ENFIELD, Maine — Town officials said Monday that they might pay another municipality to plow a portion of Enfield’s roads next year as they try to determine the most economical way to repair or replace an aging plow truck.
Stationed in West Enfield, the 1999 model, a backup used mostly to plow roads in the winter, suffers from wear-and-tear and sitting stagnant.
According to Board of Selectmen Chairwoman June Grey, the question is whether it’s “economically better to invest in the truck where you are letting it sit for half a year or to bid out the work it does?”
“We are just starting that investigation, and I know that the town manager was going to be inquiring of other municipalities but also will talk about bidding it out to private individuals,” Grey said Monday. “It certainly doesn’t hurt just to cover all the bases.”
Equipment replacement is a persistent problem with many northern Penobscot County towns as the region’s population declines, costs rise and the regional economy remains largely stagnant, officials said.
Lincoln officials struggled a few years ago to replace a road sweeper. Millinocket officials are wrestling with whether to inspect and repair the town fire department’s only ladder truck, which was taken out of services more than a year ago because of mechanical problems.
Enfield has two plow trucks and one full-time public works employee tending to its roads. The town, which is south of Lincoln and near Howland off Exit 217 of Interstate 95, has a population of 1,608 residents, according to the 2010 Census.
For the 2014-15 fiscal year, the town has a $724,408 municipal and $1.81 million school budget and a property tax rate of $16.10 per every $1,000 of assessed property. Its tax rate held at $16 per every $1,000 for the two previous fiscal years, Town Manager Theresa Thurlow said.
No cost estimate on the repair of the plow truck has been made, Thurlow said.
“It’s not a spur-of-the-moment thing that we need to attack right now. We are looking at what we can do for next year’s budget and gathering information to prepare for it,” Selectman Rick Smart said. “Every community is looking at issues with revenue. We are probably in a little bit better position than a lot of towns, but we can’t keep raising taxes. That’s why we are looking at options.”
Among the options Enfield officials might discuss, Grey said, is working with a committee of northern Penobscot County municipal representatives begun by Lincoln town officials last summer. The committee’s goal: To see whether municipalities can achieve savings through bulk purchasing or sharing equipment and services.
Selectmen will meet to discuss the truck at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15 at the town office.