Hatfield Select Board Appoints Officer, Orders Election Day Fire Watch

HATFIELD — September 22, 2020 — Hatfield Select Board appoints new officer, authorizes Election Day fire watch amid Town Hall suppression system failure. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint James Grant as a part-time police officer and to authorize the fire chief to staff a fire watch at Town Hall on November 3 after a contractor error in the fire pump installation left the building's suppression system inoperable, restricting large gatherings. Town auditor Tony Roselli told the board and Finance Committee that years of material weaknesses in the town's books appear resolved following Melanson Heath's takeover of the accounting work, with the FY2020 audit set for the week of October 15. The board tabled a vote on liquor license relief for the four bars that have been unable to open — the American Legion, Polish Club, Double Bees, and Hatfield Pub — pending development of a fee-reduction formula, with members indicating support for crediting 2020 fees paid against 2021 renewals. Fire Chief Bob warned that 19 expired compressed-air cylinders had been pulled from service, leaving the department with insufficient backup bottles and a roughly $19,000 emergency purchase pending a reserve fund transfer.