Government

Board green-lights purchase of dump trucks

Town officials are gearing up for winter.

At a Town Board meeting Tuesday, the board approved two resolutions authorizing the highway department to purchase two dump trucks that will be used for snow removal.

The department will purchase a 2019 Kenworth dump truck for $175,000 and a smaller 2019 Ford F-550 for $67,547, according to Highway Superintendent George “Gio” Woodson.

The Town Board agenda incorrectly listed the Kenworth vehicle as a 2014, he said.

According to Mr. Woodson, the larger, more expensive vehicle comes equipped with a sander and plow and the smaller vehicle has a plow.

He said the purchase was necessary to replace aging vehicles purchased at an auction several years ago. “I bought pickup trucks [at an auction] to hold me over until I could afford new trucks,” Mr. Woodson said in an interview Tuesday afternoon.

But the pickups are too small to take on heavy plowing during serious storms and, through a recent inspection, Mr. Woodson learned one of the trucks was rotting from its frame. “I didn’t anticipate that. The pickup trucks, they’re tired. But through careful spending of my budget, I can start upgrading my fleet,” he added.

The trucks will be purchased within the next few weeks, he said.

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