FARMINGTON — Selectmen unanimously approved bids for two police cruisers and paving at their May 13 meeting.

They also voted to sell one cruiser and donate another to a law enforcement education program.

The $91,600 bid from Hight Ford, which has dealerships in Farmington and Skowhegan, is for two 2025 Ford Interceptor SUVs.

According to information provided, Quirk Auto Group, with dealerships in Augusta and four other Maine towns, bid $91,404 for two 2025 Ford Interceptor SUVs.

Island Tech Services in Levant provided bids on three vehicles: two 2025 Ford Interceptor SUVs was $96,000; two 2024 F-150 Police Responder pickup truck for $104,000 and two 2025 Chevrolet Tahoes for $111,000.

Five or six dealerships were asked for quotes, three responded, police Chief Kenneth Charles said. “Last year Island Tech did very well by us,” he noted. Global impacts are a factor, he stated.

Asked about the different vehicles, Charles said he didn’t request a specific one. Pickup trucks are more unwieldy, he said. “Ford tends to be the preferred package, has been for quite a while.”

There have been issues with Dodge, there are much higher maintenance costs, Town Manager Erica LaCroix said. “I would have pushed back on Dodge even if it was the cheapest,” she added.

Two vehicles in the fleet are eight or nine years old, Charles said. He is comfortable with the seven-year rotation schedule. When traded in, the department has received $1,000 to $2,000, he said, and asked for permission to sell one in an online auction, which has resulted in higher prices.

Charles asked that one vehicle be donated to the Foster Career and Technical Education Center law enforcement program, which doesn’t have a vehicle. He estimated its worth at $3,000. It might spark interest in law enforcement, and students could practice driving it in the parking lot and become familiar with lights, siren and radio, he said.

“We have a recent graduate of that program who started Monday,” Charles said.

Selectman Dennis O’Neil asked if the vehicles came fully equipped and if extras would be lost by donating a vehicle.

“No, we are waiting for some quotes,” Charles said. The cost would be $10,000 to $20,000. Radios are aging out, it is time to replace them and lights do not fit new vehicles, he added.

Paving bid

Selectmen approved the $610,255.90 paving bid from Pike Industries in Fairfield.

“We sent out four invitations to bid, received four back,” Public Works Director Philip Hutchins said. “Pike was the lowest bidder this year.”

The bid from Spencer Paving Group in Turner was $629,057.50; Maine-ly Paving Services in Canaan was $617,246 and Gendron & Gendron in Lewiston was $873,179.50, according to information Hutchins provided.

“On our five-year road schedule, we estimated $538,739,” Hutchins said. “Oak Street will be 50% reimbursed through (municipal partnership initiative), which drops the amount of $610,255.80 to approximately $550,601.80. The total 2025 capital budget amount that was approved recently was $800,000. Main Street engineering is estimated at $90,000 to $100,000.”

In this year’s budget, $538,000 was estimated, this is $11,000 over that, Hutchins said. It’s within 2% of what was estimated – probably the closest it has been, he said.