Sweeper on way out of Paris

PARIS — A broken-down street sweeper that was the center of controversy a year ago should be sold out of the town garage sometime soon, said town officials during the March 14 meeting of the board of selectmen.

The issue came up when Selectman Ted Kurtz inquired as to the status of the machine, which was replaced at a cost of $46,000 over the objections of several citizens and a minority of the board.

"I'm really interested in how much value you think it might have, and I'm really interested in turning that into money," said Kurtz.

Town Manager Phil Tarr said that selling the old sweeper hasn't been a priority before now, due to turnover in the department, and the seasonal nature of the piece of equipment.

"That's the type of a piece of equipment that can be used more so in the spring and the summer than in November or December," said Tarr.

Tarr estimated that the town might sell the sweeper for as much as $3,000, probably to another town that would be willing to take on the machine's repair.

Chair Ray Glover recalled that the company who sold the town a rehabilitated sweeper would not purchase the old sweeper.

"They wouldn't take it for trade in," said Chair Ray Glover.

Tarr said he planned to advertise the equipment to other municipalities through MMA [Maine Municipal Association] publications such as their monthly magazine, the Townsman, which Tarr said "would hit probably 90 percent of the target market."