Merrimac approves new fire trucks
Oct. 19—MERRIMAC — The Fire Department will be getting two new trucks after a $149,000 request to purchase a new ladder truck and engine passed Monday night's Special Town Meeting.
Fire Chief Larry Fisher was given approval to spend $1.2 million on a combined ladder and pumper truck during the annual Spring Town Meeting in April. But Fisher said that while he was doing his research on the new vehicle he saw an opportunity to save about $700,000 by buying both a ladder truck and an engine/pumper truck instead.
The Special Town Meeting was held at the Sweetsir Elementary School cafeteria Monday night and voters authorized spending the additional $149,000 to purchase both vehicles.
"We are extremely grateful for the town's support," Fisher said on Tuesday. "Now we can get the trucks ordered. They are both brand-new trucks. We have been down the used truck road and we know that is not a good solution. So we are extremely grateful to be in the position where we can get some of our needs addressed and not have to ask for additional funds next year for another truck."
According to Town Clerk Gwendolyn Lay Sabbagh, the voters also approved spending $29,894 to replace the two HVAC units on the roof of the Merrimack Public Library.
The relocation of a pair of boilers and other equipment from Pentucket Regional Middle School to the Donaghue and Sweetsir Elementary Schools was also approved at a cost of $16,800.
Voters also approved spending $4,400 for the upkeep of town cemeteries and Jana Way was accepted as a public way Monday night.
Four zoning amendments — allowing self-storage units in the Village Center area; allowing homeowners the option to create accessory dwelling units; allowing construction of single family homes in the rural highway district; and allowing area farms to provide housing for employees with a maximum of four accessory units — were also on the warrant Monday night.
According to Lay Sabbagh, the zoning amendments were referred to the next annual Spring Town Meeting scheduled for April.
"Those have been referred back to the planning board for some further, detailed work," Lay Sabbagh said.
Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.
Staff writer Jim Sullivan covers Amesbury and Salisbury for The Daily News. He can be reached via email at jsullivan@newburyportnews.com or by phone at 978-961-3145. Follow him on Twitter @ndnsully.
