By Natalie De La Garza
Staff Writer
CARIBOU, Maine — A replacement vehicle for the Caribou Fire Chief was granted during the March 10 City Council meeting, as long as the new unit costs under $30,000.
The topic was discussed by the council at multiple meetings, and was first mentioned last fall.
During their March 10 meeting, councilors voted down an original motion to purchase a vehicle for under $30,000 to be housed at the fire department and, instead, councilors Kenneth Murchison, Shane McDougall, Joan Theriault and David Genthner approved the purchase of a vehicle for under $30,000 to be used by Caribou’s fire chief as a take-home vehicle; councilors David Martin and Philip McDonough opposed the motion, having made and seconded (respectively) the first motion to keep the vehicle at the fire station after hours.
“Leaving it at the fire house or not, I think it’s really a hill of beans to be honest with you,” said McDougall. “We’re talking 3-5 miles … to me, we’re here to approve or not approve a vehicle purchase,” he explained. “The policy thing is something that sounds like it needs more discussion — not everybody’s on the same page. I guess I’m in favor of (Fire Chief Scott Susi) needs his vehicle when he needs it, and for the little amount of time that he has it at his house and drives it back and forth, I just don’t see the issue.”
Murchison stated that he shared McDougal’s opinion.
Discussion in past meetings centered around the need for a command vehicle for the fire chief, fuel economy of said vehicle and whether or not it should be taken home by the fire chief at night.
Mayor Gary Aiken affirmed that the city is not interested in the purchase of an 11-mile-per-gallon vehicle, and councilors Martin and Theriault agreed that a new vehicle was needed.
But the councilors did not agree on whether or not the vehicle should be taken home at night.
The current command vehicle for the fire chief amasses about 12,000 per year, and Susi explained that he does not take the city-owned vehicle to meetings or conferences out of the area.
In instances where the fire chief is in his personal vehicle and out of the area, Susi has responded to a fire in his personal vehicle.
“In that instance I say who’s not safe because he doesn’t have the command vehicle with him? Is it the firemen, or the people whose house is burning? Who’s not safe?” Aiken questioned. “He can’t have it at every fire, because that (scenario where he responds to a fire from outside of Caribou in his personal vehicle) could happen … and unless we’re willing to say he can’t go anywhere without that vehicle, then is there not a justification for keeping it at the fire station?”
The council also agreed to move forward with plans at the Caribou Municipal Airport, by means of approving the creation of a terminal master plan update.
Apprising the council of the airport progress, City Manager Austin Bleess explained that originally, the next project in the facility’s Airport Capital Improvement Plan is the update of the airport master plan, which was last changed in 1998. The city’s airport consultant agrees that instead of creating an airport master plan, the city can construct a terminal master plan.
“The estimated cost of the project is $30,000, of which the city would be responsible for 5 percent, or $1,500,” Bleess said, adding that the city has put enough aside in 2014 to cover the expense.
The council approved the plan with one abstention. The next meeting of the Caribou City Council is scheduled for Monday, March 24 at 7 p.m. in the councilors’ chambers.
