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Date: 12/21/2021
BELCHERTOWN - During the Belchertown Select Board’s Dec. 13 meeting, the board agreed to set the meeting date for a Special Town Meeting to approve funding for a feasibility study to investigate renovations or building a new middle school.
To start the Town Meeting discussion, Town Administrator Gary Brougham said the town was eyeing a March 7 date for the meeting.
“We pretty much honed in on [March 7] and that was convenient for Superintendent Cameron and his group. Initially we were thinking the auditorium at the high school, more recently we had a meeting to discuss some of the additional logistics and it was proposed at that time we use the gymnasium to allow folks to spread out more,” he said.
For this Special Town Meeting, Brougham suggested a later start time.
“It may be appropriate to start the meeting at 7 [p.m.], the superintendent and those of us in the meeting on Thursday agreed that 7 [p.m.] might be more manageable for parents and residents that wish to come,” he said.
Along with the funding for the feasibility study for the middle school project, Brougham said the town would also be looking at changing the personnel bylaws to allow the town to hire a human resources position after the departure of the town’s benefits coordinator.
“We had a discussion about what might be on this warrant and presently I see two things, one being the Jabish Brooke Middle School project and two with the recent announcement of our benefits coordinator retiring and that expediting the need to hire a new benefits coordinator or an HR position. We are moving toward the HR position and that should be on the Special Town Meeting warrant simply to include it in the personnel bylaw so we can appoint this person,” he said.
Board member Ronald Aponte said he was in favor of the March 7 plan.
“[7 p.m.] makes sense, in the past when we have had these special types of Town Meetings at [7 p.m.] it is easier to make it home and get the kids settled and get dinner ready. It also allows us to meet at 6:30 p.m. without rushing too much and the gymnasium to allow for better spacing is a great idea,” he said.
While departments can submit articles for the meeting, Brougham said only emergency articles would be included because of the timing of the meeting.
“This is not a typical Special Town Meeting; it is only for articles that are time sensitive. Submit what you want but do not be disappointed if you do not get it. It is really out of cycle we usually have a special following the budget agreement so we cannot open the check book right now for things that are not emergencies,” he said.
The board unanimously agreed to set the Special Town Meeting Date for 7 p.m. on March 7 at the Belchertown High School gymnasium.
During his regular board member report, Nicholas Pucel said he received notice from Quabbin Health Director of Public Health Stephen Bell about some concerning COVID-19 related statistics.
“Here in Belchertown our vaccination rate is 77 percent, however this past week we have seen a tie for the highest weekly cases in Belchertown since January of this year with 72 cases and the hospital beds are currently 88 percent taken. He strongly advised anyone that has not [gotten a vaccine] to consider and anyone who has to look at your last shot date and consider a booster or another dose,” he said.
The board also approved appointments for a new full-time police officer, full-time dispatch officer, and a new member to the Historic District Bylaw Committee.
The Belchertown Select Board will next meet on Dec. 20 and coverage of that meeting will appear in the Dec. 29 edition of The Reminder.