Pepperell Selectmen Approve Cruiser Purchase, Debate $165,000 Ambulance Borrowing

PEPPERELL — September 26, 2011 — Pepperell selectmen approved a police cruiser purchase and grappled with how to fund a $165,000 ambulance replacement at their September 26 meeting. The board unanimously authorized Purchase Order 1999 for a Ford Crown Victoria cruiser not to exceed $35,000, with Town Administrator John noting free cash is expected to be certified near $950,000 — up from $939,000 the prior year — thanks in part to a one-time $91,000 state aid restoration from a $65 million statewide surplus distribution. The most extended debate concerned Article 11, a proposed $165,000 borrowing for a new ambulance: the town's current unit, a year-2000 vehicle with roughly 82,000 miles and a cracked rear frame, faces recertification in February, and the department logged 30 dual-ambulance calls in 2011 with months remaining. The board discussed using stabilization funds to cover short-term debt service rather than holding a special election on a debt exclusion, but reached no final funding structure, deferring final article language to an October 17 review session. The Emergency Planning Committee also reported that a new Code Red web-based notification system completed a town-wide alert during Hurricane Irene in eight minutes — compared to more than eight hours under the old system — at an annual savings of approximately $1,200.