The selectmen voted 4–0 at their July 14 meeting to authorize purchase of the used tower truck that became available to the town earlier this year. Fire Chief Rick Sicard reported that the truck had passed its certification exam and that a mechanic had closely inspected the vehicle and recommended a number of minor repairs but otherwise found the truck to be in good condition. The Capital Planning and Investment Committee voted in June to support the purchase but warned that if the truck “breaks,” it would not be replaced before 2022, as specified in the current long-range capital plan.
The $20,137 needed to purchase the truck from its current owner will be taken from the Rantoul Trust. The vote to use Rantoul money was 3–1, with Leo Blair opposed and Lucy Wallace absent. The Fire Department will absorb the cost of repairs, estimated to be $3,457. The department’s capital plan anticipated buying such a truck in 2022 for a cost estimated to be around $500,000.
“Here’s an opportunity … for small money to have the department figure out what it’s like to have one of these trucks in-house … learn about it, train on it, get comfortable with it,” said Selectman Ken Swanton, who sits on the capital committee. Selectman Stu Sklar added, “It’s been checked out and looks like it will hold up for at least a couple of years.”
