Hatfield Select Board Delays Pavilion, Waives Dog License Fees Amid Pandemic

HATFIELD -- July 14, 2020, Hatfield Select Board tables pavilion contract and waives dog license fees as pandemic reshapes town calendar. The board voted unanimously at its July 14 meeting to delay formal approval of the Smith Academy Park pavilion architectural services agreement, agreeing to allow the town's "birthday cake" installation, centerpiece of the ongoing 350th anniversary celebration, to remain in place through the postponed Memorial Day 2021 parade. Rich Abbott of the Preservation and Open Space Committee warned that pushing the project's bid cycle from fall 2020 to summer 2021 could add five to ten percent to a roughly $90,000 construction budget based on a January 2019 estimate; the 350th Anniversary Committee said it may be able to contribute surplus funds to offset the increase. The board also unanimously approved $41,381.80 in fiscal year 2020 year-end budget transfers, accepted the resignation of Police Officer Mark Ruddick, renewed the Franklin County Solid Waste Management sludge-disposal MOU, and voted to waive all dog license late fees through December 31, 2020, with the town reporting approximately 300 of Hatfield's 500 registered dogs currently unlicensed.