Hatfield Select Board Interviews Finance Director Candidate, Approves Holiday Pay and Change Order

HATFIELD — November 21, 2019 — Hatfield Select Board and Finance Committee jointly interview candidate to fill long-vacant finance director post. Chair Luke Longstreeth opened the November 21 combined session by acknowledging the town's books for fiscal year 2018 remain unclosed and free cash uncertified, telling candidate John Cosminski, "we are not closed and probably in all likelihood are not going to be closed by the time January 1 begins." Cosminski, who holds an MBA from Boston College and spent eight years as town accountant in Palmer, said the situation "doesn't surprise me" and would not deter him, noting Palmer's free cash grew from under $700,000 to over $3 million during his tenure. The board also unanimously approved the Friday after Thanksgiving as a paid holiday for town employees, granted half days on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, appointed Jeff Boyle to the fire chief screening committee after a miscommunication sidelined an earlier candidate, and approved Change Order No. 1 for $11,583.97 on Town Hall Phase 2 improvements to address corroded pipes found during excavation.