HEATH — A two-article Special Town Meeting will ask voters to appropriate $104,000 to buy a truck for the Highway Department and authorize the appointment of Selectboard members to any position under the board’s supervision at no additional compensation.
The meeting will be held Tuesday, July 25, starting at 7 p.m. at the Jacobs Road Municipal Center.
The Selectboard called this meeting after voters turned down a similar Highway Department request during Annual Town Meeting in May. Article 15 asked voters to appropriate $195,000 — with funds coming from free cash, the Equipment Stabilization Account and up to $53,145 in borrowing — to purchase a highway cab and chassis.
Article 15 failed to receive the two-thirds majority needed to pass, with a contingent of the voters expressing frustration with Selectboard members over their decision to reduce the Highway Department’s staff from four to three while crafting the fiscal year 2024 budget. Others were concerned about high budget expenses and subsequently high property taxes.
Selectboard members are now requesting $91,000 less than what was sought at Annual Town Meeting. This time, the board is asking permission to use only the money that is already in the Equipment Stabilization Account so if the town finds a used truck, it can act quickly to purchase it.
The Finance Committee recommends this article.
“We agreed it is important,” said Finance Committee member Ned Wolf. “If something becomes available, we need to have the means to act.”
The Highway Department owns four vehicles. According to Highway Superintendent Jeffrey Johnston, “two CDL trucks are dangerously close to the end of their life” and are in need of replacement.
Johnston noted the town has paid $50,000 in repair costs for the 2012 truck to one vendor since 2018, as well as additional repairs costs paid to another vendor. Repairs were covered under the vehicle’s warranty before 2018. The second truck was made in 2003.
Selectboard Chair Robyn Provost-Carlson said some towns replace trucks every five years to ensure they do not depreciate in value. She argued if the town waits much longer, it will run into the problem of needing to replace multiple trucks at the same time, creating an even larger tax burden for residents. In recent Heath history, Johnston said the town replaced three trucks in one year, costing nearly $500,000 — something he hopes to avoid repeating.
Even though both trucks need to be replaced — Johnston originally requested the purchase of two new trucks during the budget planning process for fiscal year 2024 — this Town Meeting request would replace only one.
Johnston is communicating with a town in Vermont to potentially buy its 2018 truck. The price is unclear at this time, but Town Coordinator Hilma Sumner said “the truck looks promising.”
For the $104,000 Town Meeting request to be approved, the article needs to pass by a two-thirds majority. Selectboard members stressed they understand there is anger from residents regarding the Highway Department budget cuts that resulted in the elimination of the laborer/operator position held by 15-year employee Mike Shattuck, but that this vehicle purchase is necessary to ensure satisfactory snow removal this winter.
“We need to have people change their focus from anger to understanding what the town needs,” said Selectboard member Sue Lively. “They are angry at us, but it doesn’t mean they should take it out on the Highway Department.”
To view the full Special Town Meeting warrant, visit bit.ly/3Q2nbKB.
Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com.