Hatfield Select Board Approves Historical Society Agreement, School Freezer Funds

HATFIELD -- March 15, 2022, Hatfield Select Board approves historical society agreement and school freezer funds at busy March 15 session. The three-member board, chaired by Luke Longstreeth, voted unanimously to finalize a one-year memorandum of agreement with the Hatfield Historical Society after debating term language, and approved $9,260.58 from finance reserves to cover unexpected electrical installation costs for a freezer purchased last year at Smith Academy. The board also authorized $4,185 in ARPA funds for accounting services tied to revenue-loss reporting. Hatfield Housing Authority Director Brenda Duquette reported that MassSAVE has committed to installing mini-split heat pumps in all 44 units of the Capewell complex at no cost to the authority, alongside just under $77,000 in weatherization grants. Resident Julie Pocola pitched temporary pickleball courts on the School Street basketball courts, Recreation Commission member Danielle Staniszewski called it "a perfect CPA project" for a permanent future facility, and the board deferred a formal vote pending a physical layout of court dimensions. The capital improvement review flagged a potential $1 million fire department ladder truck requiring only a $60,000 town match if a pending 95-percent federal grant comes through, with an award announcement expected by May.