Hatfield Select Board Raises Treasurer Salary Range to Attract Applicants

HATFIELD -- February 20, 2024, Hatfield Select Board raised its treasurer-collector salary range and cleared a backlog of pending items at its February 20 meeting. Town Administrator Marlene told the board that the position, advertised at $78,000, had attracted zero applicants, and recommended a new range of $80,000 to $90,000, citing a comparable West Brookfield posting last year of $80,000 to $95,000; the board voted unanimously to approve the change. The board also unanimously authorized Fire Chief Flarity to travel to the Firehouse Magazine Station Design Conference in Arizona, costs covered within the existing departmental budget, as an early step in the town's long-range planning for a potential public safety building. Engineering consultant Dave Crete of DPC updated the board on the $12 million wastewater treatment plant project, noting filed sub-bids open March 6 and general bids March 20, with the project structured around a base bid and five alternates to guard against construction inflation that has run at least 10 percent annually for three years. State Representative Lindsay Sabadosa told the board a home-rule petition passed at the May 14 town meeting is needed before the state can act on Hatfield's golf-cart road-use proposal, potentially making the town the first in Massachusetts to pursue such legislation.