Selectmen approve police cruiser purchase

By Stuart Hedstrom 
Staff Writer

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — As part of the regular rotation of department vehicles, the selectmen gave their approval to a bid from Prouty Ford for a 2014 Ford Expedition XL for the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department during an Oct. 28 meeting.

    Town Manager Jack Clukey said in mid-September bids were solicited from a half dozen dealerships with four being received. The bids were opened on Oct. 8 and later reviewed by the protection committee. “There was about an $800 difference between the highest and the lowest,” Clukey said.
    The highest of the four bids was made by Prouty Ford of Dover-Foxcroft, $29,065 compared to the low bid of $28,253 by Varney Ford of Newport. With the range of bids being $812, police department and town officials wanted to award the bid to the local dealership compared to businesses in Newport, Bangor and Augusta.
    Selectperson Gail D’Agostino said the local purchase, while slightly more, could be advantageous in the future for vehicle service and maintenance with the dealership located in town, saving on travel costs and time needed to get the cruiser back on the road.
    Select Chair Elwood Edgerly wondered if having four-wheel drive on the new cruiser would be a better option for the police department. Police Chief Dennis Dyer said the reason for having two-wheel drive included in the bid was for budgetary reasons, as four-wheel drive would be several thousand dollars more.
    The selectmen opted to ask for four-wheel drive in the cruiser as well as an additional warranty package to bring the total vehicle cost up to $33,260.
    When asked about an older cruiser, Dyer said the department would like to use the vehicle for its canine unit. “We would like to keep that and once it starts to cost us money we will get rid of it,” he said.
    For patrol vehicles the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department currently has two Ford sedans — a 2009 model with 120,000 miles and a 2011 with 57,000 miles.
    In other business, the selectmen approved fire protection agreements between the town and the neighboring communities of Bowerbank and Atkinson. The two contracts had been updated and include additional language to clarify that Dover-Foxcroft assumes no liability in providing fire protection services.
    Under the agreements Bowerbank and Atkinson both pay an annual fee to Dover-Foxcroft for fire protection services; the amount is based on community building value. The two towns also will pay hourly costs for calls responded to by the Dover-Foxcroft Fire Department, depending on the personnel and equipment on scene.
    In his town manager’s report, Clukey said the town has been selected to receive $200,000 from the Northern Border Commission for upgrades to the hydro facility on the Piscataquis River near the downtown Riverfront Redevelopment project. 
    Clukey said Piscataquis County Economic Development Council Business Development Director Dr. Ken Woodbury Jr. will be submitting an application to the USDA before the end of the year seeking funding for the energy portion of the Riverfront Redevelopment project. Funds could be used for solar, geothermal and hydroelectric components of the redevelopment of the former Moosehead Manufacturing site.
    The selectmen normally meet on the second Monday of the month, but in November this session will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 12 with Veterans’ Day falling on what would have been the regular date. The board also set their lone December meeting for Monday, Dec. 16.