The retirement of longtime Hatfield Department of Public Works Director Phil Genovese this month came days after members of the town Select Board became aware of Genovese’s arrest in a sting operation for allegedly trying to pay for sex.

Genovese, 69, had served as director of the Hatfield DPW since late 2009 before he submitted a letter announcing his immediate retirement, read publicly by Select Board Chairwoman Diana Szynal during a meeting on Jan. 14. He cited health concerns as part of the reason behind his retirement, and related that he had given it careful thought and input before making a final decision.

But the announcement came only four days after the Select Board learned of an incident in which Genovese had been arrested in Northampton, after driving there in his work vehicle, and charged with sexual conduct for a fee in what appears to have been part of a sting operation by the Northampton Police Department and the Northwestern District Anti-Crime Task Force.

According a statement of facts by Northampton police Detective Benjamin Beaver, a copy of which was obtained by the Gazette, Genovese was arrested on June 11 after responding to an advertisement on an online dating platform that “is commonly used for the solicitation or offering of sexual services,” according to the statement. The advertisement had in actuality been set up by Beaver, who stated that Genovese requested several sexual acts in exchange for $40.

After the agreement, Beaver told Genovese to contact him after arriving in Northampton. Once Genovese did so, Beaver then instructed him to buy a 2-liter bottle of Mountain Dew and meet at a designated address, an apartment used by the police for the operation. According to the report, Genovese had used his Hatfield DPW work vehicle to drive to the location.

According to the police report, upon arrival at the apartment, Genovese knocked on the door and was invited in by South Hadley Police Trooper Geraldine Bresnahan, and was then detained and arrested by police. Genovese initially claimed he was only there to deliver the Mountain Dew, police said, but after being read his Miranda rights he admitted he planned to engage in sexual activity and was found to have $40 in his pocket.

Multiple attempts were made by the Gazette to contact Genovese, who did not respond for comment.

Following his arrest, Genovese later made an admission to sufficient facts to the court, essentially agreeing that were the case to go to trial, he would be found guilty. The last scheduled date listed in the court docket regarding the case is Aug. 29; records show Genovese was given six months’ probation in the case, lasting until Feb. 27.

Though the arrest occurred in June, Szynal told the Gazette in a statement the Select Board had not become aware of the incident until Jan. 10.

“While we cannot respond to requests for information regarding personnel matters, I can tell you that the Select Board was not made aware of this incident until January 10th,” Szynal said, adding that “we do not have a specific policy on vehicle use, but all town employees receive training on state ethics laws which mandate that town resources can only be used for official work purposes.”

While the Gazette attempted to get more details about how Hatfield officials handled the matter, Town Administrator Andrew Levine wrote in an email that that would remain confidential. “We cannot respond to those questions without disclosing personnel-related, non-public information,” Levine wrote.

Rather than appointing an acting director to replace Genovese, the town has appealed for additional time to figure out how to proceed. Levine has indicated that the town needs to have someone authorized to submit DPW contracts, payrolls and expenditures. Levine has been charged with looking into how other towns operate, and whether modifications or adjustments should be made.

Levine will work with one member of the Select Board and get input from department heads and those who work at the DPW before deciding how to proceed. The agenda for Tuesday’s Select Board meeting includes a topic “DPW Director Position Vacancy: Short and Long-term Decisions.”

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.