Mattapoisett may be a small, seacoast community, but when it comes to the safety and protection of its citizens, that takes dollars and cents. On January 30, the Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee, led by Chairman Chuck McCullough, met with Fire Chief Andrew Murray and Police Chief Jason King to discuss FY24 capital needs.
Committee member Mike Dahill was given the floor to explore the short list of needs the Fire Department is requesting. For FY24, only one line item appears, a new sport-utility vehicle for the chief.
Murray explained that the vehicle he currently uses has a yet-unsolved issue – it simply shuts down. He said that during a response the SUV quit in the roadway, requiring the fire engine to go around it. In spite of the problem, Murray said he wants to keep the 2016 SUV for local travel and for travel to training academies with recruits. The wisdom of keeping of malfunctioning SUV was questioned by Dahill and member Bob Burgmann, who said, “Maybe it’s time to get rid of it, it could die on the way to Stow.”
Dahill asked Murray to help the committee in the collection of data that will be used to better understand the lifecycle of municipal vehicles and the need to add to the fleet by completing a form being used by the committee for study purposes. “If we get the data, it may help to understand your needs better,” he said.
Cost for a new SUV was estimated at $55,000 from free cash. It was also noted the lead times for receiving vehicles remains problematic.
Regarding the new fire engine currently under construction for the town, Murray said that final inspection in the Buffalo suburb of Hamburg, New York, would take place on February 15. He said that after that, the engine will be fitted with equipment and that training will also be part of the process of getting the new emergency vehicle into service sometime in early spring.
Looking further down the fiscal road, FY25 lists $6,800 for a replacement pump for the Forestry vehicle, $11,000 for new helmets and $18,000 for hose replacements (grants to be sought) all from free cash. Further still is a FY28 replacement of Engine 2 for $600,000.
Engine 2, planned for replacement, is a 1989 workhorse with 45,000 miles clocked in. Murray said it received some refurbishment six years ago.
Two line items on the Fire Department spreadsheet are for discussions on the possibility of purchasing a ladder truck and a tanker truck. Murray said most fire departments have a ladder truck, not so much to reach high locations but for lateral reach. He reflected on the boatyard fire, saying a ladder truck from another community was used as well as tanker trucks in mutual aid.
Town Administrator Mike Lorenco said current bylaws prohibit building structures higher than 30 feet. A bylaw change would be required to modify that height restriction, but taller buildings would make it more compelling to look at a ladder truck. Ladder truck estimates are $1,700,000 and tankers approximately $450,000.
The total FY24 request from the Fire Department is $55,000, FY25 $35,800 and FY26 $358,000.
Police Chief Jason King presented a narrative that shed light on the work of the department. In 2022 there were 7,539 calls for service, 736 ambulance runs, 108 calls for ambulance mutual aid, 1,246 motor-vehicle violations and 78 arrests. The department is staffed by 18 full-time officers with three vacancies. King said the department is currently undergoing accreditation.
Regarding rapid response, King said that the Live911 system is in process. This system allows 911 calls to go directly to cruisers in the area.
Turning to fiscal matters, King shared that the Police Department has received a grant for Live911 laptop computers and $61,534 for 911 training and medical dispatching. Grants for body-worn cameras and body-armor vests totaling $95,000 have been received. The department also received an unspecified grant for new automated external defibrillators.
The department’s FY24 capital needs list contains one line item for $55,000 for a new police cruiser. In FY25, the list currently contains $113,200 for two new cruisers, $310,000 for a canopy solar voltaic station over the parking lot to produce power for the station (grant monies will be sought) and $50,000 for radio consoles from ARPA funds.
There was also discussion regarding the need of a utility-task vehicle (UTV) for off-road search and rescue. In a follow-up, Lorenco said a grant request to a private agency was submitted for $20,000 for an UTV. He noted that a UTV would be helpful, especially for conservation lands and the bike path.
Lorenco also shared that cost estimates for the installation of new flooring in part of the Police Station have been high. That problem was solved when police officers, along with King, took it upon themselves to do the repair work at no cost to the town.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee is scheduled for Monday, February 6, at 5:30 pm.
Mattapoisett Capital Planning Committee
By Marilou Newell