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Date: 10/3/2023
HAMPDEN — The Hampden Board of Selectmen discussed the continued use of the Town House and future home of the town offices during its Sept. 25 meeting.
“The [Town House] is … not in great shape,” said Board of Selectmen Chair John Flynn. “What are we going to do about it?”
Board of Selectmen member Donald Davenport said residents must choose between fixing the Town House, building a new one or moving to another location. The recent study that examined the building’s condition found that the repairs would cost between $4 million and $7.5 million.
Davenport quoted the study as stating that even with a reconfiguration of Town Hall, the building is not large enough to house the town offices. Flynn said repairing the building would not solve the accessibility issues and an elevator would cost about $4.5 million to retroactively add to the building.
Resident Tad Brown said if there are renovations to fit the building to the new usage, it may trigger a requirement to bring the entire building up to code, which would be significantly more expensive.
Depending on how the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District decides to reconfigure the use of its buildings, Thornton W. Burgess may be a viable option in which the offices could relocate. Davenport said that would “still be expensive.” There is no official estimate for Hampden to build a new facility for the town offices, but Flynn speculated that it would run between $10 million and $15 million.
Flynn said that if there are issues with the building that are potentially “dangerous,” the Board of Selectmen is “obligated to do something about it.”
Board of Selectmen member Craig Rivest commented, “I can’t see us putting $4 million into this building and not knowing the direction” of usage that the town will decide. Rivest acknowledged Flynn’s concern but asked that the board wait until the school district decides whether it will recommend the continued usage of Thornton W. Burgess as a school, so the town has “solid options” to present to residents.
Town Meeting articles
The board reviewed a draft warrant for the fall Town Meeting on Oct. 30. One article asks voters to approve a bond anticipation notice for the installation of a municipal fiber optic internet system. While the full amount for the project would be $18.5 million, Flynn said the town would bond for far less than that. Instead, Town Administrator Bob Markel explained, the town would take out several short-term bond notes for six months to a year at a time while the project is under construction. These would be rolled over and taken out of the full bond at the end of the project. If the town receives a “take rate” of 50% of households opting into the system, their subscriptions would pay off the bond.
Rivest said that for the sake of transparency, voters should know the full cost of the project, although he acknowledged the number is “scary.” Flynn pointed out that it would also appear to bond agencies that the town had encumbered the full $18.5 million when that would not be the case.
Markel agreed. He also noted that the figure could drop if the town receives grant money and referred to federal funding, saying, “the Niagra Falls out of Washington is just beginning.”
Another article would increase the salary of the town administrator from $100,000 to $130,000. Markel’s contract expires at the end of the calendar year, and he said the salary would have to be higher to “entice” candidates and $130,000 is the standard in the area. He also noted that the salaries of town managers in East Longmeadow and Longmeadow are in the $150,000 range.
There will be big-ticket equipment on the warrant including a Highway Department tractor and a brush truck for the Fire Department. At the spring Town Meeting, Fire Chief Ed Poulin explained that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had awarded a $219,047 grant to the town for a new brush truck, and it required a town-funded match of $10,952, which the town approved. Flynn said the “cost went up” for the truck, but Davenport countered, “The cost went up because after they got the money at the Town Meeting, they decided to put extra things on the truck.” He added, “I’m just letting you know, when [Poulin] stands up, there’s going to be issues.
Heartsprings agreement
The board voted to extend the agreement between the Senior Center and Heartsprings, a company that collects clothing, linens and other textiles, as well as small household items. The original nine-month agreement expires at the end of October. Council on Aging Director Rebecca Moriarty explained that Heartsprings pays the Senior Center for the use of its parking lot as a donation site and residents have a place to donate textiles, now that state law no longer allows them to be put in household trash.
Moriarty said that there has been a substantial increase in donations since the textile ban was passed and the company empties the bin twice a week. Joan Shea, vice president of the Friends of Hampden Senior Citizens, said the amount paid to the Senior Center depends on the weight of donations. So far this year, the Senior Center has made $2,129 from the agreement and expects to receive another $600-$800 by the end of the year.
Rivest noted the parking lot is a “prime location” because it is close to the Police Station.
Mosquito-borne diseases
Davenport reminded residents that there have been mosquitoes found in Hampden County that tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis, with the closest positive mosquito found in Wilbraham. Mosquitoes are a vector for transmitting EEE to mammals, including humans. The risk for EEE in Hampden and several surrounding towns has been raised to “moderate.”
An alert on the Hampden website urges residents to “use mosquito repellents with an EPA-registered active ingredient and observing peak mosquito activity at dusk and dawn.”