opinion, whereas leasing does not, saving about $1,000 in lawyer’s fees, Lena Hann of Androscoggin Savings Bank told Selectpersons during a presentation that July.
Installments due annually on July 7 will be $101,110. Three-year payments would have been $132,558, five-year ones $82,419 and seven-year ones $60,979.
At the end of the lease agreement the town may purchase the truck for $1.
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