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Date: 11/21/2023
HUNTINGTON — At its meeting on Nov. 9, the Board of Selectman announced that an offer was made to hire Brad Curry as highway superintendent for the town, which he has since accepted, according to town administrator Jennifer Peloquin.
Curry, of Blandford, most recently served as highway superintendent in Sandisfield. Previously, he served 12 years as superintendent in Blandford, stepping down in 2018.
Peloquin said Curry’s start date is being worked out. The department is also down one laborer, but the town was waiting for the new superintendent to come on board before hiring.
In other business, Fire Chief Josh Ellinger announced that the lowest of three bids was accepted to spend money from a federal grant of $560,180, on which Huntington is the lead town, on the air packs firefighters use to breathe. Russell, Blandford, Chester and Montgomery are also participating in the grant.
Ellinger told the board that after the air packs have been delivered there will be approximately $125,000 of grant money left over, which can be used by the five departments on high-priority items defined by the federal grant program. The excess funds will likely be split between the five departments to spend as they wish.
He said nothing can be released until the majority of the grant funds are spent and the new equipment is paid for. He said delivery of the air packs is anticipated in two to three months.
Ellinger also told the board that in the next year, one of the department’s paid and qualified firefighters will hit the retirement age of 65, and has asked for a waiver to continue working past that date.
Board Chair Edward Renauld, who is also fire chief in Russell, said that Ellinger can ask, but the state is tough on waivers.
“You have to show you can’t replace him and you’ve tried,” he said.
Ellinger said there is the option of a home-rule petition for a waiver, and the other is to have him serve on a volunteer basis. He said he heard from another area department that there is a stack of home-rule petitions in the state that don’t have sponsors yet.
“Can you replace him?” asked Renauld.
“In my opinion, not all of us are replaceable, because we have so few,” Ellinger said.
Renauld said the decision on whether to ask for a waiver is up to the fire chief; however, Selectman Roger Booth said he wouldn’t waste his time, and suggested asking the firefighter if he would serve as a full-time volunteer.
Ellinger said it makes a difference to have someone who is fully trained and has been in the department as long as he has.
“That’s the value,” Renauld said.