Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fleet Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioners debate trading 2019 Durango for used shellfish boat amid maintenance and operational questions
Summary
Staff proposed accepting a used 17‑ft shellfish boat appraised at about $8,800 in exchange for a county 2019 Dodge Durango (about 125,000 miles). Commissioners questioned maintenance costs, fleet budgeting and whether the boat suits local marine response needs; a motion to trade was made but the transcript segment does not record the final roll call.
County officials discussed a proposed exchange during the Dec. 9 meeting in which the county would trade a 2019 Dodge Durango (reported with about 125,000 miles) for a used 17‑foot shellfish boat that staff said had an estimated retail value of about $8,800.
Staff explained the boat had been taken from a town (West Bath) and was being stored and maintained by a deputy; the town and fire chief had requested a used cruiser in lieu of payment. The sheriff’s office and other staff outlined potential use cases: shortening response times for stranded boaters and supporting marine checks in local waterways. “If we had this, it would have been a matter of probably 45 minutes” instead of hours in a recent response, one official said while describing a stranded boater.
Commissioners raised practical concerns: ongoing maintenance (staff estimated a maintenance line of roughly $1,000 per year), whether the boat and trailer are suitable for county response needs, fleet policy implications and the possibility that adding new equipment becomes a recurring capital expense. Staff said the boat comes with a trailer and motor and that towns occasionally assist with marine response, but noted Marineford and neighboring jurisdictions lack nearby surplus craft.
A commissioner moved to trade the Durango for the boat; the transcript records the motion but does not include a roll‑call tally in the available segment.
Next steps: the commission will need to finalize fleet accounting, ensure a maintenance budget line exists and confirm a formal vote was recorded in the minutes before the transfer proceeds.
