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Date: 11/2/2017
HAMPDEN – Over the last several weeks Hampden residents have been speaking out regarding the towns upcoming Special Town Meeting. Originally, the Special Town Meeting was posted to take place on Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. at Thornton W. Burgess Middle School. However, with the storm winds and heavy rains at the start of this week, the meeting was postponed until Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. at Bethlehem Baptist Church.
This Special Town Meeting will give residents the opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns on specific articles, and subsequently vote on the 11 warrant articles. The most controversial, especially on online town forums, being warrant articles two and three, both dealing with school deregionalization, article four discussing a regional dispatch facility, and warrant article seven, which concerns the district improvement financing (DIF).
Articles two and three bring up the topic of school deregionalization. As reported by The Reminder following the Hampden Wilbraham Regional School District (HWRSD) School Committee meeting on Oct. 5, the School Committee has made the decision to close Thornton W. Burgess Middle School (TWB) in Hampden due to low student enrollment and high maintenance costs.
The School Committee then provided a Reorganization Plan at the Oct. 5 meeting, and asked the towns to consider current enrollment trends. According to information provided by the School Committee, the town of Hampden’s enrollment has declined by 19.8 percent since the year 2009, and Wilbraham’s decreased by 13.4 percent. The New England School Development Council (NESDEC) predicts the average decline for the HWRSD is 41.9 pupils each year.
Along with this Reorganization Plan, the HWRSD School Committee recommended a five-year plan that would cause some shifting around in regard to where Hampden and Wilbraham students will be going to class. The “Blueprint for Educational Success” suggests closing TWB in June 2018, creating a kindergarten through grade eight school at Green Meadows Middle School for the 2018-2019 school year and subsequently forming a grades eight through 12 Minnechaug Regional High School by school year 2019-2020, leaving Green Meadows with grades kindergarten through seven for that year. By school year 2022-2023, the blueprint suggests Minnechaug takes seventh graders, leaving Green Meadows with grades kindergarten through six. Additionally, in 2022-2023, a Wilbraham school will also close, consolidating the HWRSD.
With this information in mind, articles two and three bring the topic of deregionalization to vote. Article two asks if Hampden residents will vote to hear the report of the School Deregionalization Study Committee. Article Three asks the town to vote to, “raise and appropriate and/or transfer from available funds a sum of money for legal and or professional fees for the purpose of modifying the regional school agreement or resolving other outstanding regional school issues,” according to the town provided warrant document.
Regarding the “Blueprint for Success” provided by the HWRSD School Committee, John Niemi expressed his distrust in the group on a Facebook forum.
“The School Committee has lied and deceived the people of both towns too many times for me to believe anything they say. Here we go again with the five year plan in shiny new package, but same bad idea,” Niemi wrote.
Resident Caryn Chaffee Paradis commented on the 566: Hampden Matters Facebook page that she has “no doubt” that every parent on the Facebook pages care deeply for their children and their education, and she believes that schools make a community, which is why she will be voting yes on article three.
“I don’t agree with our children being housed in Green Meadows K-8 [kindergarten through eighth grade],” Paradis continued. “The School Committee worked against our school and town by providing more assets for WMS [Wilbraham Middle School] putting more pressure on Hampden parents to move their kids. Why is TWB being given back to the town July 1? I have my doubts it will be used for anything town related.”
Hampden resident Donna Beaulieu-Croteau shared a letter she penned to the Facebook page expressing her opinion regarding the closure of TWB, and how she sees this as a new opportunity. A mother of two school-aged children, Beaulieu-Croteau suggests that though Hampden does matter, she is also looking out for the best education for her kids.
“Many town people do not want to close a school that is part of our towns history of Thornton Burgess. But, don't think of it as losing a school, think about gaining a better education for our students. And for the town ... gaining a building with opportunities to expand our community,” Beaulieu-Croteau writes.
She then suggests the idea of turning TWB into a community center.
“I hear the term ‘big bad Wilbraham’ and the ‘district bullying small Hampden,' but in reality it is not just our towns people going to Wilbraham (or even other towns) for education, they go for things other than educational advantages,” she continued. “Our town can take that $50,000 and bring opportunities and community to our town instead of more divide.”
Beaulieu-Croteau suggests that the town could choose to utilize the TWB property to host more events and activities that will bring Hampden residents together.
“Our town could provide affordable and accessible recreational, educational, athletic and social programs for our community together, and even bring other towns to participate in our community instead of us having to go out of town! Lets not lose our town, lets build up our community!” Beaulieu-Croteau wrote.
Her post garnered 43 likes as well as multiple comments, most supportive, few suggesting otherwise.
“I love Hampden, I grew up there, went to each school and my soul is there, but there is not enough there for kids and my kids come first. If TWB closes, I will be saddened by it. Hampden needs a place like the Randall Community Center/Ludlow Boys and Girls club. That would be a huge asset for all the townspeople,” Beverly Turnberg Landers responded.
