PARIS — Selectmen are contemplating a long-term capital improvement plan to prioritize vehicle replacement and building maintenance. 

“We’re looking for a way to anticipate those capital expenses so we can avoid paying interest on loans and instead save up for a new firetruck or a new snowplow or a building that needs a new roof,” board Chairman Bob Kirchherr said Tuesday. 

An inventory drawn up by Town Manager Amy Bernard lists hundreds of pieces of equipment and almost two dozen vehicles owned by the town. It also lists the cost to replace each item and the year the items should be switched out. 

Much of the equipment is not due to be replaced for another five to 10 years, but some items have a replacement date within the next three years.

The Police Department, for example, lists all five of its vehicles as due for replacement by 2016. Two of its squad cars, a 2003 Chevrolet Impala and 2010 Ford Explorer, are listed for replacement in 2014, with a combined cost of $56,000.

Similarly, the Highway Department lists five pieces of equipment that are past-due for replacement, including two Ford trucks purchased in 1995 and 1997.

Kirchherr said the inventory compiled by Bernard wasn’t final and was only meant to give selectmen an idea of what kind of future expenditures for which the town might need to save.

“Some trucks will last 25 years, some roofs will last 20 years, its really easy to forget that these things have to be replaced over time,” Kirchherr said. 

“It’s easier on the taxpayers and easier on the budget if we can anticipate these expenses and not have to borrow money in order to address any needs,” he said.

Kirchherr said he was unsure if any of the vehicles or equipment pegged for replacement are included in the 2014-15 department budgets, which are expected to be submitted in early February. 

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