Selectmen vote to sell aging backhoe 'as is' after technician cites structural failure; board to solicit replacement quotes

The Board of Selectmen voted Feb. 19 to sell a Town backhoe "as is, where is" after Lakes Region Hydraulics technician Les Leary advised the board that the machine’s frame has significant internal rust and that welding structural repairs would pose safety and liability risks.

"I think it's too high risk ... once you start cutting that open it's going to twist, buckle," Leary told the board, saying his firm would finish the work already started but would not undertake major structural welding because of potential liability. Leary said brakes and a rear axle had been repaired and that some components remain serviceable, but he recommended the town stop investing in the unit for municipal work.

Selectman John Scruton moved, and Chairman Gerry Vachon seconded, a motion directing the town to sell the backhoe as‑is with adequate defect disclosures, to reassemble it so it runs, and to limit further spending to necessary safety items (for example a rear window and diagnosing a relief valve). The motion passed 5‑0.

Selectmen asked department heads to assemble apples‑to‑apples quotes for replacement equipment and to supply full specifications; board members discussed a used 2022 machine with roughly 200 hours priced near $125,000 and a new unit list near $159,000, and said staff should bring complete quotes for comparison before making a purchase.

The board also asked staff to include any paid parts on the sale, document known defects in sale notices, and to obtain sale quotes. The town will pursue replacement options once quotes are confirmed.