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Select board discusses using expendable trust to cover fire engine pump rebuild; no vote taken
Summary
The Lakes Region Fire Apparatus pump on Engine One failed annual certification; the repair estimate ranged in discussion from $11,000 to $22,305. Select board members discussed reimbursing the fire department from an expendable trust but decided to delay a formal request until the end of the fiscal year to see how department budgets track.
The Tamworth Select Board reviewed a request related to a pump rebuild for Engine One in the Lakes Region Fire Apparatus fleet during its Feb. 25 meeting. The engine failed its annual certification and requires a complete pump rebuild.
Town staff explained that the expendable trust for repair and maintenance was created for situations like this. Trustees referenced a fund balance and discussed options for covering the cost — including using the expendable trust or allowing the fire department to pay from its operating budget and request reimbursement later.
Cost figures mentioned in the discussion varied in the transcript. At one point a trustee or staff member referenced $11,000 in connection with the expendable trust; when asked “How much?” a later speaker said the pump repair was $22,305. The invoice for the pump work had already been paid and appeared in the week's accounts payable, town staff said.
Why it matters: The choice of funding source affects department budgets and the select board’s capital-reserve planning. Trustees signalled a preference to defer a formal request to use the expendable trust until later in the year, when departmental spending is clearer.
Board decision and next steps: Select board members agreed it made sense to wait and monitor the fire-department maintenance line before formally drawing from the trust. Staff said the town can pay the invoice from operating funds now and ask trustees of the trust fund for reimbursement later. No motion was requested or taken at the meeting.
Ending: The board took no immediate action; staff and trustees will revisit the reimbursement request later in the fiscal year if needed.
