ASHFIELD — The Highway Department has promoted a new foreman and is purchasing a new pickup truck using money that was allocated over the past two years at Annual Town Meeting, following approval from the Selectboard last week.
The pickup truck that is slated to be replaced is a 2017 Chevrolet 2500 HD. According to Town Administrator Paul McLatchy III, the truck “is barely functioning and needs replacement as soon as possible.”
The replacement suggested by Highway Superintendent Bryan Clark is a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 2500, which would come fully equipped and wouldn’t require any additional purchases, such as a snowplow. The total cost, according to a quote from Liberty Chevrolet in Wakefield, is $81,152.
Over the past two years at Annual Town Meeting, money has been set aside for the Highway Department to purchase a new pickup truck. For fiscal year 2026, the department was allotted $40,000 for this, while at the most recent Town Meeting, it was given $42,000.
At the 2024 Annual Town Meeting, Ashfield adopted a Zero-Emission First Vehicle Policy, meaning that a hierarchy of vehicle types must be considered when making a purchase. According to the language of the policy, “electric vehicles shall be prioritized when the town of Ashfield purchases or leases light-duty vehicles for its operations, followed by plug-in hybrid vehicles, then hybrid electric or another alternative fuel vehicle.”
In a letter to the Selectboard, McLatchy wrote that no such vehicle that meets these standards satisfies the needs of the Highway Department. He wrote, “the Chevy Silverado 2500 recommended by the highway superintendent is either the most, or nearly the most, fuel-efficient vehicle available at this time with our existing infrastructure that meets our departmental needs.”
The Selectboard voted unanimously to approve the purchase of the new truck.
Highway foreman appointed
The Selectboard also heard a request from Clark to appoint Michael Taylor, a current member of the Highway Department, to the position of foreman. This would include a raise for Taylor, but that money had already been set aside with the intention of hiring an office assistant for the department.
In October, when Clark was selected as the next highway superintendent to replace Tom Poissant, who was retiring, he said that he hoped to be working in the field more often than not, so a foreman would not be needed, prompting Selectboard member Tom Carter to ask what had changed since October.
Clark explained that there are times when he has to be away from a work site more for long periods of time due to office work, or for other absences, such as illnesses or vacations. He said having a foreman on site would allow Taylor to “make decisions and calls while in the field when I am unable to be present.”
Selectboard Chair Todd Olanyk said he is glad to see Clark getting more comfortable with the office aspect of the work.
Taylor’s appointment as foreman was unanimously approved by the Selectboard and will take effect at the start of fiscal year 2027.
