The Newcastle Board of Selectmen, at its Sept. 26 meeting, unanimously authorized Newcastle Fire Chief Clayton Huntley to request bids for a pumper-style fire truck.
The selectmen, after reviewing the recommendation of the Newcastle Fire Company Truck Committee, would award the bid Mon., Nov. 28, according to a tentative schedule.
Newcastle Town Administrator Ron Grenier, in response to concerns from the Fire Company, said the entities could work together to speed up the process if necessary.
Grenier uncovered a timber management plan for the property in town files. The plan, however, dates to 1996 and is “almost not relevant anymore,” he said.
Grenier and the selectmen discussed hiring a forester to evaluate the property.
“This is an asset of the town,” Hudson said. “It needs to be properly managed [or] it’s not going to be as much of an asset.”
Grenier said he would continue to research the matter with Hudson’s assistance and present options to the selectmen at their next meting.
“Everybody was very cautiously optimistic,” Frey said. “Let’s get something accomplished… was definitely the opinion of everybody.”
“I think we really picked a great crew,” Foote said. “I think it’s going to be great by the time we’re all done with it.”
In other town business, Russ Nowak resigned from his position as an alternate member of the Newcastle Planning Board.
Grenier described Nowak as a “long-standing member” with “a lot of institutional memory.”
“We’re going to miss Russ,” he said.
The Newcastle Board of Selectmen will meet Wed., Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. instead of the typical second Monday of the month, which coincides with Columbus Day in October.
The town’s department heads will present quarterly reports at the meeting, Grenier said.
