Blandford Select Board Weighs $107,000 Mini Excavator Purchase From Free Cash

BLANDFORD -- February 5, 2024, Blandford Select Board interviews highway candidates and debates a $107,000 mini excavator purchase at February 5 meeting. The board heard from at least one applicant for two open highway department positions while the highway superintendent, identified as Dave, presented five vendor quotes for a replacement mini excavator, the existing unit having been declared unsafe with parts unavailable. The preferred vendor, Quality Fleet of Belchertown, offered a Yanmar-engine model at $107,000 through a state contract carrying a 20 percent discount, and is currently renting a unit to the town at $4,600 per month. A board member called for a warrant article before any expenditure, saying "I think it should be at a town warrant, let people vote for it," while a second member argued town meeting had already delegated free cash authority to the board. The board unanimously approved a letter related to a Community Development Block Grant septic project, after a member reported winning a commitment of $38,000 to $40,000 in grant funds that had been at risk of recapture, and also approved a shared water operator contract extension through June 30, 2024 with no change in compensation.