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Wayne budget committee reviews plan to top up reserves for new 2,000‑gallon fire tanker
Summary
Committee heard a presentation on replacing the town’s 1987 tanker with a 2024/25 Penworth 2,000‑gallon tanker, including safety upfits and an expected September delivery; the town would use reserves and seek roughly $153,000 in additional funds to complete the purchase.
Shayla Bear, presenting the capital‑transfer packet, told the Wayne Budget Committee the town’s oldest fire truck — a 1987 GMC tanker — is aging, lacks modern safety features and is becoming hard to maintain. "It is still functioning and it just passed a pump test," Bear said, but she added the vehicle has no ABS, only lap belts and significant cab noise.
Bear outlined a proposal to replace the unit with a 2024 Penworth tanker equipped with 2,000 gallons of water and modern safety and accessibility features. She said the newer tanker would increase the department’s on‑truck water capacity and broaden the pool of eligible drivers because it is an automatic transmission. "This truck alone would double our driver capacity from 3 to six right off the bat with people we already have driving," Bear said.
Committee members reviewed the cost details Bear provided: the fire‑truck reserve is projected at about $439,440 by July when a certificate of deposit matures, and the total truck price to date was reported at $592,000 with a target to keep the final cost under $600,000. To close the gap, Bear said the town’s funding request would be roughly $153,000; the select board suggested rounding the request to $153,000.
Bear described standard dealer and local upfits — pump‑compartment heaters, deck gun, electric dump valve to avoid climbing onto the truck in icy conditions, and a foam system that would allow the tanker to serve as an "attack" vehicle in certain responses. She also compared neighboring towns’ recent purchases, noting that some nearby departments paid $650,000–$900,000 for different truck configurations.
On timing, Bear said the dealer is holding a completed truck with no money down and that delivery is expected by September, which the presenters said is a significant cost and schedule advantage. Committee members discussed short‑term cash options, including a tax‑anticipation approach or short‑term borrowing, to cover the June–September cash flow if the town approves the appropriation in June.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the truck; members asked staff to confirm final quotes, shipping, and whether additional grant or congressional funding opportunities exist before the next review.
The budget committee scheduled a final budget review at its April meeting and asked finance staff to provide updated reserve balances and any refined payment terms for the truck.
