HATFIELD — The sole question on Hatfield’s Tuesday election ballot will address a Town Hall code compliance article which failed at Town Meeting last week.
The debt exclusion question pertains to Phase II of the Town Hall renovation project, and is asking residents to exempt funding from the limits of Proposition 2½ in order to bring the building up to code compliance.
Hatfield has been granted a compliance waiver by the State Architectural Access Board because the renovations are being completed in phases. According to the waiver, the building must still be brought up to code by Sept. 1, 2018, which would involve a code compliant exterior ramp, an elevator, and a fire suppression system.
At the May 10 Town Meeting, the issue failed to meet the required two-thirds vote to pass, but did earn a simple majority with 91 voting yes to 89 no. The original article asked voters to authorize the treasurer to borrow $850,000 for the project.
Tuesday’s vote will require a simple majority to pass.
Town Hall Clerk Lydia Szych said the question goes through a two-step process, and thus, has a chance to pass through an election.
If the question does pass, she said the town would need to address it either in next year’s annual Town Meeting or Hatfield may hold an earlier meeting specific to the question.
Szych said if the question doesn’t pass at the election “it’s dead,” but the town still has the compliance obligation to deal with.
Town Administrator Marlene Michonski said if the question does fail during election, Hatfield would have to apply for an additional extension on the compliance and provide a solid explanation for the lack thereof, but could potentially face a fee of $1,000 per day and in the worst case scenario, the State Architectural Access Board could close the hall.
“You just don’t know,” said Szych when asked Monday to predict which way the vote might go. “I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” she said.
The race for Select Board has three candidates and the race for assessor has two candidates, each of which asks for one candidate to be chosen.
For the Select Board seat, Marcus J. Boyle, 78 Main St. is running for re-election, and faces challengers Robert Flaherty Jr., 10 Primrose Path, and Barry J. Labbe, 40 School St. The position is for three years.
In the assessor race is candidate for re-election Stanley J. Pitchko Jr., 65 Prospect St., challenged by Christopher G. Smith, 17 Prospect St. The position is for three years.
The remaining nine races are candidates for re-election or someone new stepping up to run unopposed:
School Committee, three-year position: Candidate for re-election Brian F. Moriarty, 26 Maple St.
Elector Under The Will of Oliver Smith, one-year position: Candidate for re-election Lydia Szych, 449 Main St.
Hampshire Council of Governments, three-year position: Candidate for re-election Sean M. Barry, 106 Pantry Road.
Board of Health, three-year position: Candidate for re-election Robert P. Osley, 68 Main St.
Library Trustee, three-year position: Candidate for re-election Katherine Alyssa Hand, 55 Main St.
Planning Board, five-year position: Ronald P. Sassi, 52 Cronin Hill Road.
In three of these nine races no one has come forth to pull papers so those selections will be based purely on write-ins.
The School Committee position for two years needs to be filled after Jennifer Williams, who formerly filled that role, moved out of town.
Former Cemetery Commissioner Kathleen Winters, who currently fills the three-year role, has chosen not to run again.
Similarly, the five-year Housing Authority position held by Donna Paddock is open for a write-in after Paddock chose not to run again.
Szych said the write-in requires at least five votes for it to be countable, after which the town would mail the write-in candidate a letter asking for them to accept or decline the position.
Voting is open to Hatfield residents Tuesday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Memorial Town Hall.
Sarah Crosby can be reached at scrosby@gazettenet.com.