By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
During the June 11 Caribou City Council meeting councilors voted unanimously to accept the proposed application for a rubbish hauler’s license for Chelsea Campbell dba Caldwell’s Sanitation, Limestone.
Other agenda items considered by the panel included the acceptance of bids for the purchase of a replacement tractor for the parks department. Kathy Mazzuchelli, parks and recreation director, presented the council with a bid analysis and information received from vendors regarding the purchase of a compact tractor to replace the department’s current tractor, a John Deere 955 which has an estimated 18,052 hours on it. “We elected to shop locally,” said Mazuchelli, “as the two tractor vendors in Caribou could easily meet the tractor specifications and we saw no need to extend beyond Caribou dealers.”
Mazzuchelli stated that the tractor currently in use by the department would have an estimated resale value of $5,000 to $9,000 and if the council wanted, the department would try to sell it instead of trading it in. The council members voted to accept the low bid of $20,000 (including trade-in) for Kioti tractor, from Gary’s Yamaha. The other bid received was for $23,060, including trade-in came from Crown, Inc. for a New Holland boomer. In consideration of bids for the tractor only (with no trade-in), Gary’s Yamaha remained the lowest at $23,500 with Crown, Inc.’s bid at $26,900 for the New Holand Boomer 35 and $26,900 for a Massey Ferguson MF 1532HL.
Via a PowerPoint presentation by Mark Powers, council members considered an engineering proposal from TRANE Energy Services, for energy savings on municipal facilities. In a first consideration, Powers explained performance contracting regarding future municipal energy saving in which the projected savings pay for the projects.
In 2009 the city engaged TRANE to complete an energy audit in city buildings including the library, municipal/police locations, Wellness Center, fire station, Emergency Medical Services site (former Lions building) and the Caribou Airport.
The considered project would include the installation of pellet boiler plants at each of the municipal buildings. According to Powers this project, developed, designed and installed by TRANE, is at a fixed cost/zero change in orders, with no up-front capital supplied by the city with energy savings guaranteed throughout the life of the loan. A performance bond from TRANE would be in place until the end of the project with no risk to the city.
More information and discussion on the possible energy conservation project will take place at the June 27 city council meeting.
Also at the June 27 meeting the council will work to set the city’s tax commitment.
Following agenda business the council went into four executive sessions to discuss the disposition of city-owned property; to review pending developments for proposed ambulance services to the Town of Limestone; to discuss further actions with the Caribou Police Unit Teamsters Local 340; and for discussion as to a personnel matter.
