Hatfield Select Board Approves Marijuana Cultivation Host Agreement, Weighs $180,000 EMS Staffing Increase

HATFIELD -- February 15, 2022, Hatfield Select Board approves marijuana cultivation host agreement and hears $180,000 EMS staffing proposal at budget season kickoff. The board unanimously approved a host community agreement with Hatfield Pharmacy LLC for an outdoor adult-use marijuana cultivation establishment on a 38-acre parcel at 139 North Hatfield Road, contingent on Town Counsel review; the agreement carries the standard three percent community impact fee. Fire Chief Bob Flaherty told the joint Select Board and Finance Committee session that 16-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week staffing would cost roughly $180,000 more than the current fire budget, a 105 percent increase, while alternatives such as a South County contract would run $270,000 to $290,000 annually with no dedicated truck. School Superintendent Christy presented a level-services budget of $6,540,740, asking the town for $455,343 in new local funds as school choice enrollment has dropped from a peak of 141 to 117 students. Town Administrator Marlene also announced a $20,000 Pioneer Valley Planning Commission grant to update the town's open space and recreation plan.