Blandford Select Board Approves March 13 Special Town Meeting Warrant

BLANDFORD -- February 27, 2023, Blandford Select Board approves eight-article Special Town Meeting warrant for March 13, led by a $170,000 final payment for the North Blandford Road project. Town Administrator Dave Waldron told the board the project closed at $1.8 million total, about $98,000 over budget, with more than half funded by a MassWorks grant and another $200,000 from state winter recovery assistance, leaving roughly 10 percent still to be addressed from the capital projects account. The warrant also includes $12,500 in free cash to cover the local match and a community liaison stipend for a $350,000 regional Resilient Dirt Roads grant shared with Chester and Middlefield, with Paula Bilodeau taking the $5,000 liaison role. An article authorizing the town to explore municipal electricity aggregation, bulk purchasing of power supply on behalf of residents, drew discussion, with Waldron noting the program is voluntary and that "a lot of communities have saved money," though savings are not guaranteed. A professional assessment found the town's standby generator adequate but identified a transfer switch need estimated at $160,000, with $40,000 already in hand from a prior grant award.