Farmington selectmen approve MOU for cemetery well, reaffirm ambulance funding and discuss police cruiser and infrastructure needs

The Farmington Board of Selectmen on April 13 approved several routine actions and reviewed multiple infrastructure items, including police fleet needs and wastewater equipment.

Minutes and appointments The board unanimously approved the March 30, 2026 public minutes and several November–December 2025 non‑public minutes (motions passed 4‑0). The board also moved (Titus, second King) and passed 4‑0 to appoint Felicia McCowan as an alternate to the Conservation Commission; McCowan accepted the role.

Pine Grove Cemetery Well #4 MOU Town Administrator Jason Henry presented the final Memorandum of Understanding with the Pine Grove Cemetery Association for Well #4 and asked the board to approve. The board approved the MOU (motion Staples, second Titus) 4‑0. Chairman Charlie King noted correspondence suggesting DES may require an easement in place before a permit is issued and asked staff to confirm conditions; Henry said he would double‑check.

Ambulance contract funding Chairman King signed an Autotronics ambulance contract and, after a resident questioned the funding source, the board moved (King, second Titus) and passed 4‑0 to reaffirm that payment will come from the Emergency Medical Motorized Equipment Fund. The board recorded that the fund balance was sufficient for the expenditure.

Police report and cruiser proposal Police Chief Scott Orlando briefed the board on the department’s quarterly data, clarified report abbreviations (DV = domestic violence; BI = bodily injury; PC = protective custody), and said Fund 08 had a balance of $66,820.17 with $15,573.54 outstanding. Orlando said he is evaluating purchase options for a replacement cruiser; comparable Ford Explorers at dealers the department uses ranged roughly from $48,000 to $55,000. He plans a formal presentation to the board within one to two weeks and recommended reallocating the 2019 Ford Explorer (about 105,000 miles) to the school resource officer program so the SRO would have a marked vehicle, which the chief said can aid deterrence.

Wastewater, generator and equipment The board reviewed the March wastewater report from Water/Sewer Department Supervisor Chuck Tiffany. Henry said the emergency generator at the wastewater plant is not running on a full load; a technician from Cummings is scheduled to troubleshoot. The Overwatch assessment team inspected the plant and will deliver recommendations and will also evaluate cybersecurity readiness. The board discussed purchasing a rubber‑tire excavator or backhoe dedicated to water and sewer use to avoid recurring rental costs; members asked staff to solicit quotes and coordinate with department crews.

Yard cleanup, transfer station and recreation King proposed obtaining a roll‑off container from vendors (Berwick Iron Works or Harding's) to collect scrap metal and clean the Highway garage yard. The board asked staff to follow up. Members also discussed relocating or replacing a Transfer Station shed and the potential cost to move electrical infrastructure into a new structure; Henry will coordinate site visits. Separately, the board discussed recent vandalism at the Recreation building and a Rec van; the markings were removed and the incident was reported to police, but no camera footage or charges had been identified.

Non‑public session and adjournment The board entered non‑public session under RSA 91‑A:3 II (c) for reputation at 6:54 p.m. (motion King, second Titus) and exited at 7:08 p.m. The meeting adjourned at 7:08 p.m. (motion King, second Staples), all actions recorded as passing 4‑0.