Blandford Select Board Learns of $10,000 in Unpaid Fire Department Bills

BLANDFORD — December 15, 2025 — Blandford Select Board discovers more than $10,000 in unpaid fire apparatus bills while managing road safety and solar siting concerns. Town Administrator Christina told the board Monday that a company called OnScene LLC has been seeking payment since February 2025 for fire apparatus work performed under former Fire Chief Adam Dolby, with bills exceeding $10,000 that neither the administrator, town accountant Kelly, nor Treasurer Joanne had ever seen. The prior-year obligation will likely require a vote at the annual town meeting in spring 2026 to pay. Highway Superintendent Ray argued against engineering Gibbs Road to address beaver-related flooding — "the issue is not the roadway, it is the water level annually increasing year after year" — and said the board must submit its annual request letter to Springfield Water by December 30. On solar, Select Board member Jackie said she plans to attend an Energy Facilities Siting Board meeting in Boston on February 2, calling the state "not ready" to meet its March deadline for finalizing its large-scale solar permitting process. A grant application for a new Bomag dirt roller, priced at approximately $199,348 with extended warranty — up from a $155,000 used-machine quote nine months ago — is pending, with the application closing around December 9.