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Date: 8/5/2022
BLANDFORD – Jeff Allen, Blandford’s newest selectman, joined board Chair Cara Letendre and Selectman T. J. Cousineau, who participated, remotely at the July 25 Select Board meeting.
Allen questioned spending $5,760 on renderings for a combined highway and fire garage by Weston & Sampson, currently one of the options being considered by the committee.
Allen said residents he has spoken to are asking if the taxpayers are going to pay for two buildings. “I don’t think we can afford both of them. What are we going to do to our tax base?” Allen asked, adding that he’s gotten prices on steel buildings that are a much lower cost.
Cousineau talked about state and federal government regulations, and said he has already served on four committees, and no matter what the town does, prices are going to go up. “I don’t understand one building for both fire and highway,” he said.
Letendre told Allen there are a lot more regulations for municipal projects. She said the discussion would be better held with the owner’s project manager (OPM) on Thursday. The OPM on the project is City Point Partners from Boston, who were hired in May 2021.
She said the vote at the meeting was just to go forward to pay for the renderings with money that had already been set aside in the capital fund, convincing both Allen and Cousineau to vote for the plans.
Town Administrator Christopher Dunne said he went over his annual SMART goals with the finance team the previous week. He said his main goal is to work on protocols, and see to what degree the town can bring services in house. He said the finance team is also looking for volunteers.
Dunne also reported that Treasurer Sara Hunter has identified the need to get more aggressive with collections in town. Currently the town is receiving 94 to 96 percent of residential payments, but he said Hunter thinks the town can get to 97 percent.
Dunne said his draft goals focus on finance, infrastructure, human resource management and quality of life issues. He said he will have something in place before September.
Dunne also talked about applications received for the Regional Economic Development Organization (REDO) grant program.
Approximately, $57,000 was allocated by the state to Blandford to promote outdoor dining and physical improvements in area businesses and organizations, which includes $3,000 for grant administration.
Letendre said the grant requests totaled approximately $10,000 more than the allocation, and recommended cutting a little from the larger requests in order to fund them all. “I was thinking if we cut a little off of each, we can still help everyone,” she said.
A motion was made and voted to following amounts: $14,000 for the Blandford Country Store for its outdoor dining project; $3,000 to the Blandford Country Club to upgrade the flagpole and outdoor seating area; $14,000 for the Porter Memorial Library for outdoor seating, accessible surfaces, an outdoor book center and bike rack.
Also funded was $6,000 towards a new security fence for the Blandford Fairgrounds; $3,000 for the Blandford Animal Hospital for outdoor seating and beautification, and $14,000 for an upgrade to the playground at Town Hall.
In other business, the board approved a bid from Kristen Thomas of Taking Root Garden Design of $13,570, for maintenance of flower beds in Watson Park for three years. Letendre said the Historical Commission will oversee the work. No decision was made on Bicentennial Park, pending further discussion.