Selectmen authorize inspection trip for used fire truck; no purchase approved

At the Oct. 12, 2015 meeting, the Town of Cushing selectmen agreed that Chair Alton Grover and Fire Chief Arthur Kiskilla would travel to Vermont on Oct. 24 to inspect a proposed used fire truck, but the board did not approve a purchase.

Selectman Daniel Staples said he would attend a Brunswick meeting regarding clam diggers but also commented that he was confident Selectman Grover was competent to look at the truck and pinpoint problems; Selectman Grover said he did not know anything about the motor and transmission. Selectman Laurie Haynes said the board could not approve a purchase unless a mechanic examined the truck; she also said the board had trusted Chief Kiskilla’s original assessment that a new truck was needed.

The minutes record that a mechanic had been scheduled, the visit was postponed and the mechanic was unhappy; a second mechanic was uncertain he could go. Selectman Grover said he would look for rust on the truck body. The minutes note that "it had been discovered that the truck was a 1994 instead of a 1995," reducing the net age gain for the town if purchased.

Selectman Heidi Alley said she did not think the town needed the truck, and Selectman Grover said he was still not sold on the purchase. The board ultimately agreed to send Grover and Chief Kiskilla to inspect the vehicle on Oct. 24; the minutes do not record a motion to buy the truck or the terms of any proposed purchase.

Next steps: on-site inspection by the fire chief and the selectboard chair; any purchase would require a subsequent decision and, per discussion, a mechanic's report.