HADLEY — Concerns about imposing new costs and regulations on farmers to address climate change prompted a majority of voters to reject a nonbinding resolution declaring a climate emergency Thursday at Special Town Meeting.
By an 83-72 vote, residents turned down the declaration, while also supporting $1.86 million for capital items, including several new vehicles for the Department of Public Works, including a vactor truck for a cost of at least $500,000, and the $1.55 million second phase of an overhaul of Hopkins Academy’s playing fields.
The last hour of the 2½-hour meeting at the Hopkins cafetorium focused on the resolution developed by the Hadley Climate Change Committee.
Allan Zuchowski of West Street was among several farmers who object to the resolution. Zuchowski said the contents of the text, including bringing townwide carbon emissions to zero by 2050, are “totally unrealistic.”
“This is how it starts, with very idealistic, wishful thinking,” Zuchowski said.
He said he understands the climate is changing, as he now picks squash from fields a month later than when he was a child, but that costs of powering lawn mowers or heating homes with non-fossil-fuel sources will be prohibitive.
“I don’t see Town Meeting buying me an electric tractor,” he said.
“I don’t need, most certainly anyone in Washington, telling me what we need to do in this town,” said Brian West of Bay Road. West said if the climate committee wants to bring concrete proposals for action, rather than a broad statement with references to the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement and state climate measures, Town Meeting should consider those on their own.
Shel Horowitz of Barstow Lane, though, said he strongly supported the resolution, and made a comparison to the vehicle purchases residents approved after the town had let equipment go well beyond their lifespans. “We also have a similar problem with a deferred maintenance on our planet,” Horowitz said.
Longtime farmer Michael Docter of Bay Road, too, said that while some farmers are appreciating the longer growing seasons, there will be long-term consequences that will affect their ability to grow food.
Tony Fyden of Cold Spring Lane said the resolution would take power from the people and put it into the hands of bureaucrats, and that the town would be committing to unworkable climate goals and would be pursuing a utopia that doesn’t exist. “Reject this power grab,” Fyden said.
Jack Czajkowski, who chairs the climate committee, said the resolution would set the stage for developing climate action goals. “This is one of the early steps,” Czajkowski said. He added that it was not a power grab, and that he wouldn’t do anything to harm the livelihoods of farmers, including his two brothers who farm.
Another climate committee member, Susi Moser, said that the town could miss out on state grants and other ways to mitigate dangers from climate, including money that could be used to shore up the town dike.
The capital spending was approved by two-thirds majority, even though an effort to remove both the vactor truck, which is used to clean catch basins, and a payloader, rejected at annual Town Meeting last spring, was made by Dan Kelley of Stockbridge Street.
“This is not a want or a wish list, this is a necessity list,” said Select Board member Randy Izer.
When asked if the vactor truck’s work could be done by private contractors, DPW Director Scott McCarthy disputed that. “We can’t afford to hire it out,” he said.
The separation of the article was turned down after Treasurer Linda Sanderson explained that the proposal was a carefully crafted package that, due to strategic borrowing and use of water, sewer and Hadley Media reserves, and free cash, would not impact the property tax rate. Sanderson said town officials are no longer using a “pick and choose” approach in bringing items for Proposition 2½ debt-exclusion votes, with some being approved and others rejected by voters.
Diane Stengle of Breckenridge Road, said she liked that the town was not kicking the can down the road. “I appreciate what looks like a new approach in Hadley,” Stengle said.
Still, Brenda Fydenkevez of Rocky Hill Road said while she appreciates the planning, many people are hurting and town officials should consider returning some of the $1.75 million in free cash to residents.
“If we’ve got all this extra free cash, we should give some back to the taxpayers,” Fydenkevez said.
In addition to the vehicles, money approved will go toward body cameras for police officers, ceiling tiles at Hopkins, and rehabilitation of the Callahan wells so they can produce more water.
The first phase of the playing fields was completed in 2020. The second phase will revise the softball, baseball and soccer fields, and complete a 2,100-foot community walking path to 3,300 feet.
The $1.55 million in spending, approved with just one vote against, will come from the Community Preservation Act account, through a combination of borrowing and spending.
“Hopkins has a long history of athletics and academic excellence,” said School Committee member Paul Phifer. “We’re a small school but perform beyond our size.”
Mara Breen of Laurana Lane, a youth softball coach for players in Hadley, Amherst, Leverett, Pelham and Shutesbury, said that teams use that field eight months of the year, the program has been growing, and players as young as 5 and 6 years old are part of it.
“These are all of our kids who play on these fields,” Breen said.
Braeden Tudryn of Chmura Road, who played on Hopkins baseball team before graduating last year, applauded the work that will happen.
“Those fields are nostalgic, but they are old,” Tudryn said, emphasizing their age and the bad hops infielders can face. “I think this is a home run to finish this stage out.”
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
