Pepperell Select Board Ratifies Three-Year Fire Union Contract, Cancels July 9 Meeting

PEPPERELL — June 25, 2025 — Pepperell Select Board ratifies three-year fire union contract with 10.33 percent compounded raise. The board voted unanimously Wednesday to approve the IAFF Local 5018 agreement covering July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2027, a contract that had been on hold under an evergreen clause for a full year. Town Administrator Andrew MacCleish said the increase, while above what the town would prefer, is needed to keep Pepperell competitive for firefighter recruiting; the union simultaneously agreed to the town's vacation accrual policy, capping rollover and reducing a long-standing payout liability. MacCleish also presented a financial warning: new growth revenue is projected to fall another 30 percent in fiscal year 2026, dropping below $200,000, and he said he is preparing to consider staff reductions totaling "several hundred thousand dollars" unless state aid improves. The board also rescinded a June 11 appointment of Alan Layo to the Community Preservation Committee after the Town Clerk determined the recreation seat belongs to the Recreation Commission, not the Select Board, and voted to skip the July 9 meeting, with the next session set for July 23.