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Selectmen meet for first time since closures

By Jason Poole

Reminder Correspondent



HAMPDEN The Hampden Board of Selectmen met on July 11 for the first time since the closure of the library and senior center, and for the first time since Hampden residents voted against a Proposition 2 1/2 override in May. The closures were not the dominant issues at the meeting.

The Selectmen discussed shutting off streetlights throughout the town to save money for the budget, an issue that was voted on by Hampden residents at the Annual Town Meeting.

A resident attending the meeting asked why the streetlights had not been turned off already considering that both the library and senior center were shut down on the exact dates that they were supposed to.

Selectman John Flynn said that this meeting was the first time that Massachusetts Electric had sent figures about the cost of shutting down the lights and also the procedures for shutting the lights down, and that was why the streetlights have not been turned off yet.

"We can't turn off the switch," Flynn said.

Residents who wish to have streetlights turned on near their property can pay for the lights themselves. Once the lights are shut down, there is a $25 activation fee for a light to be turned back on. The Selectmen do not know how much the actual cost per year of keeping a street light on will be.

The Selectmen plan to shut down all of the street lights and then revisit the issue at a town meeting in the fall where they might need to make modifications because of the longer nights in the winter which may cause safety concerns.

The Selectmen also discussed the search for a permanent police chief and modified the requirements for candidates who wish to apply for the position.

Since candidates will be selected from within the Hampden Police Department, the requirements for the chief position needed to be modified or they would disqualify almost all of the candidates.

Instead of requiring 15 years of law enforcement experience and five years in a supervisory position, the requirements are now seven years of law enforcement experience with additional supervisory experience.

The Selectmen hope that this modification will encourage more candidates from within the department to apply for the position.

The new requirements will be posted at the Police Department and the deadline for application is July 29. The Board set a goal of beginning to meet with the final candidates by Aug. 22.

The Board also met with reserve police officer Tawrin Seega and appointed him to a full time position at the Police Department as soon as the position becomes open.

There are currently six full time police officers working in Hampden with the sixth position about to become open because of other officers leaving the department.

The Selectmen appointed Kevin Carroll and Daniel Devine to one-year probationary positions as reserve officers. Hampden currently has approximately 15 reserve officers, according to Acting Police Chief Jeff Farnsworth.

Farnsworth said that the town should continue to have between 15 and 16 reserve officers because some reserve officers may leave the department because of burdens placed on them by budget cut backs.

Hampden Board of Selectmen meetings are now the first and third Mondays of each month, with the next meeting scheduled for July 25.