Selectmen debate town support for volunteer ambulance purchase; town manager warns against owning vehicle

Simsbury's Board of Selectmen spent a lengthy portion of its Feb. 28 special meeting debating whether to help the Simsbury Volunteer Ambulance Association buy a new ambulance.

The association has requested roughly $250,000 for a new van-style ambulance. Mark, the town manager, told the board the town could not legally own the ambulance or bond for it because it would be owned by an unrelated organization. He said, however, the town has capital reserves that could be used to help if the board was inclined to do so and recommended preserving the legal separation between town and the volunteer service to limit liability.

Several selectmen advocated different approaches: one proposed fully funding the vehicle minus private fundraising the association has already raised; others suggested a capped town contribution and preserving a means to protect taxpayers if the vehicle were sold or the association's operations changed. At one point the chair proposed a $200,000 cap; much of the discussion converged on funding the vehicle at roughly $196,000 (the vehicle cost cited in presentation materials) or negotiating toward $200,000 depending on the association's final fundraising total.

Legal and risk-management staff noted that, if the town were to fund a capital purchase for a separate nonprofit partner, options such as a lien on the vehicle could protect the town's interest without obligating the town to own the asset. The town counsel and risk manager warned that outright ownership would expose the town to maintenance, liability and procurement constraints.

The board did not take a formal vote on the floor; members asked staff to bring the proposal back during the capital budget discussion with precise figures on how much SVAA has already raised and recommended language for any funding motion, including the option of placing a lien on the vehicle.

What happens next: staff will obtain updated fundraising totals from SVAA and present precise accounting and legal language at the board's capital review so the panel can decide whether to authorize a one-time capital reserve transfer and on what conditions.