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Date: 10/5/2022
HAMPDEN – The final roster for the Senior Center Building Committee was set at the Oct. 3 Hampden Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting.
Carol Keeney and John Matthews had both expressed interest in serving on the committee. Council on Aging Director Rebecca Moriarty told the board she felt both members would be suitable additions. With the inclusion of Keeney and Matthews, the committee sits at 10 people. Flynn said the committee membership represented a “broad spectrum of people.”
A charge for the Senior Center Building Committee was also decided. The committee will work with Moriarty and the Board of Selectmen to “develop and oversee the expansion and/or renovation project.” The goal is to create, “adequate and appropriate capacity to serve Hampden Seniors for the next 30 to 50 years.”
BOS Chair John Flynn said it was “realistic” that funding for the long-awaited senior center expansion could be ready for a vote as soon as the 2023 fall Special Town Meeting (STM). Committee member Rita Vail cautioned that major funding expenditures should be done at the Annual Town Meeting, with the STM reserved for unforeseen issues or those that could not otherwise be taken up in the spring. She also objected to a timeline being placed on the committee’s work.
BOS member Craig Rivest pushed back on that, citing the fire station expansion/replacement project, which has been “kicked along” for multiple years. He said a target date should be set by the committee.
Speaking of another expansion project, Town Administrator Bob Markel said the highway garage expansion project is nearing completion. Despite this, he noted Highway Superintendent Mark Langone is “not happy” about the number of delays that have happened over the course of the project. Flynn commented that the timeline for the project has been fairly reasonable considering issues outside the town’s control, such as supply chain impediments.
Markel also reported that Tighe & Bond, a design and engineering consulting service often used by the town, was under contract to complete the capital and accessibility study. Markel has applied for a grant from the Massachusetts Office on Disability to fund the study, but the town may receive a bill from Tighe & Bond before he knows whether Hampden will be awarded the grant. In that case, he said they made need to “juggle” money around temporarily.
On a related note, a resident contacted Markel with concerns about accessing the Town House. Markel said the comments had been sent along to be included in the study. Rivest commented that the town is working on the issue and finding a solution as quickly as possible.
Markel turned his attention toward the STM on Oct. 24. He announced that there was just over $700,000 in the town’s Free Cash account. With eight of the 11 articles on the upcoming STM warrant focusing on financial expenditures, he suggested that the board change the funding source for the articles from raising and appropriating taxes to using the reserve.
Town Accountant Cliff Bombard confirmed that reserve funds are generally relied upon to meet financial needs during the STM. The board unanimously voted to approve the change.
Parks and Recreation Commission Chair Carrie Joseph and Vice Chair Dan Slattery presented Susanne Shuttleworth for appointment to the commission. Shuttleworth said she wanted to give back to the community, and her family members have used and enjoyed programs from the commission. The board approved the appointment and Shuttleworth is filling a vacancy on the commission until the 2023 town election.
Joseph also addressed an email, of which she was later made aware, that BOS member Donald Davenport had sent to the other board members and Markel. The email was regarding the process for filling a vacancy on a committee under the jurisdiction of the Board of Selectmen. In the email, Davenport wrote, “Under the Open Meeting Law a preliminary screening committee must consist of fewer than a quorum of the members of the parent body – BOS and remaining members of Parks and Recreation. In this particular case, the parent body consists of seven members – the three members of the BOS and four remaining members of Parks and Recreation. Therefore, a quorum is four. The problem presented is if the remaining members of the Parks and Recreation [Commission] which is four, a quorum of the parent body, interviewed candidates thus acting as a screening committee and voted to recommend a particular candidate that could potentially be in conflict with the Open Meeting Law.
Joseph said that the commission was unaware that the remaining members could not interview and vote on a candidate and requested more transparency and communication between the BOS and Parks and Recreation. Flynn agreed and praised the work done by the all-volunteer commission. Flynn reminded Joseph that the BOS was working with Parks and Recreation when possible, and pointed to the commission’s request for a full-time recreation director in the fiscal year 2024 budget.
This is not the first time that Davenport has taken issue with the process of appointing a candidate to fill the vacancy on a board or committee. After the unexpected departure of two members of the Planning Board in August 2021, Davenport pressed for the BOS members to be involved in the interviews for all candidates, rather than voting for or against only the candidates that the remaining Planning Board members brought before them. At the May Annual Town Meeting, Davenport had put forth an article to codify that process change in the bylaw, but ended up requesting no action be taken on it so as to consider additional suggestions.