CLARKSBURG, Mass. — What town officials hoped would be a simple matter of disposing of two police cruisers turned into a difficult debate on money, timing and integrity.

 

The 2022 Ford Explorer and older Chevrolet Tahoe have been sitting since last fall when Police Chief Michael Williams retired; the police department was dissolved in March. 

 

On Tuesday, the Select Board voted to sell the Ford to Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts for $30,000.

 

But the decision came after a long debate on whether they should go with the  second, the Adams Police Department.

 

"We've been wanting to release the cruisers since March," said Chair Robert Norcross. "MCLA has been right on top of it since day one in saying they're interested in that cruiser, and they talked to Ron and got a ... Kelly Blue Book quote, and MCLA came right back and said, yes, they would do that."

 

Town Administrator Ronald Boucher said Adams and the town of Cheshire had also indicated interest in the vehicles. 

 

Adams offered the higher price of $45,000 for both, with plans to put the 2022 cruiser on the front line and use the older Tahoe for the K9. Cheshire had offered $35 for both.

 

Last week, the board decided to give Adams a deadline to come back with confirmation on its offer after a meeting with its Finance Committee. It did but needed one more step. 

 

"This is on the Select Board's agenda for tomorrow [Wednesday]," said Adams Police Officer Kevin Stant. "We made it very clear that it was something that we were interested in. So I do appreciate you guys taking the time to look over this offer. I know it's a little bit more complex than what MCLA has presented, but that would be something that we'd be able to give you a definitive answer on tomorrow after the completion of the Select Board meeting."

 

MCLA Lt. Mark Denault, who had appeared before the board last week, reiterated that the college had already approved his bid and was ready to cut a check. 

 

"The only thing I would say to that is, MCLA has been ready right from the start," he said. "It's been a month now that we've been ready to purchase this car. Last week, I thought we did purchase this car."

 

Norcross said he felt that his word and the integrity of the town was at issue and that Adams hadn't confirmed its bid on time.

 

"I feel like we've been stringing Mark along," he said. "I feel like we're going back on our word."

 

Select Board member Daniel Haskins, however, said he had spoken to Adams on that Tuesday before the deadline. "I did talk to him, we didn't prolong it," he said. "I don't know, foresee that as going back on our word, because we did hear from Adams that Tuesday."

 

He though the Adams' offer would bring in the most for the town.

 

Colleague Colton Andrews felt a bit in the middle, noting that Adams had offered a higher bid on time, but it also came with a contingency, and that MCLA has been willing to purchase the Ford immediately. 

 

"I don't necessarily think Mark should be penalized because of our discrepancy," he said. "I understand your situation [to Stant]. Like, you guys need a cruiser. You guys need a cruiser [to Denault]. Mark's been very straightforward, very open from the get go. ... we have a lot of moving parts. We want to maximize our return. We want to get the most we can."

 

They discussed concerns of whether the Adams Selectmen would reject the idea, though Stant said it was very unlikely. The town's fleet is aging and the K9, he said, is sitting home because it's cruiser died. 

 

Boucher said he had thought it would be a simpler to sell the cruisers to a governmental agency but the town hadn't been prepared for the interest. The board thought a bidding process would be better the next time. 

 

In the end, Norcross and Andrews voted to award the Ford to MCLA and then auction the Tahoe; Haskins voted against. 

 

"I just personally feel I'll lose my integrity by not following through," said Norcross.