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Farmington Fire and Rescue Department awarded

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FARMINGTON – Selectmen bought a $97,500 backhoe/loader for the highway department, moved the plans for a new police station forward and applauded the Fire and Rescue Department on its award by the Department of Labor for its employee safety record.

After receiving six bids to replace the aging loader/backhoe, selectmen spent a fair amount of discussion on which model to buy. In the end, it was director of Public Works, Denis Castonguay’s recommendation to purchase a JCB 4CX14 from Oliver Stores in Farmington. Although priced a few thousand more than two other bids, Castonguay said the JCB has “capabilities that the other three machines do not have,” including the same sized large tires on all four wheels, larger bucket capacity, a longer reach with the extender hoe, in addition to being offered by a local dealer.

The JCB can also be used in replacement of the town’s Drott excavator and handle some of the older loader’s workload, said shop foreman Greg Soule. He noted the JCB has four-wheel steering and crab walk side steering capabilities, which is useful both as loader and as a backhoe when ditching, he added.

“With these extra capacities, we could actually replace three machines with one purchase” and get ahead of the scheduled purchase of machinery, Castonguay said. Selectmen agreed with Castonguay after asking a lot questions.

The Public Works director was not successful, however, in convincing the board to enter into a lease purchase agreement of the JCB in order to “free up much needed money for smaller items needed for our operation,” he said. He wanted to buy two more compu spreads and one set of front plow wings for a total purchase of $25,000, with the remainder of the money to be rolled over for next year’s equipment needs.

Selectman Dennis Pike pointed out that $85,000 was budgeted this year, with the reserve account balance to total $130,000, was available to pay for the backhoe/loader.

“If we pay for it outright we’ll save $4,000 (in lease payment interest),” Pike said. “The money is available.” Selectman Jon Bubier agreed with Pike and made a motion to purchase the equipment in the full amount. Pike, Bubier and Selectman Chair Stephan Bunker voted for the outright purchase, with selectmen Ryan Morgan and Nancy Morgan opposed.

Selectmen authorized Town Manager Richard Davis to draw up a timeline for presenting the plans for voter approval in a town referendum for a new 9,030 square foot police station proposed to be constructed at the intersection of High Street and Routes 2&27. The projected cost is $2,509,000 and may take 18 months from permit approval to a move-in date, said Craig Boone of Bunker & Savage Architects, who developed the plans for a two-story colonial-style building to accommodate the 14-officer force.

The plans are based on the recommendations of the Police Station Needs Committee, which has been working on the plans for months. For details and a drawing of the project, click here.

Discussion of a possible referendum vote date included a late August date or to be added to the state’s November election day ballots when presumably more voters go to the polls. If a November vote is approved, a possible move-in date could be November 2011, Boone said.

The Fire and Rescue Department received the state’s Department of Labor’s Safety and Health Award for Public Employers. In the photo above, Farmington Fire Chief Terry Bell received the award from David Wacker, director of the state’s Bureau of Labor Standards, Workplace Safety and Health Division at the selectmen’s meeting Tuesday. The award is given public employers who exhibit an “exemplary safety and health management system.” The recognition also grants a one-year exemption from the Bureau of Standard’s scheduled inspections. To receive the award, the department called in a consultant to identify a hazard survey involving employees, make corrections if hazards are identified, demonstrate a lower lost workday or illness rate, are among the requirements, according to the state’s Department of Labor’s Web site: click here.   

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