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Date: 9/27/2022
HADLEY – The Hadley Select Board’s Sept. 21 meeting saw plans for two major redevelopment projects, as well as new hires for several police positions.
Approximately a year ago the town entered into a contract with Weston & Sampson, a firm which specializes in assessing and designing public works projects, to conduct a feasibility study for a new Department of Public Works (DPW) building facility. On Sept. 21, Mike Richard and Jhene Li of Weston & Sampson joined the board to discuss the results of the study.
The DPW has five divisions: highway maintenance, building & cemetery maintenance, equipment maintenance, water and wastewater treatment. The feasibility study focused primarily on the needs of the first three divisions, as the water and waste divisions already have separate facilities.
The Department of Homeland Security defines DPW workers as first responders, and they are on-call 24 hours a day. Some of their duties include snow and ice removal, storm and flooding drainage, road hazard removal, emergency road repairs, cleaning up oil spills as well as assisting other emergency departments such as police, fire and ambulance services.
The existing DPW facility at 230 Middle St. consists of one building and three “temporary” trailers which have actually been there for 30 to 40 years. The building was constructed in the 1960s and serves as a vehicle and storage garage. It cannot fit all the vehicles of the town’s fleet, such as the vactor truck, the most expensive in the fleet, which remains uncovered outdoors year round. The overhead doors of its bays are not tall or wide enough to allow entry from certain vehicles such as school buses.
Many vehicles are stored and washed outside, which leads to rust and damage that can impact the vehicle’s lifespan. The trailers are similarly inadequate. The break room is “cramped,” especially if workers must remain there while on call during emergencies, there are not enough staff lockers, nor are there enough toilets. The salt dome which stores the salt to clear roads during snow and ice emergencies is inefficient for deliveries, access and dump clearance. The fuel dispensaries and tanks to refill town vehicles are outdated and past their useful lifespan.
Richard and Li named several benefits the town would enjoy from upgrading the facility. The first and perhaps most pressing matter was that of code and Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance, meaning the new building would be safe for employees. This would lead to more efficient response times to serve the public. There would be adequate and safe space to protect the town’s investment in the form of the vehicular fleet. The new stormwater management system they proposed would improve the town’s overall water quality. Finally, being proactive and choosing to act now means that the town eliminates the need for “band aid” style repairs which do not address the root problems, and cuts significant costs that would be incurred if the town waits until it is mandated to replace the facility by way of emergency.
The next steps over the coming year would be to complete the feasibility study and conceptual design layout, form a DPW building committee, begin public outreach and secure the next phase of funding at Town Meeting. Richard and Li said that they are in the process of narrowing down the list of prospective sites for the new facility. One idea is to build a new building on the lot of the existing facility, they are also looking into two sites on Bay Road as well as one near the North Hadley Fire Station. Richard and Li said that they are mostly considering town-owned sites to minimize costs.
The board agreed that the Building Committee should consist of DPW members, Select Board members and some residents with active interest in the community, numbering roughly five to seven people. Board member Randall Izer was put in charge of drafting a list of committee members. Funding will be addressed at the next Town Meeting.
In keeping with the theme of redevelopment, members of the newly formed Russell School Committee proposed a town-wide survey to gather feedback as to what to do with the Russell School building. The committee started meeting roughly two months ago and has come up with five options for the community to choose from.
The survey will be made available in a wide variety of ways. A link to the online survey will be included in the Nov. 1 water bill, reaching approximately 1,500 Hadley residents. Links will also be present on the town website and Hadley-specific Facebook pages, such as “You Know you’re from Hadley…” and “Hadley Community.” Flyers will be posted at libraires, churches, stores and schools. The survey will also be available for in-person completion at the senior center and the library; the committee is willing to host hours at these locations to help people with the computers to complete the survey. All responses will be anonymous.
After completion, the committee plans to host a public forum to discuss results and plans. They intend to have a concrete plan for the future of the school on the warrant for the Town Meeting next spring in order to vote for approval and move forward with the project.
The board voted to retain their hybrid meeting style moving forward. Members will meet in person at the Hadley Senior Center with the option of virtual participation – this applies to other town officials and public attendees joining the meetings as well. However, this is with the understanding that board members are expected to meet in person unless extenuating circumstances are present. Furthermore, if a member experiences technical difficulty after choosing to join remotely, the meeting will continue without them.
A resident of Chmura Road voiced concern over the “tremendous” increase in cars parking on the street over the past year. She estimates that on average 20 to 30 cars park in her cul de sac. Most of this parking can be attributed to visitors of the trails in the nearby state parks, particularly mountain bikers. She reports that they often “hang out” on the street after they come back from the trails, and some frequent the trails after dusk when the park is supposed to be closed. The board felt it needed to collect more information and consider options to remedy the situation, so it agreed to come back to the topic at a future meeting.
Hadley Police Department appointed several new staff members with the board’s approval. Harry Santiago and Daniel Clark were appointed as full time officers, with Clark being granted conditional appointment until he passes a physical and psychological evaluation and is certified by the Massachusetts Police Officer Standards and Training Commission, at which time he will be officially appointed.
The Route 9 Corridor Improvement Project required more civilian traffic control officers, so the board approved the appointment of six new ones, all retired officers from other police departments throughout the region.
In its last act of business, the board approved Scott McCarthy to be promoted from acting director of the DPW to permanent director, and passed a vote to put a proposal from Valley Bike on the warrant for the next Town Meeting.