A comment by Linda Kern speculated, “GreatHorse will buy it [TWB]. It's a done deal, why was there no other option but to get us out, they will own it. You’ll see.”
Another commenter pointed out that in order for any business or entity to purchase the TWB property, it would have to go to Town Meeting and be voted on by Hampden residents. The TWB property can not be sold unless the townspeople vote to put it up for sale.
Ending the online discussions on Articles Two and Three, various residents expressed their disappointment that TWB's closing and the deregionalization debate has been creating a divide between not only Wilbraham and Hampden residents, but Hampden residents alone.
“I've heard a few voice that they no longer feel apart of this community. That is a sad state of affairs,” Jennifer Poulin wrote.
For more information about the Oct. 5 HWRSD School Committee meeting and the contents of the Reorganization plan, go to www.thereminder.com/localnews/wilbrahamhampden/thornton-w-burgess-school-to-close-june-2018.
Warrant Article Four is in place to see if Hampden residents will vote to discontinue its use of the towns own emergency police and fire dispatch facility and its associated personnel, and be allowed to contract with an independent autonomous remote dispatch facility, which will be located in Chicopee.
Should Hampden discontinue their use of their in-town dispatch facility and associated personnel, the towns would gain this new dispatch service in Chicopee as of July 1, 2018. The regional dispatch service will be working out of Chicopee’s public safety complex. Other towns that will be involved in regional dispatch include Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, and Chicopee.
According to East Longmeadow Fire Chief Paul Morrissette, the dispatch service will have six dispatchers dedicated to the four communities along with one supervisor to provide extra assistance.
Under the current dispatch system, all cell phone calls go to the State Police Department, and then transfers the call to a local dispatcher. The goal behind the regional dispatch system, according to Longmeadow Town Manager Stephen Crane, is to have a one-step dispatching system.
Kelsey Green, Hampden Police Department Dispatcher, penned a letter and posted it to the towns 566: Hampden Matters page. She offers thoughts she would like the town to consider when voting on article four, from the perspective of an individual who provides dispatch service daily.
“Currently, when an emergency call is received by dispatch, you are speaking with someone who, is not only most likely a resident of this town themselves, but someone with extensive personal knowledge of the community,” Green continues. “Even more important than geographical comprehension, are past histories of domestic disturbances, medical calls, court issued orders and drug uses amongst certain people and or residences. It’s knowledge like this that saves time, and in this field, saving time equals saving lives.”
Green went on to mention two other points that she believes are important for residents to consider when heading to the polls: the safety of Hampden Police Officers, and that the town’s “brand new, $2.9 million dollar Police Station with the perfectly functioning and well equipped dispatch center” would become a “dark station.”
“This means the front lobby would be inaccessible to walk-ins after a certain hour. Currently, on weekdays, weekends and holidays, at any hour of the day or night, when you walk into the PD, you are assisted by a dispatcher at the window.” Green explained. “Is this a service you are willing to lose?”
She continued, “Even with the proposed pay raise that comes with regionalization – the threat of depersonalization, the loss of local control and geographical knowledge, the loss of that small town feel that Hampden gingerly upholds takes precedence over monetary value. We cannot put a price on safety, can you?”
For more information regarding the dispatch facility in Chicopee and how it would be run, should the town vote yes, go to www.thereminder.com/localnews/longmeadow/communitiesprepare.
The article that has perhaps created the most chatter around Hampden and on the online forums is warrant article seven: District Improvement Financing (DIF). The purpose of this article is to see if the town will vote to create a DIF district authorized under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 40Q, with that district be known as the Allen Street. and Wilbraham Road Improvement District. “The Allen St. Wilbraham Rd. Improvement District as part of a public-private collaborative process to promote redevelopment in Hampden, as described and bounded on the map as presented to the Town,” the warrant reads.
The warrant article also contains an explanation, which shares that the DIF financing program will enable the town to allocate property tax revenues from the established district to pay for public infrastructure improvements. The improvements within the Allen St. and Wilbraham Rd. district include water and sewer extensions. “Financing of the improvements would be made through the issuance of debt with the repayment of such debt made from incremental property tax revenues realized from the developed properties within the district,” the explanation reads.
The town of Hampden has submitted an application to the state for a $2 million MassWorks Infrastructure grant, to be combined with the towns $2.8 million bond, which would go toward creating the water and sewer district. However, prior to the submission of the MassWorks grant on Aug. 4, a meeting took place with Chair of Hampden’s Board of Selectmen John Flynn at a June 27 East Longmeadow Town Council meeting in an attempt to create a partnership with the two towns.
