FARMINGTON — Selectmen Tuesday night, Dec. 13, unanimously approved $43,772.40 for the purchase of a 2023 Chevrolet Tahoe SSV and up to $5,000 to outfit it for the Fire Rescue Department.

“We have been looking at options,” Chief TD Hardy said. “Both our SUV and pickup are at the end of their lifespans.”

Hardy has been talking with dealers, got a response this afternoon from McGovern Municipal in Framingham, Massachusetts, a company Cumberland County had bought a vehicle from. It has SSVs (special service vehicle), no pickups are available, he noted.

“This company bought 72 of them, they are selling very fast,” Hardy said.

Hardy said it is about the same for Fords, which cost a bit more money. The Chevrolet is the most economical option, he noted.

“This vehicle will not be available again until after the 2024 cycle,” Hardy said.

Based on research Police Chief Kenneth Charles did, there is a shortage of acceptable vehicles, Town Manager Christian Waller said. “They are going yesterday,” he added.

“The goal is to do all updates in house,” Hardy said. He wasn’t able to obtain fast numbers on outfitting costs as he didn’t learn of the vehicle availability until this afternoon, but expected it to be under $5,000.

This vehicle will be Hardy’s response vehicle, he expects it to last about 10 years. He said 10,000 to 15,000 miles per year were put on the current vehicle.

There are only a few red ones available, the other options are white and black. Hardy said he wasn’t sure if a red one would be available tomorrow.

Local dealers had been approached but they either weren’t sure of availability or only had consumer models, Hardy said.

Selectmen Byron Staples said those models could cost more.

“This saves you from having to take out unnecessary things,” Waller said.

The department’s equipment reserve account currently has a balance of $190,145.08.

In other business selectmen voted 3-1 to switch to DS200 programmed combined ballots for the annual town and school elections in March 2023. Selectmen Stephan Bunker, Scott Landry and Byron Staples were in favor, Joshua Bell was opposed and Matthew Smith was absent from the meeting.

Interim Town Clerk Twila Lycette had done some research after the November election, the DS200 voting machine used at polling locations is much easier for voters, Waller said. All questions would be on one ballot rather than two, it would be more accurate, he noted. It saves having to hand count ballots, everything is automated, he added.

The anticipated cost for the new ballots would be $526 or around $263 when shared, according to the agenda. At the March elections candidates for positions on the Board of Selectmen and Regional School Unit 9 Board of Directors will be decided.

Landry asked what shared meant.

Regional School Unit 9 would pay for their portion, Bunker said.

Waller didn’t have the actual cost for printing the ballots currently being used, but estimated it to be about $200.

The current ballot is pretty simple, you just put it in the ballot box, Bell said.

There would be cost savings in not having to pay ballot clerks to count ballots, labor savings, Bunker noted.

Selectmen also approved Pine Ridge Drive as a new road name for a new home off Route 156 owned by Ross and Maureen Clair. Information they provided indicate the house is in Farmington but the end of the driveway in Wilton.

Is that going to be a problem, Bell asked.

No, state E911 said to name the road, then they would give them the address, Terry Bell, Farmington Fire Rescue said.

“The house has been there awhile, they can’t get the Homestead exemption because their legal address is in Wilton,” Terry Bell said. “It has all been worked out with the post office and everything.”

Also approved were:

• Farmington’s share of the 2023 Central Maine Media/Mt. Blue TV budget [$38,085 in franchise fees, $7,500 Public, Educational and Governmental fund]

• A $428 advertisement in the 2023 Western Maine edition of Paper Talks magazine

• Beano/Bingo games by Farmington Elks Lodge 2340 for Jan. 1 – April 30, 2023

• Beano/Bingo games by Farmington Emblem Club 460 on March 12, 2023