Oakham Select Board Reorganizes, Tables Truck Decision Pending MassDOT and Mack Confirmation

OAKHAM -- May 26, 2026, Oakham Select Board reorganizes and considers abandoning delayed Mack plow truck order. The board seated Michael Brunel as Chair and Fred Gehring as Clerk at its May 26 meeting before spending the bulk of the evening on a highway fleet question: whether to cancel a standing order for a $379,000 Mack 10-wheeler, now not expected until mid-2027, in favor of two Western Star six-wheelers at $255,500 each from a Sourcewell-contracted Maine dealer, with one available by mid-July and a second by October or November. Highway Superintendent Mike Granger, citing the likely failure of two existing plow trucks and a three-route coverage requirement, told the board, "I just don't want to go into winter only having one truck." No vote was taken; the board directed Granger to secure written cancellation confirmation from Ballard Mack and await Chapter 90 clearance from MassDOT. The board also voted unanimously to approve a three-year RingCentral phone contract at $521.05 per month, down from roughly $675, and authorized the Conservation Commission to use its Wetland Protection Fund, capped at $10,000, for Town Counsel and a wetland specialist at a June 2 hearing on two Notices of Intent now relocated to Oakham Center School.