Hatfield’s Select Board often uses the bromide that it is following “the will of the people” to hide behind its actions or inactions. Twice last year, the voters spoke loud and clear not to fund the Phase 2 Town Hall renovation project.
Yet, this Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Hatfield Elementary School (not the usual Smith Academy location) the Select Board will convene a special Town Meeting to try again to get the voters to pay over $2 million for more unnecessary work in the Town Hall. There is also a question on the November ballot to fund this Proposition 2 1/2 override.
The 100-year-old Town Hall has issues related to ease of access and the Massachusetts Architecture Access Board has given the town a few years to resolve them. Some steps have already been taken and all that remains is reconstructing the exterior ramps to conform to current building code and a modification of the lower-level exit. These would likely cost under $60,000. There have been no threats of a massive fine, no written determination by the Access Board, and, most importantly, no approval by the residents (Town Meeting) for the chair of the Select Board to negotiate any deal with the commonwealth.
Since the top floor of Town Hall is currently closed and not accessible by the public, there is no need for an elevator to that floor. The elevator triggers the extraordinary cost of Phase 2.
There were hopes, by some, of relocating the Hatfield Historical Museum from the top floor of the town library to the top floor of Town Hall. This necessitates the elevator, new electrical service supporting the elevator, a state-of-the-art sprinkler system, a very expensive climate-controlled system to provide the proper environment for a museum with fragile artifacts, and a reconfiguration of the lower level to accommodate the Council on Aging needs because of the lost space of the elevator and electrical control room.
The museum is a terrific asset for the town and Kathie Gow, the curator, deserves our thanks and appreciation for her tireless efforts, but two facts remain: (1) the museum is a private exempt entity – not a town department or office and (2) the town’s priorities and fiscal challenges require that this $2 million project be considered a luxury, not a necessity.
We have many necessary infrastructure and deferred-maintenance projects on the list for future spending, to say nothing about general budget needs. I have just lived through the third broken water main on my street – many more will come because of our aging water system and increased pressure of the new main coming from the reservoir. These are the concerns we need to be saving money for, not spending for a renovated town hall that houses less than 10 employees and a private museum that sees very little traffic.
Please come to the elementary school this Wednesday at 7 p.m. for the special Town Meeting.
E Lary Grossman
Hatfield