AUGUSTA — City councilors on Thursday will consider selling the city’s old, immobile, ladder firetruck for just under $1,800.

Last November, residents overwhelmingly approved spending $1 million to buy a new multi-purpose firetruck to replace the city’s 21-year-old ladder truck.

The new truck, however, isn’t expected to be ready until the summer of 2016.

Earlier this year, in mid-April, the old ladder truck’s engine stopped working while the truck was returning from a call. Because repairs would be costly — about $30,000 for the engine alone — and the truck also would need potentially expensive work on its ladder turret to return to service, city officials decided not to repair it.

Instead, they recently sought bidders to buy the disabled truck. The city received only two bids, the higher one for $1,775.

Fire Chief Roger Audette said given the truck’s age and the lack of a motor, the truck just doesn’t have much value.

Advertisement

Last week city councilors asked City Manager William Bridgeo to look into whether the city could get more for the truck by selling it to a scrap dealer, not someone looking to use it as a firetruck.

On Tuesday, Bridgeo said the $1,775 bid actually was from a scrap metal processor and dealer, White and Bradstreet, not another fire department.

White and Bradstreet is based in Augusta and, according to its website, is the largest truck parts supplier in Maine with some 35 acres of trucks from which used parts can be salvaged.

The proposal to authorize Bridgeo to accept the $1,775 bid and sell the truck to that highest bidder goes to councilors for a vote Thursday.

Rather than go without a ladder truck until the new truck arrives next year, the city bought a used ladder truck for about $40,000.

Audette said the city bought a used 1990 ladder truck from Milford, New Hampshire. It arrived in early August and is in service now.

Advertisement

“It meets all the national standards and is tested and certified, and our mechanic looked at it as well,” Audette said of the ladder truck in use now.

Audette said what to do with the interim ladder truck once the new multi-purpose truck arrives will be a matter for further discussion. Options include selling it or using it as a backup truck.

Councilors meet at 7 p.m. in council chambers at Augusta City Center.

Councilors are also scheduled to:

• hear a presentation on the planned Nov. 8 Lung Cancer Awareness Walk by Debra Violette and read a proclamation for Lung Cancer Awareness Month;

• consider proposed changes to the city’s employee policy manual to reflect changes in federal and state law;

Advertisement

• consider accepting a public easement over Sunny Acres Drive, which would allow the city to plow the private road;

• meet in a closed session to discuss pending litigation: and

• be led in the Pledge of Allegiance by Cub Scout Pack 684 and Boy Scout Troop 603 at the start of the public part of the meeting.

Keith Edwards — 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @kedwardskj


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.