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Date: 6/29/2022
HAMPDEN – Hampden Parks and Recreation Board Chair Carrie Gray Joseph came before the Board of Selectmen to propose the creation of a paid recreation director position. Currently, there are four people on the board with one vacancy, and Gray Joseph explained that there was not sufficient staffing to create and maintain programs.
Board of Selectmen member Donald Davenport asked Gray Joseph about participation levels of Parks and Recreation programs. She told him the numbers of children participating has fallen and said that may be due to an overall decrease in the under 18 years of age population in town. There was a discussion about programs that could be offered to draw in participants if staffing allowed for it.
Board of Selectmen Chair John Flynn said he supported the creation of the position and recalled that such a job used to exist but was cut due to budget constraints.
Gray Joseph suggested using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding for the position’s salary, but Board of Selectmen member Craig Rivest told her such a use was likely ineligible for ARPA but suggested there were other grants available for that purpose. Gray Joseph will work with Town Administrator Bob Markel to locate a source of funding. If one cannot be found, Flynn said, the position could go before Town Meeting for budget approval.
On another topic concerning outdoor recreation, Sherry Himmelstein of the Minnechaug Land Trust requested the town reimburse the conservation organization for $6,000 in tree work. The town had agreed to pay for the removal of trees on town land that might fall onto land run by the trust. She explained that the trust was given a quote of $5,000 to remove damaged trees, but when the tree service arrived, she was told that the work would take multiple days and would cost more than $5,000. According to Himmelstein, the service offered to stop after $5,000 of work had been completed, but she said there were still too many trees “in danger of falling,” so she had the service continue work.
“But you had no more money,” Flynn emphasized. He also said the board was frustrated that the trust had waited seven months to bring the issue back before them.
Himmelstein said she thought ARPA money could be used to fund the difference and made a case that the trailheads were in a state of disrepair because of heavy use during the coronavirus pandemic. Flynn explained ARPA is designated for infrastructure repair, whereas the federal coronavirus relief funding known as the CARES Act addressed fallout from COVID-19. That funding expired in 2021, he told her. When asked, he said it was unlikely the trailheads would be accepted as an infrastructure issue.
Instead, Flynn suggested she apply to the Community Preservation Commission to apply open space funding to the reimbursement. He said Himmelstein would have the board’s support in her application.
Dog issue update
On April 11, the board had conducted a hearing on the dog dispute between neighbors Steve Haskins and Anne Thomas. At that time, Animal Control Ofc. Shelley Sears stated that Steve Haskins has complained about his neighbor Anne Thomas’s dogs roaming on his property on Rock-A-Dundee Road, attacking his dog and chickens.
Thomas had submitted a written letter to the board indicating that she had hired a dog walker to exercise the dogs and said her dogs would be tethered in the future. She also said she was going to install an electric fence around her property. The board accepted these changes and continued the hearing to a future date.
During the June 27 meeting, Flynn followed up on the issue, stating that Thomas’s dogs had again escaped her property and attacked her when she attempted to break up a fight with another animal. Flynn said the dog would be euthanized later in the week.
Other topics
Two new members have been added to the Hampden Fire Department. Fire Chief Ed Poulin presented Ryan Fitzgerald to the board for approval as a probationary EMS/firefighter. Fitzgerald is a licensed EMT and works part-time for National Ambulance. He is interested in trying firefighting, Poulin said.
Michael Patrick was brought on to be a driver/operator for the department, driving fire vehicles and freeing a firefighter to attend to other duties. Patrick will be trained with all equipment in case his help is required. He has firefighter experience from working in Westfield.
The annual audit of the town’s finances was recently completed. “It really reflects that the town is doing well,” Flynn said. The board will conduct an in-depth review of the audit with legal counsel and Town Accountant Cliff Bombard at a later date.
Resident John Plaster brought up a property on the corner of Main and North Streets. He said the lawn is overgrown and “in terrible shape.” While there is no ordinance in Hampden regulating the maintenance of yards, Plaster said, “I don’t agree with it.” Flynn asked that Building Commissioner Wendel Hulbert send a letter to the property owners expressing “concern.”