HAMPDEN — A capacity audience at the Hampden Town Meeting on Oct. 13 rejected for a third time an effort to put on the next ballot a question approving a Proposition 2 1/2 override to borrow money to pay for renovations and expansion of the town’s Senior Center.
The discussion took nearly an hour before the decisive vote.
At the beginning of the town meeting Moderator Richard Green said to the audience, “This is a big meeting with some significant issues.”
Gary Weiner, chair of the Senior Center Building Committee, explained to the residents the committee has worked for the past two years to develop a plan to address issues such as a new roof, new windows, a lavatory renovation and lighting issues. Weiner said the building is now 25 years old and requires this maintenance.
He added, though, the center also has a space issue and with new lavatories there would be less space for programming.
He described the center as not just a senior center but a community center and noted it is the only social service agency in the town with programs for emergency food and fuel services as well as the SNAP program.
Weiner explained that hearing the concerns of residents about the cost, the renovation and expansion budget was reduced to $5.95 million by reducing the expansion plans by 20%.
With the approval of the town meeting to place the question on the ballot, Weiner said the Senior Center’s friends’ group would begin a fundraising campaign to supplement the borrowed money.
Residents opposing the project said the impact of borrowing that amount of money would result in an increase of property taxes. On a home valued $370,000 there could be an annual increase of $225 and $314.
Some residents complained that seniors from other communities were using the Hampden Senior Center but were informed that state law requires any senior center to be open to any Massachusetts senior.
A motion to reduce the amount borrowed to $1.8 million, which would cover the cost of some of the renovations, was also defeated.
In other action, the town meeting approved the motion that changes the “Board of Selectmen” to “Select Board.”
The Town Meeting did approve $100,000 to be used at the Thornton W. Burgess School.
Select Board member John Flynn explained that money would be used for some maintenance on the building as well as provide some planning money for the future use of the former school. There has been discussion the town’s offices would be moved there from the present town hall, which needs $4 million to $7 million in repairs to bring it up to building code and would still be too small for the town’s needs.
Flynn said, “The bones of this building are in great shape.”
There were several people who brought up the idea the building could be used again as a school, but the Hampden-Wilbraham Regional School District has notified the state it would not ever use the building again.
The Town Meeting rejected the idea of having the town clerk position go from an elected position to an appointed one with the Select Board being the body to hire a town clerk. The argument was made candidates from outside the town could bring additional knowledge and experience to the position. Residents believed that would give the Select Board too much power and expressed the fear the new position would cost the town more.
The Town Meeting also rejected the idea of combining the treasurer with the collector and make that new position to be one appointed by the Select Board.
The idea of expanding the Select Board from three members to five members was also rejected. Residents expressed concerns that a five-person board could result in violations of the Open Meeting Law.
After considerable discussion, the creation of a revolving account was passed so the town could collect and use the generated revenue from the electric car charging stations that have been installed at the Senior Center. There were concerns expressed about why the town has the chargers and if non-residents would be coming into town to use the chargers. There were also questions if anyone in town owns an electric car.
It was explained the chargers were made possible through a grant and cost the town nothing. One resident who does own an electric car said it could draw people to Hampden who would then spend money at the town’s businesses.
