Dexter council approves pickup truck purchase for fire department
DEXTER — The Dexter Town Council approved the purchase of a 2022 GMC pickup truck from a dealer in New Hampshire for $56,000 during a meeting on Dec. 14. The vehicle will replace a 1998 model.
Town Manager Trampas King said members of the fire department did a great deal of research to find the best deal possible, with the vehicle being found in New Hampshire. King said the Granite State dealer serves on that community’s board of selectmen, so he is familiar with municipal department needs.
Fire Chief Matt Connor said many firefighters will drive their own vehicles to calls. “We’re not in it for the money but this pickup truck will keep a lot of miles off peoples’ personal vehicles,” he said.
The 2022 GMC will be funded in part with $5,000 from the Dexter Firefighters Association as well as another $5,000 from the sale of the 1998 model as this vehicle went out to bid.
In other business, the council appointed Trina Neptune as one of the town’s six representatives on the SAD 46 Board of Directors.
Neptune will serve through November of 2024, the next regular election in which she can choose to run again for a 3-year seat. The council heard from both Neptune and Randy Saunders to make a decision on who to appoint to an open seat created when Brian Sawtelle resigned earlier in the fall.
The council also approved bringing forward a proposed ordinance change to town employee medical insurance coverage to the January meeting agenda.
King said an increase in what the municipality provides is being sought to help retain and attract employees, including younger workers. He said the average age of town employees is about 57 years.
The town manager said about $40,000 is set aside in the current year’s budget for this purpose, and how much would be used is to be determined if the proposed ordinance change moves forward and how many employees choose to take part.
The town council elected Marcia Delaware as chairperson and Andrew Bermudez as vice person.
New councilors Elijah Ames and Danny Hutchins were both sworn in.
In his manager’s report, King thanked all who responded to a bomb threat late last month at the Ridge View Community School including teachers and administrators, bus divers, and first responders.
“They had all those kids out of there and on buses in about 15 minutes,” King said about the evacuation. “Everybody stepped up and did it with professionalism.”
All students were safely evacuated to Dexter Regional High School where parents picked them up, Superintendent Kevin Jordan said later that day.
“A State Police canine bomb-sniffing unit performed an extensive search of the school and found nothing suspicious,” he said, with classes resuming the following day. Jordan thanked students, staff, and the Dexter Police Department for handling a stressful situation in a calm and professional manner.
Staff Writer Valerie Royzman contributed to this story.