A candidate for selectmen is so fired up about the town's decision to give an old firetruck to a Dominican Republic community four years ago he's made the issue a centerpiece of his early campaign and asked the state inspector general to rule on whether the town violated state rules.
Candidate Larry Bruce of Chandler Road has posted a old newspaper story about the town's goodwill donation made in 2006 on his Web site, fixandover.com/MIA.htm. Then fire Chief Chuck Murnane, who has since retired, said the 22-year-old ladder truck had no value because it had failed a safety inspection. The firetruck was, therefore, donated to a church at no cost to the town, and brought to the Dominican Republic. The truck was one of three vehicles that were given away. Two other vehicles were also gifted by the town in the spring of 2006, a 1983 Chevrolet four-wheel-drive pickup-style "brush truck" and a 1988 ambulance.
"The vehicles really, they were just junk. A lot of them couldn't even really pass inspection and we couldn't sell them in the U.S. as an ambulance or fire truck," said Town Manager Buzz Stapczynski. "This was a very special case. This was the first time we'd ever done it - it may be the last. This is not the sort of thing we normally do."
Bruce, a self-described truck aficionado who checks out surplus equipment auctions hosted by the military and several communities, said the town could have made a few bucks on the vehicles. He says that in spite of safety concerns, the 1984 Mack aerial ladder truck may have brought in about $5,000. Lots of town departments could have used that cash, he said.
"No value? I'm not buying it," said Bruce, who reports he once bought a 1957 Army jeep for $2,200 from the town of Southboro, spent $1,500 fixing it up and then sold it for $6,800. "These vehicles have value."
That 1984 Mack aerial ladder truck is certainly valuable to the people of La Ramona, Dominican Republic. Rev. Victor Jarvis, pastor of Ebenezer Christian Church in Lawrence, helped get the used firetruck to La Ramona. It was shipped from New Jersey, Jarvis said.
He said the old firetruck was refurbished, is in good working order and is still used. In fact, that old ladder truck from Andover was once used to rescue people at a non-fire-related emergency scene.
"I went to that city two years ago, met with them (fire officials) and that truck had the opportunity to save lives," Jarvis said. "It had rescued two people."
Bruce filed a complaint with the state's Inspector General regarding the issue arguing that Andover violated Chapter 30B, the state's Uniform Procurement Act: Section 15. It says towns can dispose of something "no longer useful to the governmental body but having resale or salvage value." But, the law goes on to state that communities should "designate the location and method for inspection of such supply, state the terms and conditions of sale including the place, date and time for the bid opening or auction, and state that the governmental body retains the right to reject any and all bids."
Bruce said the public in Andover should have been notified about the fire-truck donation and says the state agrees.
"The IG feels it (the firetruck) did have value, and that the statute was violated," Bruce said. "I was told, however, that due to the length of time between the violation and the complaint there will be no action taken other than they have warned Andover."
The state's Inspector General's press spokesman Jack McCarthy confirmed that Chapter 30 was violated. He could not elaborate, he said, as state statute prohibits him from talking about the violation.
"Yes, we spoke orally to the town attorney about this violation," McCarthy said. "It's about the way it (the firetruck) was disposed."
Stapczynski said, "They would prefer that it be traded in or auctioned off. That's kind of the standard approach with everything that would be considered public property. In our case it was public property that was interpreted to have no value."
Stapczynski said the gift was part of a special program at the time supported by other fire chiefs and State Sen. Susan Tucker, who he said visited the Dominican Republic as part of the effort.
Bruce estimated the value of the three pieces of equipment was about $10,000. He said times are tough and selectmen should be looking at every opportunity to make money and "not just give everything away."
"Andover Youth Services, the street lights,...they would love to get $10,000," he said. "Our selectmen and town manager should have been investigating these issues many years ago...This is why I am running for selectman."
Bruce is one of three men vying for two selectmen seats in next month's town election. He is challenging incumbents Alex Vispoli and Jerry Stabile.
