GILFORD BOARD OF SELECTMEN
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
7:00PM WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2016
PER RSA 31:95-e
ACCEPTANCE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY GIFT
The Gilford Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing to solicit testimony from residents prior to voting on whether or not to accept the donation of a 2006 MetalCraft Marine fire boat from the City of Portsmouth.
The boat was custom-manufactured in the USA for firefighting and water rescue.It is 30 feet long, has twin jet drives with two Cummins 380 diesel engines and a 1750 gpm fire pump, a roof top mounted master stream nozzle and modern navigation and communication systems.It also has a water level swim platform and heated cabin for enhanced rescue capabilities.
The City of Portsmouth purchased the boat for approximately $350,000 using grant funds and has offered to transfer ownership to the Town of Gilford for use on Lake Winnipesaukee in accordance with the grant terms and conditions after declaring the boat to be surplus because it no longer meets their operational needs in the Piscataqua River basin.
If accepted, the "new" boat will replace GFR's 1977 fire boat that was scheduled for replacement in 2017 at an estimated cost of $200,000.In addition to vastly improving firefighting and rescue operations for emergency incidents on the lake and islands, the "new" fire boat will also be a major improvement for firefighting capabilities along many miles of shore front properties within the Town of Gilford.The boat has been regularly maintained and recently refurbished so that it is ready for immediate service to the taxpayers of Gilford.
