Blandford Highway Superintendent Brad Curry will be leaving to take on a similar position with the town of Sandisfield. (Photo by Amy Porter)
BLANDFORD – The Board of Selectmen reluctantly accepted the resignation of highway superintendent Brad Curry on Monday. Curry has been with the department since 2005, and superintendent since 2006. He has accepted a job as highway superintendent in the town of Sandisfield.
Before voting to accept the letter of resignation, selectman Bill Levakis attempted a last minute appeal. “I’d be curious to see if there’s any kind of wiggle room to negotiate to keep you on board,” Levakis asked, adding, “Can we hold this off a little while?”
Curry said it was not a decision he made lightly, but he felt it was time for him to move on. Later, he admitted that Levakis had talked him out of leaving twice before.
Curry told the board that he was giving them an opportunity to have someone come in with different ideas. “I do leave with a heavy heart,” he said, and thanked the board and the community for their support. He also pledged to help with the transition, so the next person would have an idea about what is going on with what projects.
“The trickiest piece will be all the keys,” joked selectman Eric McVey, as Curry held up a key ring with more than a dozen different keys on it.
The conversation on the board then shifted to the next step. Chair Cara Letendre said several people working in the highway department were interested in an interim position, but as a board they decided to hold off.
McVey said one of the problems was that current highway staff who are in the union could not take on a management role, even an interim one, without losing their seniority in the union. Letendre said the union issue ties their hands somewhat.
Brad Curry, left and Greg Day of Ballard Truck Center speak with the Board of Selectmen on Monday. (Photo by Amy Porter)
McVey added that another employee left the highway department one month ago, so they are actually down two employees, with plow season around the corner. He said some previous employees and community members have offered to pitch in and help.
The department is also down trucks; for one, a freightliner is having its DEF (diesel exhaust fluid) system replaced. Among the items in the Special Town Meeting scheduled for Dec. 17 is one seeking to appropriate $107,000 towards the purchase of a new rescue truck for the fire department and a new F350 Truck for the highway department.
An advertisement for the position of highway superintendent will be posted this week. Letendre encouraged interested highway department staff, several of whom were in attendance at the meeting, to apply for the position.
After the meeting, Curry said when he first joined the department, there were only two employees. “With 64 miles of road, it’s a little tough,” he said. Now the department has three full-time positions plus the superintendent. Curry said he had been a working superintendent.
“I’ve enjoyed working for the town. I wish all the residents well, and appreciate their support in the past. This is a career move for me,” Curry said. He said Sandisfield, which is on the other side of Otis, is the same distance from his house on the Blandford-Otis border as is Blandford town hall.
“It’s a new challenge. They (Sandisfield) have as many miles, if not more,” Curry said, adding that they do have newer equipment.
