Hatfield Select Board Names Veteran Services Officer, Approves Ambulance Study

HATFIELD -- January 10, 2023, Hatfield Select Board appoints local veteran to services officer post and green-lights ambulance consulting study. The board voted unanimously January 10 to name Joseph Letourneau, a retired military officer with nearly 30 years of active duty, as the town's veterans services agent through June 30, pairing the appointment with a $1,225-per-month support contract with Northampton Veterans Services to help Letourneau navigate state benefits filings. The board also authorized a deficit spending vote on the snow and ice account, already $34,000 over its $50,000 budget after spending $84,000 on salt and equipment, and accepted a consulting agreement with Municipal Resources Inc. to study the town's ambulance service, with a report expected no earlier than August. In a joint session with the Finance Committee, Police Chief Mike Dakota requested a $209,000 operating budget increase plus $65,000 for a cruiser to support two new full-time officers, saying the department has fallen from 14 roster members to three active officers as part-time recruitment has collapsed under new statewide training standards. The board set department budget meetings for February 7, 14, and 28, with the town clerk's April 11 ballot-question deadline creating pressure for an early override decision.