#1 2010-03-22 18:02:56
Just as I suspected, the new TA together with the P/T Chief have executed a contract for 8 new cruisers and 1 SUV police vehicle and now want the voters approval to pay the contract. Shameful ! Mr Andrews and Mr. Stanley, you should both have known better.
ARTICLE 30
To see if the Town will vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds the sum of Ninety-nine thousand two hundred twenty four dollars and no cents ($99,224.00) to pay for the first year of a three year lease for 8 police cruisers and 1 police SUV and to authorize the Town Administrator to expend such funds that are necessary for this action, or to do or act in any manner relative thereto.
Inserted by the Board of Selectmen at the request of the Capital Planning Committee
Offline
#2 2010-03-22 18:09:35
Leasing 9 police vehicles for three years!
What is the residual value of the final payment on the leases?
How many miles will those cruisers have in three years? 200,000?
What ever happened to pay as you go, or little things like LEAA grants and the other hundreds of grants available under Homeland Security?
When will someone hire a grant writer that knows what they are doing?
Amazing that people who don't pay taxes are in charge of initiating taxes.
Convoluted?
Offline
#3 2010-03-22 19:23:13
What will happen if town meeting doesn't approve this money?
Offline
#4 2010-03-22 21:12:54
marny wrote:
What will happen if town meeting doesn't approve this money?
That was my thought, too. Where would this leave the town? Vehicles reposessed? Law suit? No cruisers? I'm sure it wouldn't be that drastic, but I am tired of the unlawful actions of the selectmen, the TA and the part-time Chief of our police department. Can anyone possibly be that STUPID???
Offline
#5 2010-03-22 21:45:48
I believe the Police Chief made a "joke" of it at a Selectmen's meeting. Something to the effect that if the town doesn't approve it, then he will find a way to take it from his budget. I'm not sure what his budget amounts to, but that sounds like a serious chunk of money.
My question is: Why couldn't this have waited until after town meeting?
Offline
#6 2010-03-22 21:50:02
We need our police men and women to be safe, however this was a complete gamble and wreckless on the part of the town manager and police chief. The only possible reason I could think of that they would operate in this fashion was maybe the funding period that the police had was going to expire, a "use it or loose it" clause. These purchases still need to follow the proper procedures by means of town meeting no matter how sweet the sales pitch was by the chief.
My last issue is why would they purchase a dodge vehicle when we have a ford dealership in town? I'm sure this has taken alot of service work away from a local business that has been servicing wareham for over fourty years.
Last edited by wareham pride (2010-03-22 21:53:04)
Offline
#7 2010-03-23 01:23:03
wareham pride wrote:
My last issue is why would they purchase a dodge vehicle when we have a ford dealership in town? I'm sure this has taken alot of service work away from a local business that has been servicing wareham for over fourty years.
Because the Dodges are a little cheaper than the Fords, they have more powerful engines and they get better gas mileage. The engine even shuts down four cylinders while idling which saves gas/money and they look very sharp.
Offline
#8 2010-03-23 01:40:03
I think the safety of our officers should be a top priority, especially driving at high speeds. My concern includes probably going to Hiller Dodge in Marion for repair. They are the closest Dodge dealer. I just am upset that there was no mention of this at town meeting. The grant that the chief got was not much money and I believe it was attained by Lt.Wallace, but we have yet to hear that in the press.
We better put it in our minds now that this P.T. chief is going to be our full time chief, or he will leave us broke.
Offline
#9 2010-03-23 05:02:28
ford has come out with a new police car that is based on the ford tarus model that rivals the dodge model and was especially designed as a police car , why was m that car not considered, . vote these selectman out , we have a town meetiing form of gov, at present and not a mayor form of gov. why wasnt ford considered.
Last edited by ihateliz (2010-03-23 07:45:13)
Offline
#10 2010-03-23 11:53:41
Consider this: Who had the right to enter into a 3 year lease with an automobile dealer?
Who signed off on it and with what authority?
Where were these autos leased from?
How many bids went out for purchase or lease on these vehicles?
A lease requires a residual value, i.e., The cost of the car, how many miles on on the car at the end of the lease,the value of the car.
Is this lease open or closed ended?
Why not purchase cruisers after gong out to bid, and then doing what you are required to do, go to Town Meeting and get approval for the vehicles.
Leasing Police vehicles is very bad business. The decision to do so is a bad decision.
It is things like this that make me glad I'm not a Selectman that has to face Town Meeting in a few weeks.
I see so many articles on this next Town Meeting that will absolutely cause a tax payers revolt.
Incompetence and arrogance is running wild.
PEACE OUT!!
DanO'Peace
Offline
#11 2010-03-23 16:40:08
You have all the right questions, Dan. Someone out there knows the answers. I agree with you on the warrant. I have had to set it aside to try and digest what I already read. I found many that have a little, "as such, or may be, etc." after them and it leaves me with an uneasy feeling. Their little ending of the sentences in the warrant could be seen a few ways, depending on who you speak to.
Offline
