Blandford Select Board Declares Road Emergency, Adopts New Dog Fines

BLANDFORD -- September 16, 2024, Blandford Select Board adopts dog-nuisance fines and declares road emergency at September 16 meeting. The board voted unanimously to institute a new barking-dog fee schedule, $50 for a first offense, $150 for a second, and $300 for a third, after an abutter complained of months of unaddressed noise and junk accumulation on the town-owned tree belt along Night Brook Road. The board also accepted Highway Superintendent Randy's emergency declaration for Night Brook Road, where a culvert failure has undermined 15 to 18 feet of roadway; the superintendent estimated repairs at roughly $10,000 to $11,000 plus $10,000 to $12,000 for guardrail work. Separately, Town Administrator Christina disclosed that the town's accounting firm, Kiner, paid approximately $37,000 annually, had failed to provide usable invoices for a shared water services grant report due the same day, forcing her to rely on figures from co-grantee Chester; the town may owe back as much as $1,800 if it cannot account for remaining grant funds.