Windham Town Council approves purchase of pumper-tanker truck

By Ed Pierce

Members of the Windham Town Council have approved a request by the Windham Fire/Rescue Department to purchase a pumper-tanker truck.

Windham town councilors have approved 
a bid of $586,719 to purchase a new
Spencer Fire Apparatus Pumper-Tanker
truck for the Windham Fire/Rescue
Department. PHOTO BY ED PIERCE 

During the council’s meeting on Sept. 10, Windham Fire/Rescue Chief Brent Libby told councilors that the department solicited bids for the new truck, which will replace a 25-year-old tanker in service at the East Windham Fire Station.

Libby said that the bid selected was $586,719 for a 2024 Spencer Fire Apparatus Pumper-Tanker made by Spencer Manufacturing of South Haven, Michigan.

According to Libby, the winning bid was higher than several others submitted, but it included more features that the department sought in replacing the existing truck and could pump up to 2,000 gallons fo water as needed.

“It met all of our needs,” Libby told the council. “It had the most available compartment space and had the same pump as the other vehicle.”

Councilor John Henry questioned the disparity between the lowers bids not selected and Libby said the winning bidder’s truck was multi-purpose and not used strictly for transporting water from one location to another as the trucks proposed by the lower bidding companies offered.

“Our goal is to consolidate equipment and apparatus, and this meets that need,” Libby said. “It is more than just a tanker and we liked the delivery times and the available compartment space.”

The new truck rolled off the manufacturing line earlier this month and is currently being equipped by the manufacturer. Because it is in the inventory of available apparatus it means that the new pumper-tanker truck will be ready to be delivered quicker than if the Town of Windham ordered a new truck to be built by the manufacturer, Libby said.

“That process can take up to three years,” Libby said.

At the same town council meeting, councilors agreed to purchase a 2024 trackless sidewalk tractor as part of a lease purchase agreement for $238,151 from HP Fairfield.

Councilors reviewed a memo to Windham Town manager Barry Tibbetts from Brian Morin of the Windham Public Works Department requesting the new tractor. Morin said in the memo that it will be used for snow blowing and plowing town sidewalks, sanding and salting sidewalks during winter storms and for roadside mowing and sweeping.

Morin said that the trackless sidewalk tractor is in the capital improvement budget plan funding approved by voters at the Windham Town Meeting in June.

This tractor will be the second owned by the town the other being a 2009 model and Morin said it will join the other tractor in service and be helpful in clearing additional sidewalks currently under construction or soon to be built in North and South Windham.

Councilors also discussed and reviewed COLA increases for the leadership of Be The Influence coalition.

Assistant Windham Town Manager Bob Burns told councilors that this is the 10th year of the federal grant which created the coalition which is comprised of members of the RSU 14 school community, local law enforcement agencies, town councils in Windham and Raymond, the Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce, prevention and counseling organizations, libraries, community organizations and the business community at large.

Be The Influence uses data and anecdotal information, the collaborative developed a problem statement and identified contributing factors, and together we have created a comprehensive plan to improve the consistency of information, education, resources, and communication to better equip our community in supporting healthy decision making by teens and adults.

Burns said the Windham Town Council is asked to approve 4 percent cost of living adjustment increases for BTI Executive Director Patrice Leary-Forrey and Program Coordinator Crystal Aldrich. He said the increases are part of the grant’s new fiscal year which runs from October 2024 to September 2025.

The council voted unanimously to approve the COLA increases for Leary-Forrey and Aldrich which are paid through the federal grant.

At the Sept. 24 council meeting, Burns updated the council about the town’s conversion to the automated trash collection system.

He said a finalized route adjustment map should be available shortly issues by Casella Waste Management and that issues associated with the new carts and overall system are decreasing and being handled as they arise. <