FARMINGTON — Selectmen Tuesday, Oct. 11, approved purchasing two police cruisers for $108,731.60 and reimbursing $34,328 in training costs for a new police officer. A proposal was also heard on installing crosswalk art in the downtown area as part of the 2025 Rotary Centennial celebration.

Police Chief Kenneth Charles said supply chain issues for police vehicles are the same as for civilian ones with everyone going after the same vehicles.

“We called around to all the dealers we usually solicit quotes from and none of them have vehicles earmarked for delivery with the next year,” Charles said. “It’s everything from chips to different components, parts are not making it through the system and ending up in vehicles. What was recommended was if you can find one, get it now, as soon as you can because there probably won’t be any coming in the next year or two.

“One of the issues, especially with Ford vehicles – those are the most common,” he noted. “The hybrid vehicles are really where the backlog is. We are not looking for hybrids, I don’t think we are really ready for them based on our needs. Because there are no hybrids, everyone is going after gas models.”

MHQ, a company in Massachusetts does have vehicles, is expecting 20-30 in the next few weeks, Charles said. They have vehicles coming, they are getting spoken for really quickly, he noted. Pricing is increasing significantly – another component to consider, he added.

“If we were to have this proposal approved, right off the bat it is going to save us $7,000 per vehicle,” Charles noted. “[MHQ] knows that their contract pricing is going up by at least that much. It could be more.”

Funding wouldn’t come out of this year’s budget, Charles said. The quote would be signed with delivery in about 10 months – after next year’s budget is approved, he stated. Equipment for police vehicles is also backordered due to lack of staff to install it, he noted.

One and a half vehicles are typically budgeted for each year, with one purchased and money put into a reserve account towards another, Charles said. The vehicle already ordered for the department this year cost about $4,000-$5,000 less, that’s already how much prices have gone up, he noted.

I understand why you want to get on top of this now, what are your thoughts for the following year, Selectman Joshua Bell said.

Two vehicles are purchased one year, one the following year, Charles said. There are four vehicles getting up in mileage and years, he would like to see the department stay ahead of it so it doesn’t end up needing to purchase them all in one year. There is about $49,000 in the reserve account from the sale of the dozer, he noted.

Charles recognizes selectmen are committing to something that hasn’t gone through the budget process.

“These are not normal times,” Selectman Chairman Matthew Smith said. “Nobody knows what that word means anymore.”

“Given the times and the potential savings, I think it is a prudent approach,” Selectman Stephan Bunker said.

Selectmen approved taking $34,328 from the Police Department Training Reserve Account to reimburse another agency for training expenses of an officer who is joining the Farmington department.

An offer has been made to an officer who graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in the spring of 2021, Charles said. He looks very favorable, is going through the background check now, he noted.

“That graduation does come with a price tag, one that I am perfectly willing to accept,” Charles said. “He has worked for another department a year, he has left that department and would like to come here. It is actually a reduced rate, it would be $48,000 if we got him right out of the academy. There is an account set up for this purpose.”

“It’s nice to see that we are almost full,” Smith said.

“This is the last patrol position, which is really exciting,” Charles said. “We still have two to get back from the academy, finish up their field training. We have one to go to the academy. It puts us at May before we see the benefits. We are still looking for a detective.”

In other business Rotarian Lisa Laflin shared a proposal for crosswalk art as part of the Farmington chapter’s Centennial in 2025.

“We have a lot to celebrate,” she said. “Farmington Rotary came before you several months ago to propose another project – a musical playground. I am delighted to be here to talk about another opportunity to celebrate our 100 years of being an organization in Farmington.

“We’ve been brainstorming ways to become very visible in Farmington. We hope to create visually appealing, interesting, engaging and safe crosswalks. In Maine we have Belfast as a great example of a community doing this.”

A decision wasn’t asked for that night, the town isn’t being asked for money, Laflin said. Rotary would supply the paint, use paint that meets all rules and regulations, she noted.

“We would engage Rotarians and local artists to help.” Laflin said. “We really want this to be a community endeavor and we would provide the crosswalk locations and [submit] designs to the town for approval. Rotary would request the Town of Farmington keep us safe while the crosswalks are being painted.”

Smith asked if liability from changing the crosswalks had been looked into.

Laflin said that would be done, that most of what she had read showed that they increase safety because people are slowing down and looking.

Larger cities are experiencing the same on safety issues, Town Manager Christian Waller said.

How many crosswalks are being considered, Selectman Scott Landry asked.

Laflin said she counted 12. That may be too many, so probably the four in the Broadway/Main Street intersection and maybe the ones by Renys and the Dugout.

“February 2025 begins the kickoff for the yearlong celebration,” Laflin said. The crosswalks would be started that spring, be done by winter, she noted.

“I like the idea,” Bunker said. “The artwork would add more to our community, would bring more to town.

“People not asking [selectmen] for money is shocking for us.”

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