Cheshire Selectmen OK Purchase of New Loader
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The town will use $196,500 from Chapter 90 funds to purchase a new loader for the Highway Department.
The Selectmen unanimously voted Tuesday to purchase a John Deere and trade in the 14-year-old machine.
"That will be a huge step in the right direction and I thank you guys for your consideration and approval," Highway Superintendent Blair Crane said. "Come winter when the snow is blowing and things are pretty nasty out there, that will be a huge piece to help that battle."
The town is slated to receive nearly $200,000 in state Chapter 90 road funds and this purchase would essentially sap this incoming allotment and leave the town with a total of $502,000 in the account.
Crane said the current machine has 12,000 miles on it, is rusting and is on its last legs.
"It is the one piece of equipment you use every time and no matter what happens in town you are pulling that out," Crane said. "When you put the key in it it has to turn on."
He added that conversely, the money could be used to make repairs to town roads or bridges.
"It depends on where your needs are at the end of the day if we had bridge issues than I think this would be a different conversation," he said. "If you spend money on a road you are dumping money into it this here will last us years."
Crane included a Volvo Loader in his report but said he would rather the John Deere model. He said the major difference is the John Deere has a five-speed transmission that he felt would be better for Cheshire's terrain.
"It handles the hills better and if you were in a quarry it would not matter as much because you aren't moving," he said. "Here we are driving up and down the road and we are always going somewhere."
The John Deere also has a five-year extended warranty with a satellite maintenance uplink.
"When it breaks down at 2 in the morning they know about it before you can even get to the phone," he said. "They know when to service it and if it's something we can't fix they know what to bring to fix it. It saves time and money."
Crane said the town could have the new machine by December 1.
In other business, Crane said the Department of Public Works is preparing for winter and has been receiving salt. He said there is 100 tons of salt left over from last year bringing the total up to 650 tons.
"I'd like not to use any of it but that is good," Selectwoman Carol Francesconi said.
Crane said salt is also cheaper this year and the town spent $6,000 less.
From Sept. 22 through the 29, the Highway Department will be doing crack sealing on Lanesborough Road, Church Street, Main Street and parts of Wells Road, in that order.
Tags: DPW, DPW equipment, highway,
