Blandford Select Board Appoints Two Planning Board Members in Split Vote

Select Board · Meeting of July 20, 2026

Blandford Select Board seated two new Planning Board members Monday in a split vote marked by extended public debate over an in-chamber incident days earlier. Chair Jacqueline Coury and Member Ted Cousineau voted 2-1 to appoint Kara Lentendree to the Planning Board over the dissent of Member Corinne Shartrand, who cited a July 17 confrontation at Town Hall as a personal attack on her character; Ronald Racine was confirmed unanimously. Cousineau defended Lentendree's 13 years of municipal service, saying, "We ask the volunteers to step forward to help us.

We get nobody." The board also unanimously established a Community Development Coordination Group to streamline special-permit routing across town departments, with legal counsel confirming no town meeting vote is required. Separately, residents Megan Kaiser and Ryan Chafee presented a formal plumbing inspection complaint, showing photographs of alleged deficiencies, including untested gas lines, drain pipes with no pitch, and vent stacks that never penetrated the roof, signed off by inspector Aaron Petit on their new-construction home; a new plumber has quoted $6,755 to correct the work, on top of $9,500 already spent, and the board committed to contacting a state plumbing inspector within the week.

In the full story:

• Background and stakes
• The question before the board
• Substantive content
• The deliberation
• Procedural outcome
• Implications
• The complete report, 2,986 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.