Plainfield Accepts $250,000 Equipment Grant, Rejects Ashfield Regionalization Bid

PLAINFIELD -- May 26, 2026, Plainfield Select Board rejects Ashfield regionalization bid and banks $250,000 equipment grant. The board unanimously approved a draft letter declining Ashfield's invitation to explore shared police and fire services, citing geographic challenges, span-of-control concerns across county lines, and potential harm to volunteerism, and agreed to copy FERCOG on the response. On the funding side, the Highway Department reported two MassDOT awards: $250,000 for vehicle maintenance of dirt roads and a second approved grant for design work on West Main Street over Audubon Beaver Pond, while a third application covering Jones Avenue and North Branch at Swift River was not selected. The board also approved a $2,058 legal bill to KP Law, accepted a monthly Novus technology services quote of $645.75, and voted to roll over Highway Department employee Mark's unused vacation time into fiscal year 2027.