WILTON — The Board of Selectpersons on Monday night signed a warrant for a special town meeting on Nov. 19 for voters to weigh in on purchasing a 2019 International truck for the Public Works Department.
The meeting is set for 6 p.m. at the Town Office.
The purchase price of $163,649 includes $25,000 for a trade-in. If voters approve, the truck would be purchased using $64,000 from the undesignated fund account and a lease-purchase agreement for the remaining $99,649. Lease-purchase payments of about $35,000 would be made over three years beginning in 2020.
The payments would be made from the highway department capital account, Town Manager Rhonda Irish said.
On Oct. 15, the board voted in favor of purchasing a 2020 International HV-507 for $163,324 using $30,000 from the highway department capital account and $133,324 from the Comfort Inn TIF account. The purchase price included $22,000 for a trade-in.
The trucks replace two 2009 Sterling double-axle wheeler trucks that were slated to be replaced in 2020 and 2021.
Over the course of the past year, the town has spent $22,000 per truck to keep them on the road, Irish said previously.
The warrant was expected to include consideration of a marijuana moratorium in order to give the Planning Board time to work on an adult-use marijuana establishment ordinance to present at the 2020 town meeting.
However, Irish said she checked with Maine Municipal Association and was advised to review the moratorium with the town attorney. She suggested a special town meeting for the moratorium be held at a later date.
“The truck will be ready the middle of November. It is something we need rather than waiting a couple more weeks. The truck we are trading in is sitting in the garage. I know it was recorded that it was an engine issue, it’s not just an engine issue. There is a whole list of other things that need to be done for service,” Irish said.
In other matters, Chairperson Keith Swett asked about the status of residents who had petitioned town officials to exempt construction or placement of mobile homes, mobile or permanent trailers, and modular homes within the geographical area of Webb, Eastern and Sunset avenues.
The petition did not have enough signatures to be considered legal, but selectpersons at that time opted to keep a tax-foreclosed property on Webb Avenue listed with a Realtor but will not entertain any possible offers until they met Monday.
“I spoke to them at the end of last week,” Irish said. “They have taken a copy of the zoning ordinance and are looking at meeting with Charlie (Lavin, code enforcement officer). So, they are looking at going through the Planning Board process.”
Following an executive session, the board confirmed Irish’s appointment of John Masse as public works foreman. Masse has been an employee of the department for 14½ years, Irish said.
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