POLAND — Selectmen on Monday awarded the contract for a new ambulance to Autotronics, a dealership in Frenchville, for its low bid of $238,081. 

Fire/Rescue Chief Mark Bosse told selectmen the ambulance will be built by Braun Ambulances of Van Wert, Ohio.

It would replace Squad 1, one of two ambulances the town owns.

Bosse also presented selectmen with an offer from Braun to supply a new chassis for Squad 1 and refurbish, repaint and remount the body on it. There would be new warranties on the body and chassis.

“Chassis that are the same size as ours are a hot commodity and very hard to come by,” Bosse said. “We need to act quickly in order to make this happen.”

The town’s second ambulance, Squad 2, would eventually be sold.

Bosse estimated that refurbishing Squad 1 would save about $100,000 immediately and reduce the amount to be added to the capital improvement program by $10,000 per year over the next six or so years, Bosse said.

Selectmen agreed with the concept and told Bosse to get a firm proposal from Braun and see if the other four ambulance bidders could match Braun’s offer.

Bosse said he would have numbers in two weeks.

Selectmen also:

• Gave Terri Ireland another 30 days to present documentation that his house at 40 Orchard Road complies with town codes. He constructed it several years ago without obtaining permits.

• Decided to hold the annual town meeting in April at Poland Regional High School auditorium and ask voters if they wanted to hold future meetings at the Town Hall. Several senior citizens said the walk from the parking lot to the auditorium is too long for them.

• Heard Town Manager Bradley Plante’s request that residents not put plastic bags in the recycling bin at the Transfer Station; that Feb. 1 is the deadline for submitting articles for the annual town meeting warrant; and that Public Works Director Tom Learned has given his notice and Adam Strout was appointed acting director. Plante thanked Learned for his outstanding work in his four years as director.