Edgecomb voters approved a five-year loan for the Edgecomb Eddy School’s new John Deere tractor, purchased last spring, at a special town meeting Monday, Oct. 20. The vote to approve the purchase was 14-12.
The vote commits the town to pay $20,577 plus interest of about $2,000 over a five-year period.
Attorney Carl Griffin was elected moderator of the special town meeting. The single article on the warrant brought many residents to the their feet with questions after the motion to accept the article was made and seconded by the selectmen.
Even before the discussion began, a motion was made by resident William Witzell to have the vote of the article by secret ballot. The motion carried.
Edgecomb Fire Chief Roy Potter asked what would happen if the article was rejected, since the school already has the tractor.
Edgecomb School Committee Chairman Sarah Clifford said the committee wanted to wait to see how the town meeting vote went. “I have no definitive answer right now,” she said.
Resident Eric Carlson asked who decided the old tractor was not worth being fixed, and who decided to purchase a new one. Clifford said the AOS 98 facilities maintenance director determined the old tractor was not worth repairing. Carlson questioned why a tractor about 10-12 years old was in such bad condition.
As to the condition of the old tractor, Clifford said it had not been maintained properly, and the school committee plans to make sure the maintenance of the new tractor will be watched very carefully.
Clifford said the school still has the old tractor. Carlson asked what was going to be done with it. “We are considering putting it out to bid,” Clifford said.
Selectman Stuart Smith pointed out the old tractor is the property of the town, not the school.
During the May town meeting, the Edgecomb voters approved the facilities maintenance line of the school budget for $175,153. Included in that amount was $4,500 for the cost of the loan for the first year.
One resident pointed out that during the town meeting and the voting on the school facilities budget, nothing was said about a new tractor being purchased or included in the facilities maintenance article.
Clifford said the school committee was not aware a town-wide vote was necessary to purchase the tractor. “It was the lack of knowledge by the school board,” she said. In an effort to keep the school budget down, the school board decided to finance the tractor, not being familiar with the process of making purchases.
Clifford was asked what was going to be done to improve the maintenance on the new tractor. “We have a new custodian at the school, and the maintenance will be watched very closely,” she said.
After about a half hour of discussion on the article, voters lined up to cast their ballots.
When the votes were counted, Griffin announced the results of the vote and adjourned the meeting.
Selectman Jack Sarmanian presented Moderator Carl Griffin with three volumes of Edgecomb’s history written by Kathleen Owen in appreciation of his many endeavors on the town’s behalf.
