HOULTON, Maine — Should the town pursue a five-year, $250,000 bond to make capital purchases for the Public Works and Recreation departments?
That is the question on the minds of Houlton Town Councilors as the board is considering a loan to replace aging equipment for the two municipal departments.
According to Houlton Town Manager Butch Asselin, the town is proposing to purchase two used wheelers, at a cost of $65,000 each; a Larue D50 blower, used for clearing snow, at a price tag of $92,500; and a plate compactor, at $5,800.
The total cost of the items to be purchased is $228,300.
Originally, Asselin was also considering two other items on the capital improvements list — an excavator thumb attachment at a cost of $7,500 and a Bunker field rake costing $12,000. While he has not ruled out acquiring those items, they were not considered a priority at the current time.
The town received two bid on its request to borrow money, with Machias Savings Bank coming in as the low bidder at 1.75 percent. Katahdin Trust Company’s loan bid was for 2.89 percent. If the plan is approved, the town will have an annual payment of $46,508. The total amount of interest to be paid over the life of the loan is $10,015.
A public hearing on the loan will be held Monday, Aug. 24, at 6 p.m.
