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Select board accepted drone grant; town applies for diesel-truck replacement grant
Summary
At the planning board meeting members reported that the select board approved accepting a grant for a police drone pending a use policy, and that the town applied for a diesel vehicle replacement grant estimated at $217,000 or 80% (whichever is less), potentially saving the town roughly $200,000 on a planned truck purchase.
Members reported that the select board has approved accepting a grant to purchase a drone for the police department but noted the drone will not be deployed until the select board adopts a department policy governing its use. In a separate, time‑sensitive action, the town held an emergency meeting to apply for a diesel-truck replacement grant covering $217,000 or 80% of the vehicle cost, whichever is less. If awarded, board members said the grant would reduce the town’s out‑of‑pocket replacement cost by approximately $200,000.
Board members said the diesel grant would apply to a planned replacement already in the capital plan and described the application as a routine effort to secure outside funding to reduce local costs. The select board will continue to develop the drone-use policy before authorizing operation.
Next steps: select board to draft and adopt a policy for police drone use; town staff will await grant award decisions and report back if the diesel grant is successful.
