CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The Select Board this week formally voted to permanently close the Police Department and authorize the town administrator to sell the cruisers. 

 

"I think we can officially close the book on the Police Department," said Select Board member Colton Andrews at Monday's meeting. "And I've got no issues with allowing our town administrator to basically put the cruisers up for sale and and see what he can negotiate for a, I think, fair, equitable price."

 

Town Administrator Ronald Boucher was raising the issue in preparation for the fiscal 2026 budget. The town's cruisers have been stowed in the garage at Town Hall since the retirement of Police Chief Michael Williams in September. His departure left the town with one part-time officer so department activities were suspended and the town turned to State Police coverage. 

 

"I don't anticipate us continuing with a police department," said Boucher. "I talked with Chief Williams last week, and asked him how everything is going, and he says the State Police are covering everything pretty good. There's nothing out of the ordinary."

 

He said there is some interest in the town's two police cruisers and that selling off the vehicles would provide room in the two-car garage for the animal control officer. It could also be used for storage by the Highway Department. 

 

Select Board member Daniel Haskins said he had not heard any complaints about the State Police coverage. Andrews agreed, noting that the board's position in September had been that state coverage would be adequate. 

 

"We haven't really run into any major issues with chief retiring yet," he said. "That kind of closed the chapter, I think, on the Police Department. And I think we're fine."

 

Boucher said if the town does decide to end the Police Department, "it will be done" because of the amount of money it would cost reinstitute it.

 

Haskins said the state had allocated two details with troopers covering in four-hour patrol blocks. 

 

"Either this week or next week, there's going to be another four-hour patrol, and then from there, they're going to give us a report what they did," he said. "We can bring it back to the board and we can decide if we want to do further patrols."

 

Boucher will do some research on the value of the cruisers to see what the town could get for them. 

 

The board also approved a three-year contract with Stantec for monitoring the closed landfill and heard the school's well water passed a sanitary survey compliance plan. Boucher said a representative from the state Department of Environmental Protection sampled the water in October. There is currently a capacity of 1,600 gallons per day and the school averages 750 a day.

 

The board also discussed the roof project at the school. Bids were due by Thursday and Boucher said he would have the information for the board on Monday. He also had asked the town clerk to budget for a special election should one be needed for debt exclusion for the roof project. 

 

Select Board member Robert Norcross was absent.