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.