HATFIELD — Town voters will again vote to authorize a debt exclusion to make renovations to address compliance issues at the Town Hall.
A special Town Meeting will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Hatfield Elementary School. Town residents will vote on three articles.
Two of the articles are related to Town Hall renovations, including construction of an exterior ramp, an elevator and a fire suppression system to bring the 59 Main St. building up to code compliance.
The third article would amend a vote from the annual Town Meeting held in May, rescinding $200,000 for environmental cleanup at the former Center School.
Article 1 asks residents to authorize a debt exclusion to borrow $1 million to pay for the second phase of Town Hall renovation. The borrowing is subject to the adoption of Question 5 on Nov. 8, which asks town voters to consider a Proposition 2½ debt-exclusion override. The $1 million would be paired with $690,000 the town has available in prior funding authorizations, according to Town Administrator Marlene Michonski.
If approved, using a 3.5 percent prime interest rate over a 20-year period, Town Treasurer Laura Lee Bertram estimated an annual $45.50 tax increase to an average single-family house assessed at $350,000, or $13 per $100,000 of property valuation.
Estimates like these typically come from an assessor’s office, Bertram explained, but in addition to being town treasurer and tax collector she is an accredited assessor.
Bertram said the number “is not written in stone.” She added that typically a municipality pays less than the prime interest rate. The actual interest rate the town would receive on borrowing wouldn’t be known until it went out to bid.
At Town Meeting in May, residents voted on borrowing $850,000 to fund the second phase of Town Hall renovations. 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. A week later, the election ballot vote failed 246 for to 257 opposed.
At that meeting, concerns were expressed by the Council on Aging that the renovations would eliminate a ramp to the basement and cut into its kitchen space.
Selectman Marcus Boyle said it was his sense the article and question failed for two reasons — cost and “an angst amongst some that their needs may not be addressed.”
“We’re attempting to allay some of that by putting forth, to some residents at least, the top priorities for the Council on Aging,” Boyle said.
The work that would be funded in part by Article 1 is required to bring the building up to state fire safety and accessibility codes.
The Massachusetts Architectural Access Board has given Hatfield a waiver on compliance until September 2018, because the renovations are being completed in phases.
If the waiver expires before work is approved, Hatfield would have to apply for an additional extension on the compliance and provide a solid explanation for the delay. If the extension is not approved the town could face fines, which could be up to $1,000, that would be applied to each violation daily. The state could also close the Town Hall, according to Michonski.
With Article 2, Boyle said the Select Board is addressing what they understand to be the Council on Aging’s top concern — access from the outside to the basement and expansion of the kitchen to make up for space lost to the proposed elevator.
The article asks citizens to authorize a debt exclusion in the amount of $325,000, subject to an adoption of a ballot question at a special election, to construction a second external ramp to the basement and complete work on the kitchen.
“As a result of putting in the elevator — the Council on Aging kitchen would lose some space to … the elevator room,” Michonski explained.
The proposal would remove a portion of the kitchen wall between the kitchen and building inspector’s office and relocate the building inspector to the former police department. The project also includes work that would be necessary in the office relocation.
In Article 3 voters are asked to amend part of an article that passed at Town Meeting in May. A positive vote would rescind the borrowing authorization of $200,000 for asbestos and lead paint removal as well as other necessary environmental cleanup at the former Center School.
Boyle said the developers who bought the building agreed to take on the responsibility for the remediation themselves freeing the town from having to borrow money and do it themselves. Developers Barry L. Roberts and Donald Southwick will convert the 100-year-old village center landmark into eight condominiums for those 55 years old and older.
Kuhn Riddle Architects of Amherst also will partner in the project.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.