Pepperell Select Board unanimously approves contract for incoming Fire Chief Joseph Rock

PEPPERELL — February 25, 2026 — Pepperell Select Board approves new fire chief contract and confronts a $550,000 budget shortfall. The board voted 3-0 Wednesday to approve a personal services contract with incoming Fire Chief Joseph Rock, who is set to start March 9 under a deal running through June 2028 at roughly 3 percent annual growth — terms the town administrator described as identical in structure to predecessor Brian Borneman's contract but at lower maximum compensation. Separately, licensed site professional Tim Clinton of Fuss and O'Neill reported that groundwater sampling at the contaminated 45-47 Lowell Road site continues to show PFAS levels above state standards in nearly every monitoring well, while soil sampling on the abutting Latent Landing development parcel found contamination requiring cleanup in a limited area nearest the DPW. Clinton put remediation costs at "$300 to $400 a ton." The town already holds roughly $900,000 in PFAS class action settlement funds, with a second CERCLA lawsuit underway. On the budget, the town administrator told the board that expenses are rising 4.4 percent in the general fund against only 2.9 percent revenue growth, leaving a gap of approximately $550,000 that health insurance savings alone will not close.