September 7, 2010
The Special Town Meeting was held at the Prospect Firehouse, 26 New Haven Road Prospect, CT. The meeting was called to order @ 7:00 P.M by Mayor Robert J. Chatfield.
Mayor Chatfield advised the Assistant Town Clerk, Rosalyn Moffo, would serve as clerk of the meeting.
Following the Pledge, a motion was called for by Mayor Chatfield to nominate the Moderator. Motion made by Stan Pilat to nominate Robert Hiscox as Moderator of the Special Town Meeting. The motion was seconded by Doug Merriman. Unanimous.
Moderator Robert Hiscox read the call of the meeting (Legal Notice attached that was published in the Republican American on August 19, 2010, Schedule A) and asked for a motion to accept the call for the Lease/Purchase Agreement from Oshkosh Capital for the Pierce Arrow XT Custom Pumper. Motion made by Kathy VanderEyk to accept the call of the meeting. The motion was seconded by Diane Lauber.
Fire Chief Marty Lautenschlager thanked the Cheshire Fire Department for bringing their Pumper Truck, a close representative of what the XT Custom Pumper would be.
Lt. Bill Lauber of the Prospect Volunteer Fire Department stated that Engine 1 had been in service for 22 years since 1988. At this time, Engine 1 is in reserve and used for brush fires. Lt. Lauber stated that trucks prior to 1991 do not meet the National Fire Protection Association (N.F.P.A.) safety standards and advised of the deficiencies of Engine 1:
Vehicle is the oldest in the fleet
An open cab
All seat belts are lap style
Pumps start to leak
Lt. Lauber stated the 2010 Pumper would include the following:
Cab enclosed
Seat Belts
Air Bags
Rollover Protection
Head Protection on sides
New Handling features
Fuel Economy
Holds 1,000 gallons of water
60 gallons of foam
Jim Borbas, Jr. of 29 Beach Drive, questioned how often the pumps were checked. Lt. Lauber advised the pump is checked yearly by certified technicians but also had an inspection last week. Mr. Borbas questioned if refurbishing would be considered. Lt. Lauber advised the cab would need to be enclosed and the seat belts upgraded, but the longevity of the vehicle would only be 4 to 5 years more.
Lt. Lauber stated the Town of Prospect currently has a high ISO is a rating, which concerns all homeowners for their insurance policies. If there is another review by the ISO and the Town loses its current rating due to this older vehicle, this will affect everyone's insurance.
Mayor Chatfield advised the financing bid-out was $559,100.00. There would be a discount of $21,260.00 leaving the balance at $537,800.00. The financing for the Lease/Purchase would be $80,000.00. The down payment at the contract signing would be $62,434.00 approved at the Town Budget Referendum. In 201 1 the payment would be $62,434.00 and for the remainder of the 8 year Lease/Purchase the amount would be $70,056.76. The Mayor explained that the newest Payloader would be paid for in the next two years and this would account for the remainder of the payments. The taxes would not increase. The Lease/Purchase would be paid off in 2018.
Jim DeCosta of 239 Cook Rd questioned if bonding would be more suitable than to Lease/Purchase. Mayor Chatfield advised the Municipality bonding is different than the Private Sector and it would be more feasible to Lease/Purchase due to the additional legal fees with the bonding.
Tim Sweeney of Blue 9 Trail Drive, questioned if any monies come from the Government or Homeland Security. Mayor Chatfield advised monies have come from Homeland Security which was used to purchase hoses, masks, boots and mechanical equipment.
Laurie Codianne, 24 Chandler Drive, questioned if a Grant would be used for the purchase. Mayor Chatfield advised a Grant was applied for but was denied.
Moderator Bob Hiscox asked for a vote on the Motion of the Call. Vote Unanimous.
Motion made by John Chatfield to approve the Resolution for the Lease/Purchase of the Pierce Arrow XT Custom Pumper. Motion seconded by Cecile Fortier. Unanimous.
Motion made by D. Merriman to adjourn the meeting. Motion seconded by R Doyon. Unanimous. Meeting adjourned @ 7:31 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Rosalyn B. Moffo, Clerk