NEW SALEM — With voter approval at Tuesday’s Annual Town Meeting, the Fire Department is one step closer to replacing its 37-year-old primary response pumper truck.

In the largest financial article of the night, residents approved an appropriation of $616,000 for the truck, with $150,000 being transferred from the Vehicle Capital Stabilization Account and the remaining $466,000 to be borrowed. The final step to approve the borrowing comes in the form of a Proposition 2½ vote during a special election, which will be scheduled within the next few weeks.

Fire Chief Joe Cuneo said the current truck, which is nearly four decades old, gets its fair share of use each year and is the department’s jack-of-all-trades vehicle because it can be used for a variety of situations. The life expectancy of a new vehicle is expected to be around 15 to 25 years.

“The primary response truck goes out 20 to 30 times a year … [responding to] car accidents, fires, emergency calls — not just fires,” Cuneo said. “It goes to mutual aid calls, when we get called that way, and it also goes out for all the storm responses we do.”

Discussion around the purchase was fairly brief, although the prospect of obtaining federal grant funding was brought up, to which Cuneo said New Salem is such a small community that agencies often pass by it.

“Even though the need is there, we qualify in every other respect except for the per-capita equation,” Cuneo said, adding that people often suggest the town reach out to legislators to write letters, but “the grant folks will tell you that means nothing to them.”

The article was unanimously approved by the few dozen residents in attendance at Town Hall for Annual Town Meeting, which lasted about an hour and a half.

Other articles that were approved include an approximately $3.35 million operating budget for fiscal year 2024 and the transfer of $155,900 from the Vehicle Stabilization Fund for the purchase of an excavator for the Highway Department, which will replace a nearly 30-year-old vehicle.

“The continuing repairs for maintenance is not a good way to spend our staff’s time,” commented Selectboard Chair Susan Cloutier. “We need a new vehicle.”

Additional warrant articles that voters approved Tuesday include $50,000 appropriations for the Vehicle Replacement Stabilization, Stabilization and Capital Stabilization accounts; $46,417 for the last installment of a fire truck loan; $26,340 for the final payment toward the Highway Barn loan; and the creation of an Opioid Settlement Stabilization Fund. There were 32 articles in all.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

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