Pepperell Selectmen Hire Fire Chief, Adopt Liquor License Rules, Transfer $77,000

PEPPERELL — June 10, 2019 — Pepperell Selectmen formally hire a new fire chief, adopt a one-day liquor license policy, and approve nearly $77,000 in year-end budget transfers. The board unanimously accepted an employment contract for incoming Fire Chief Brian Boardman, whose first day was set for Friday, June 14; Town Administrator Andrew McClain noted the new contract caps vacation accrual, addressing a town-wide unfunded vacation liability of roughly $334,000. The board approved three sets of municipal relief transfers — $38,600 from the reserve fund, $8,752 from a planning department surplus, and $30,000 from health insurance reserves — to balance year-end line-item deficits before the state's July 15 deadline. In a 2-to-1 vote, selectmen adopted a one-day liquor license application form requiring submissions at least 75 days before an event, a threshold set partly to accommodate the ABCC's 60-day processing window for charity wine pour permits used by groups like the Friends of the Pepperell Library. McClain also announced letters of intent for two energy contracts expected to reduce annual electricity costs by $25,000 to $30,000 starting in fiscal year 2020, including a 20-year net metering agreement and a three-year supply deal with Aspen at roughly 9.5 cents per kilowatt hour.