Picture of aging forestry fire truck being replaced taken Tuesday, Aug. 27, at the Select Board meeting in Livermore. Rebecca Richard/Franklin Journal

LIVERMORE — The Livermore Select Board during a special meeting on Aug. 27 approved the purchase of a new-used fire truck to replace the town’s aging forestry truck, which has been deemed unsafe and in need of extensive repairs.

The decision came after Fire Chief Don Castonguay briefed the board on the deteriorating condition of the current truck. Castonguay said he brought the 4×4 to Bailey Brothers Ford, their estimate to do the repairs is over $10,000. “The motor is shot, and the frame is almost gone,” he said. “We bought it used in 2004 or 2005. It served us well.”

During the Aug. 27 special town meeting, residents approved Article 2, which authorized the town to purchase a used one-ton 4×4 truck for up to $30,000. The board was granted the authority to finalize details and execute necessary agreements. The article passed without opposition.

Following the approval, Castonguay expressed gratitude to the board and the town for supporting the purchase. “Thank you for buying us a new truck,” he said. “We bought a 2020 Ford F-350 pickup with a bigger motor than we currently have. It has the remainder of a five-year factory warranty and has 56,000 miles on it. The old one had 180,000 miles, and we got 20 years out of it. I’m expecting more than 20 years out of this one.”

The truck costs $35,349. Castonguay said $3,000 from a capital account and the rest from his budget would cover the amount left after applying the $30,000. The fire department plans to transfer the body of the old truck onto the new one, with the potential need for additional work on the bumper. “We may paint it a few years from now,” Castonguay added.

The board also discussed the future of the old truck. “We will try to sell it, though we might not get much,” Castonguay said. “We’ll sell it as-is—the head gasket is gone, the transmission has problems, and during the last call, we almost didn’t make it there.”

Selectperson Brett Deyling was optimistic about finding a buyer, saying, “Someone will buy it.”

Chair Mark Chretien made a motion to allocate the $30,000 approved at the town meeting, with funds coming from both the reserve and the fire department’s budget. The motion passed.

In other business, Administrative Assistant Carrie Judd announced that Household Hazardous Waste Day is scheduled for Sept. 7, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Livermore Transfer Station. A list of acceptable items is available at the town office.