MARLBOROUGH – New police cruisers will soon hit the streets, and the city is closer to getting a new fire truck.
During the Oct. 3 meeting, the City Council approved $250,000 to replace five unmarked police vehicles, along with additional funds to purchase a new tower truck for the Marlborough Fire Department.
Police Chief David Giorgi is making the request because two police cruisers are over 10 years old, two cruisers are between eight to 10 years old and one cruiser is more than 15 years old.
“Their serviceable years are past, and the cruisers are not reliable to run properly,” said Giorgi in his request to the mayor.
The police cruisers up for replacement include a 2012 Ford Explorer with 123,038 miles, a 2011 Ford Taurus with just over 75,000 miles, a 2014 Ford Explorer with 66,038 miles and 2007 Crown Victoria with 77,170 miles. All four police cruisers are listed as being in poor condition by the Marlborough Police Department. Also up for replacement is a 2011 Ford Taurus with 49,180 miles and in fair condition.
These would be replaced by five unmarked 2022 Ford Police Interceptor Utility AWD vehicles with an estimated cost of $48,500 per vehicle. The funds to replace the vehicles would come from the city’s stabilization account.
Both Giorgi and Mayor Arthur Vigeant asked the City Council to have this order of police cruisers expedited to avoid a lengthy turnaround time.
The Police Department is also requesting a transfer of $8,598.30 for its traffic unit. The funds would go toward traffic signage, annual software subscriptions for the unit’s electric signs, replacement and batteries for radar units.
More funds for tower truck
The stabilization account would also be the source for additional funding of $168,979 for a new Pierce Enforcer 100-foot aerial platform tower truck for the Fire Department.
This request would cover a funding shortfall because the cost of the truck that was purchased through a bid process with the Houston-Galveston Area Council came to $1,712,479. That is above the initial estimate of $1.54 million.
The total price would include funding for the vehicle, emergency lighting, lettering and all associated tools and equipment to properly outfit a modern tower-ladder truck company.
The city is paying for the truck with funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, according to City Councilor Mark Oram.
In his letter to the City Council, Vigeant asked for this request to be expedited “to avoid potentially losing the stock vehicle and having to wait another 28 months for something to be built.”
Fire Chief Kevin Breen said the truck is part of the department’s five-year capital plan, and it would replace a 1999 E-One, rear-mounted “straight stick” style ladder.
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