Select Board approves $18,204.68 in additional repairs for Town dump truck

The Buckfield Select Board voted Sept. 2 to authorize $18,204.68 in additional repairs on Truck 16 after town staff reported that mechanics found a cracked flywheel housing and extensive corrosion in the after-treatment (emissions) system. Staff said they had already approved replacement of the housing to allow the clutch job to proceed and sought the board's approval for the remaining work.

Why it matters: Public works officials said the town is already operating with fewer trucks and that winter plowing would be difficult with additional equipment out of service. Staff warned that deferring some repairs risks a failure in winter; the truck is also relatively old and constitutes a large share of the maintenance budget.

Repair details and rationale: Mechanics discovered a cracked flywheel housing when they disassembled the engine to replace the clutch; staff said they had no option but to replace the housing to complete the clutch job. Additional recommended work included motor-mount replacement and parts of the diesel after-treatment system, which staff said were rotted. Staff described the filter and module costs and explained how the total quote reached roughly $18,200.

Board action and context: A board member moved to approve the additional repairs, and the motion passed. Staff said the town had increased truck maintenance funding in prior years but that this repair would consume a significant portion of the budget line. The board agreed to proceed to avoid risking mission-critical downtime during winter operations.

Next steps: The repair work will proceed as authorized. Staff said they would return with updates if further costs are discovered.