Greenfield to see rising DPW maintenance bills

• Email
• Print
• Comments (0)

GREENFIELD — While residents will likely see a costly warrant article or bond this March to continue funding of road reconstruction in town, the Department of Public Works is also requesting more money for maintenance to replace tires on two pieces of industrial equipment.

DPW Director Tim Murray met with the Select Board on Oct. 25 to discuss the DPW’s proposed budget for 2013. Most of the line items will not change much this year, he said, as the department plans to address the continuing road reconstruction in a separate warrant article or bond. However, the town’s loader and grader both need replacement tires, and purchasing the industrial grade versions cost a significant amount, he said.

The loader, which is four-wheel-drive, will require all four tires to be replaced at the same time at some point in 2013, which will cost $6,400 for all four tires. The town’s grader also requires one tire replacement. The DPW has already purchased one replacement they. The cost for one more tire for the grader is $1,600.

Murray presented a few options to the Select Board for handling the increases. He proposed that the total $7,500 for all five tires be put before the town as a warrant article, in order to reduce the impact to the DPW’s maintenance budget. He also informed the board that he anticipated about $10,000 in excess funds from his budget this year, which will be returned to the general fund balance at the end of the year. But he could use the funds to purchase the tires this year, and hold them in storage until they are needed.

Select Board member Deb Davidson said she wasn’t in favor of putting the cost of the tires in a warrant article, saying the budget was the appropriate place. She was, however, in favor of spending the excess funds to purchase the tires this year, but wanted to examine the upcoming tax rate before making a decision.

In other business, the Select Board opened three bids for the purchase of a generator to be installed at the Town Hall.

The board members voted 3-0 in favor of accepting a $9,257 bid from North Pack Electrical, owned by Kyle Fontaine of Greenfield, for the installation of a Kohler, 20-kilowatt air-cooled propane generator. Fontaine’s bid was the lowest submitted for an installation generator. The board decided not to accept any of the submitted bids for a portable generator.

Murray said he would begin installing the concrete pad for the generator next week, and the generator could be installed before winter set in.

Other companies that submitted bids include Reliable Equipment, of Manchester and Wilson Technologies of Brookline.