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Date: 9/12/2022
SOUTH HADLEY – During the Selectboard’s Sept. 6 meeting, the Planning Board joined to meet together with the Master Plan Implementation Committee (MPIC) to discuss the status of projects and the offices in town.
The MPIC monitors progress towards the goals specified in the town’s Master Plan. Using the task matrices developed as part of the planning process, MPIC members meet with the various boards, commissions, committees and staff that have tasks assigned to them in the plan.
The MPIC reviews the status of each task and tries to identify both successful strategies and barriers to progress. Once a year, MPIC reports verbally to the Selectboard and the Planning Board, and each May submits a written annual report and updated task matrices to Town Meeting.
MPIC Chair Judy Dobosh started their update to the boards describing that there was “positive and not so positive” information from their initial findings around town. One of the things Dobosh noted as a positive was current and proposed activities by students and staff at Mount Holyoke. She added it was good to see progress here as she “felt for a long time the college was underutilized by the town.”
Dobosh noted that the 26 responsible entities that make up the town – various boards and committees – have been monitored by the MPIC, but communication has not been consistent.
“The opinions we have been looking at are on procedural issues. Not all entities responded despite three contact requests,” Dobosh said. “This is despite email contacts three times and in several cases talking directly with members or chairs of committees. MPIC would really appreciate suggestions on any ways to get feedback from people.”
Discussion moved from overall updates to more focuses conversations on how to better communicate throughout the town in this situation.
Planning Board member Nate Therian said he has been focused since their inaugural meeting on making collaboration on goals of the Master Plan a more seamless part of their work.
“We should bring together departmental staff and representation from various elected and appointed entities. I am excited this is being built in moving forward,” Therian said.
Director of Planning and Conservation Anne Capra said there are a lot of moving parts in this process as the Master Plan is “quite large.” She said across the 26 responsible entities there is a lot of information and coordination available to be had. She added she hopes to set up the framework for better coordinating for all going forward.
Capra noted that on Nov. 4 ,in coordination with Town Administrator Lisa Wong, the town will host a Master Plan implementation workshop. Members of the 26 responsible entities will be invited for a half-day workshop to discuss the Master Plan. The plan is to have this workshop annually going forward.
“It will be some sort of forum to get all of us together to focus on communication. It will be the first meeting of its kind and we are excited and appreciate help on how to implement the Master Plan,” Capra said. “It will be great to know as we move forward there are already things being plugged away at.”
Wong told Reminder Publishing that with the adoption of a new Master Plan this year, it is common for a town to put together an implementation committee to ensure the new plan moves forward.
“Since the plan is a dynamic one, the MPIC will meet regularly with various boards and committees to get updates to the public and brainstorm on ways to implement the goals in the plan,” Wong said.
Municipal Veteran Assistance Fund
South Hadley Veterans Agent Michael Slater joined the Selectboard to request the establishment of a Municipal Veteran Assistance Fund. This would allow residents of South Hadley a mailing for excise and property tax bills where they can add to their bill for donations to veterans or surviving members of veteran’s families.
“It helps with food insecurity, with medical expenses, a whole slew of things,” Slater said.
This establishment of funding is authorized through Massachusetts General Law Chapter 60 Section 3F according to Slater. This would not be an abatement of tax payments and is a completely voluntary program that will go out with the tax bills for residents. People will also be able to make direct donations outside of adding to their tax bill.
Slater added, if approved, the next step would be establishing a Veterans Council in South Hadley so there would be oversight on when money is doled out. Selectboard Chair Jeff Cyr asked if this was a practice that other communities have adopted to which Slater said it is not and cited Ludlow as a city already using the method.
Slater added Northampton has a similar practice where funding is allocated to veterans services every year instead of this method. He also noted he would be going in front of the Easthampton City Council the following night for the same request. The request as adopted unanimously by the Selectboard.
Other notes from meeting
Nomination papers to fill the vacant seat on the Selectboard for the Nov. 8 Special Town Election are available in the Town Clerk’s Office. The seat was vacated following the death of former member Sarah Etelman. Papers are due back by Sept. 20.
The term ends in April 2023 following the town election. All voters registered to vote in South Hadley are eligible to run for town office. At least 50 registered South Hadley voters must sign nomination papers. Candidates are advised to collect more than 50 signatures to ensure the requisite number of certified signatures.
Those interested should call Town Clerk Sarah Gmeiner with any additional questions at 538-5030, ext. 6115.
In a side note, Wong stated that at the start of the meeting the town had recorded a 26 percent voter turnout with an hour remaining for polls for the primary election.