Blandford Select Board Tables Solar Sign Deal, Shepard Farm Contract Pending Counsel Review

BLANDFORD — March 28, 2023 — Blandford Select Board cuts local election hours, tables two contracts at March 28 meeting. The board voted 2-1 to shorten Saturday polling hours for the June 2023 local election from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. to 10 a.m.-2 p.m., with the town clerk citing more than 100 early mail-in ballot requests and the town's decision to forgo in-person early voting as cost-saving measures. The board unanimously approved a $33,000 fiscal year 2024 accounting services contract amendment and paid a $2,381.64 Pioneer Valley Planning Commission invoice for community assistance services. A three-year, $20,000 service agreement with Super Signs for a solar-powered digital sign and a $12,000 Conway School landscape design proposal for Shepard Farm — negotiated down from an initial $17,000 ask after the Historical Commission declined to contribute — were both tabled pending town counsel review. Sue Racine was appointed election warden for a one-year term expiring June 30.