Board approves fire truck purchase paperwork after debate over bid totals and financing

Board members reviewed bid documentation for a new fire apparatus and discussed financing options before approving the purchase paperwork. Members noted an apparent discrepancy on the face of the bid packet: an advertised top-line number of $608,363 but a lower net price after prepay and equipment changes. A board member said a reallocation of equipment (moving an air conditioner to a console) and a prepay discount reduced the final total.

“We could save five thousand and that was agreeable to everyone... the total cost will be five eighty three seven eighty five,” the treasurer explained when summarizing the discount and prepay option. The board debated loan timing and whether the town could meet a 15‑day remittance term once the vendor processed the contract. Members asked staff to confirm the paperwork and ended the discussion with a motion to approve the specific bid/proposal number corresponding to the reduced final price.

The motion to approve the purchase and allow staff to pursue the discounted financing carried; the board instructed staff and counsel to confirm legal and tax‑exempt bond issues as part of finalizing paperwork before signing.