Town plans to take over Housing Authority’s under-used van
Stafford’s ADA accessible bus is “beyond its useful life,” according to Amber Wakley-Whaley, Stafford’s director of grants and community development, who spoke to the Board of Selectmen (BOS) on November 4, 2026t. However, over at the Housing Authority, they have a van that is underutilized, according to Executive Director Ann Perrone. So, the Town is working on a trade, but the details need to be worked out first.
The van was purchased by the Housing Authority as part of the Section 5310 grant program. Perrone told the BOS the Housing Authority has had trouble finding drivers for the van within their budget. “We hate to see it not get used, obviously. The Town has a bus that they can’t use anymore so it just seemed like the perfect fit,” Perrone told the board.
So, the Department of Transportation (DOT) is working on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would allow the Town of Stafford to take over the operation and grant reporting requirements for the van. There would be no purchase cost, Wakley-Whaley told the BOS, though it would need to be insured and maintained like its predecessor.
Once the DOT has worked out the intricacies of the MOU, the BOS can review it and accept responsibility for the grant. Once that’s done, Stafford can start running the van to support its transportation program, which is described on the Town website: “The service offers older adults and people with disabilities free social trips and out-of-town shopping transportation to expand access to groceries and other items. Examples include trips to out-of-town shopping plazas, Wal-Mart, in-town multi-store stops, lunch excursions, and more. Our driver/attendant can also assist with loading groceries/purchases on and off the bus.”
