Templeton capital committee reviews police vests, radar trailer and annual cruiser request

The Town of Templeton Capital Improvements Committee reviewed three police equipment requests during its October 2025 meeting: replacement ballistic vests for officers, a new radar trailer after an insured loss, and the department’s annual cruiser purchase.

Chief Bennett told the committee the department is requesting vests for 11 officers — “9 full time officers … and 2 part time officers,” and that the town’s newest officer’s vest is excluded because she just graduated from the academy. Bennett said existing vests had reached the end of their service life; he said the current set “has expired” and gave an August 1 date for the most-recent replacements. He said the price quoted in the packet was current as of Oct. 4. Committee members questioned protection levels and specification: Bennett said the vests in the packet were the department’s highest-rated option (committee discussion referenced both “3A” and “Level 2” in the meeting transcript), and members asked staff to clarify which specific protection standard and model would be purchased.

On the radar trailer, Bennett told the committee the unit being replaced was insured; the insurance payment recorded was small ($37.57), and the department’s packet reflected a higher replacement price than last year. Committee members noted an apparent price increase from the previous purchase and asked how often the trailer would need replacement; Bennett said there is no predictable replacement interval unless the unit is damaged, and that prior trailers had lasted multiple years. He also reported original purchase prices for earlier trailers as quoted in the conversation (first trailer roughly $7,800; a later trailer roughly $8,700) and said the current replacement price in the packet is substantially higher than those earlier purchases.

On cruisers, Bennett said the department follows a practice of requesting one patrol vehicle each year to reduce maintenance costs and to keep the fleet newer. He presented two price comparisons discussed in the packet: a Chevrolet Tahoe (quoted at about $81,000) and a Silverado 1500 pickup (quoted at about $73,000); the packet applied a 10% contingency on top of vehicle cost for budgeting, producing an example figure quoted as $80,008.25. Bennett said the department’s maintenance costs have fallen since switching to an annual replacement cadence and centralizing mechanical work. Committee members asked for a five-year projection of cruiser needs and estimated costs to include in the capital plan; Bennett agreed to try to provide that by the committee’s next planning meeting on Nov. 19.

Committee members repeatedly emphasized the need for a multi-year capital plan rather than year-to-year purchases. One member noted the capital bylaw calls for a five‑year plan and asked the chief to include a FY+5 cost projection so the committee can add a replenishment estimate to future capital plans. Members also pressed for clearer documentation of contractual obligations that would make purchases mandatory (Bennett said nine full‑time officer vests are contractually obligated) and for exact model/specification details (protection rating) to be included with procurement requests.

No formal procurement approvals were recorded at the meeting. The committee did not vote to authorize purchases; instead it asked staff to provide clarifying details and multi‑year cost projections so the committee can include items properly in the FY26 capital plan.

The meeting proceeded to other agenda items after the police presentation, and later adjourned by motion.