Dexter council approves $153,000 loader purchase

DEXTER — The Dexter highway department will have a new front end loader after the town council approved a $153,000 purchase from the Orono-based SR1 Equipment during a Feb. 20 meeting.

The council voted to move $85,000 from the public works equipment reserve to purchase the loader. Another $50,000 will come out of the public works portion of the 2025 budget. A 2000 John Deere loader will be traded in for another $18,000 to complete the transaction.

The bid from SR1 Equipment was $500 cheaper than another bid, Town Manager Trampas King said.

“The cost was not the reason though,” King said. 

He said Councilor Chuck Ellms, who owns his own contracting business that includes earth work, explained that the machine was bigger and had more power. Road Commissioner Steve Kimball and Ellms went to look at the loaders to see which one would work best for Dexter.

When asked why the town was looking to purchase a new loader, Ellms said Dexter officials wanted to have a new machine on hand for when the existing 25-year model reaches the end of its life. Town officials also had concerns about tariff fees if they waited.

In other business, the council accepted a $185,131 grant from the Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry. 

King explained some of the grant funds will go toward removing dangerous trees and for shade tree planting.

“There are a lot of older trees in town that need to be removed because they are dangerous,” he said. “When we get those heavy wet storms or extreme wind the trees are losing limbs and are at risk of coming down.”

The town manager said roads with the worst trees are Mechanic and Liberty streets. Should these large trees fall, major damage would be caused to the Liberty Street cemetery and Mechanic Street homes. 

New trees would be planted in locations such as the beach, airport, ice rink and some parks. The hope is to get volunteers and make planting the trees a community-building workshop.

A $28,925 bid from Tucker’s Tree Service of Bradford was selected for a round of 22 trees, with the company both cutting down and cleaning up the debris. Tucker’s Tree Service had another bid of $20,350 with public works taking care of cleanup, but the council opted for the first bid.

King said councilors were concerned about the equipment that the department had to do cleanup, and the time it would take. If a storm struck, the debris might be left in the way for longer than if Tucker’s Tree Service handled the task.

The council also accepted a near $5,000 Department of Agriculture Conservation and Forestry matching grant for the fire department.

“Our fire department was concerned after watching the California fires that we were not prepared with equipment and personnel protective equipment,” King said. 

He said some of the equipment was helmets, pumps, rakes and fire rakes. The PPE included shirts, pants and safety glasses. The department can use the regular gear, but during the summer the equipment is too heavy and hot. New gear will be for use in warmer weather.

A $1,800 grant from the Hartley Charitable Foundation was accepted. The Dexter Pride committee will determine how to use the funds. 

King said past related expenditures have included the purchase of downtown flags, painting the mural by the police station, and giving money to the town summer camp and swim lessons.

In his report, King said Dexter is now working on its comprehensive plan and this requires community outreach to complete the vision for future success of the town. An online survey identifies areas of the community that the town can focus on for future growth while preserving the town’s character.

King said the comprehensive plan is not only for the residents but for anyone that has a stake in the community. Hard copies are available at the town office and are due back by March 21.

A public hearing on a proposed solar moratorium has been scheduled for the next council meeting on Thursday, March 13.

King said a question from the audience asked how many permits were out and this would be discussed at the next planning board meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27. When asked if projects already permitted could be stopped, King said legal counsel said no because this would open the town up to lawsuits.