In meeting minutes, Flynn approached the Council to discuss the potential for East Longmeadow to expand sewer and water into parts of Hampden, instead of going through with the DIF project as an individual community. Former Councilor Eric Madison commented that Hampden's proposal is “putting the cart before the horse” and that he couldn't foresee a benefit to East Longmeadow.
In the minutes, East Longmeadow Town Manager Denise Menard said that she would not agree to anything that would risk a lack of water for the Town of East Longmeadow. Menard noted that East Longmeadow would not foot the bill for Hampden's benefit, and that she is not advertising for or against the project.
All in all, while Flynn stated he wasn’t looking for permission from the East Longmeadow Town Council, and that he was looking for a partnership, Madison and Councilor Donald Anderson agreed that they did not see a value for the project, and couldn't see spending the time and resources on it. Councilor Paul Frederici stated that Flynn and his counterparts were asking the Council to make decisions without knowing a lot of facts. The meeting ended, with the Town Council asking Flynn to find out how the project would benefit East Longmeadow, then come back.
The MassWorks grant application, submitted just over a month after the two towns met, reads that the project would include laying 13,000 square feet of water and sewer pipe, and adding 23 additional fire hydrants that would “greatly increase public safety” and would provide “much needed increased water pressure to service populated residential areas.” Continuing on, the application states that 104 residential, 10 commercial and more or less five community properties will have the opportunity to tie into the system. Additionally the 10 abutting streets could tie into the proposed water main. Finally, a water booster pump station would be constructed to provide water to existing and future residential and commercial developments at GreatHorse Country Club.
The grant application continued to note the plans of GreatHorse,which would include 44 condominiums at a total cost of $17.6 million, a minimum of seven to 10 single-family homes with a total cost of $12.5 million, as well as one to two bedroom cottages for members and families, or potential staff living quarters.
“There is a very real potential that other commercial properties along the water/sewer line route will rehab and reuse their current properties and potentially demolish their existing buildings and redevelop their properties,” the application reads. “It is not only GreatHorse but most of our commercial section in town is stagnated by the limited resources our wells and septic systems can provide. The impact of not implementing this project will impede Hampden’s capability to be competitive as we seek commercial growth opportunities.”
The potential DIF project on the Allen St. and Wilbraham Rd. roadways have been met with much speculation by residents following the surfacing of the MassWorks application documents, with several theories suggesting the DIF project is being thrown into the ring, only to benefit GreatHorse.
Hampden resident Jack Arute posted to an online forum, “This DIF is the first step in a master plan that has been developed by our selectmen and GreatHorse behind closed doors. This master plan’s financial burden will be on the backs of we, the taxpayers. It provides little to nothing for the residents of Hampden.”
However, not all residents are in opposition to GreatHorse's plans.
Nathan Dentzau commented, “Who cares if the golf course is pushing that. They are putting a lot of money into that property which is again increased tax revenue back to the town when their sales increase. I haven't seen a valid argument why this plan is bad other than that ‘small town feel’ is going away.”
Flynn engaged in candid conversation with voters in the forum, stating, “Everything going forward requires the town to agree. This application is just for the grant. Nothing will go forward without town approval first.”
Flynn continued, “As you know with grants, it's so important to put the best face forward in order to get our money back from the state. Our town has given so much money to Boston, its important to get some of our tax money back to improve Hampden. We do plan to proceed with further grants from the state to add more roads into this program, at no cost to the town. This has all been discussed at open meetings of the water and sewer committee. The presentation at the town meeting obligates us to do nothing!”
Some residents have submitted a complaint to the Attorney General’s Office in regard to the towns Open Meeting Laws, as they feel they are not being accurately informed regarding all past, current and future meetings and issues in the town. Following a check on Hampden’s Board of Selectmen/Health online meeting minutes page, minutes for all July, August, September and October meetings have not been provided.
Additional articles the town will be voting on include Article One, the Board of Assessors Department upgrade. This article is in place to see if the town will “vote to raise and appropriate and/or transfer from unappropriated available funds a sum of money to purchase necessary hardware, software and technical support to upgrade Vision Appraisal Software, or take any other action relative thereto,” according to the town provided warrant document.
Article Five discusses the towns senior center and asks residents to vote to appropriate funds or a sum of money toward purchasing an air conditioning unit for the Senior Center kitchen. Article Six asks the town to vote to allocate funds toward line item 015705 to pay off all outstanding debt on the Highway Departments dump truck.
Article Eight is in reference to the Community Preservation Committee, which asks to see if the town will accept the recommendations made by the committee.
Article Nine discusses the towns reserve fund, and asks the town to vote to transfer a sum of money from unappropriated available funds into the Reserve Fund.
Article 10 suggests the town votes to transfer from unappropriated available funds a sum of money to be put toward reducing the tax rate for Fiscal Year 2018.
Finally, article 11 is in regard to the towns general stabilization account, which asks the town to vote to transfer a sum of money from unappropriated available funds into the General Stabilization Account.