The bid was awarded to Sheldon Trucks for a total of $178,820; the truck
itself will cost $114,340 while the body will run $64,480. Interim Road
Commissioner Rae Washburn and Road Foreman Stuart Grandfield first made
the request for a new tandem dump truck at a public forum in November.
Select board members opened three different bids for the truck at their
January 11 meeting. Washburn and Grandfield submitted their official
recommendations and specifications to town officials before the January
17 meeting.
If it's approved by the voters in March, the new tandem truck will
replace the 2001 single-axle truck currently used to spread chloride and
as a backup vehicle for the highway department.
Town officials decided to purchase a tandem truck instead of a
single-axle due in part to minimal difference in resale value. If
approved, the three tandem trucks will be used to haul sand in the
summer while the newest two would be used for winter road maintenance.
The 2011 town budget of $1,061,143 will include a line item for
one-third of the total purchase price. The $178,820 includes an extended
warranty. The contract with Sheldon Trucks will be signed upon voter
approval.
In 2010, the town budgeted $432,000 for total highway expenses, spent $435,193, and budgeted $438,490 for 2011.
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