[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6107284,"mediaKeyId","2777022-90d35c3b56afb2a6326b6200c0916787","parentId",2777022,"title","Hampden Select Board approves minutes, keeps executive session minutes sealed and votes to enter executive session","audioSeconds",157,"startMs",42000,"endMs",199000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2777022-90d35c3b56afb2a6326b6200c0916787&start=42&end=199","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2777022-90d35c3b56afb2a6326b6200c0916787/thumbnail_42000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6107284/Massachusetts/Hampden-Select-Board-approves-minutes-keeps-executive-session-minutes-sealed-and-votes-to-enter-executive-session","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107284-c1724ba01926a813b4a861c4475a8815/orig.mp4?Expires=1770732243&Signature=AETUZeHOHmOuig6WqZt-~V7ZgWalxUrePFR31li3EOHpWn4SYWwIe7C6c9e2iMRPcYRa22VIf4xbArveCoKCSM~x4JjlnwbGtkdqK0oaDtKg5rhk~ZTO1sp1KqpMSakT6Jd3-L6bC3bvYnoeLqMEFIyFRF6XMCaL4-TEu-YdfG-qSu9CDgNU6uE0rL4iIIFiE0yT82~HOAdHRwW5gHhINICjMX2ydSbndeWzSr~FsHgrYOBWjiOgmhLJWctR8YqLmJHVlIndvY8gwVmQbCkopV1uOKRUE9C6HskXO7hOzHIlGAq~3MexRTym5uzycqza-H6~DgDq1wOFbsmznAYFVA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Town of Hampden, MA","date","2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","article","The Select Board voted to approve the March 3 regular meeting minutes and the executive session minutes from March 3. The executive session minutes were approved \"without release,\" meaning they will remain sealed.

At the March 24 meeting a member made a motion to enter executive session under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30A, Section 21(a) \"to conduct strategy session of preparation and contract negotiations with non‑union personnel, the highway superintendent,\" and the motion passed on a voice vote. The board announced it would not return to open session after that executive session.

Board members also reviewed administrative items and personnel matters. The board confirmed an appointment offer had been made and accepted for a new Board of Health operations coordinator, with a planned start date of April 7 to allow overlap with the retiring coordinator. Members noted the town is down one water commissioner and that another commissioner's term expires in June.

Other administrative matters discussed included a report that a flagpole in the town center had been damaged and an offer from a local flagpole company to donate a replacement; the board said it will await the insurance company’s response. The board also heard that a prior document-digitization grant has closed out and that staff received a draft memorandum of agreement for invasive-vegetation removal at Rockham Brook to consider at a future meeting.

Ending: The board moved into executive session for negotiation strategy and personnel matters and did not return to open session; separate personnel and administrative follow-ups will be handled by staff and at future meetings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Town of Hampden, MA: Selectboard (March 24, 2025)","oneSentenceSummary","The Select Board approved March 3 regular and executive-session minutes (executive minutes approved without release) and voted to enter executive session under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30A, Section 21(a) for strategy concerning collective bargaining and non‑union personnel; board also discussed personnel and administrative items.","taxTitle","Town of Hampden, Hampden County, Massachusetts","taxId",66345,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6107290,"Hampden pursues grants and negotiates cable capital requests; gaming mitigation allocation likely $75,000",120,1942000,2062000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2777022-90d35c3b56afb2a6326b6200c0916787&start=1942&end=2062","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2777022-90d35c3b56afb2a6326b6200c0916787/thumbnail_1942000.jpg","/articles/6107290/Massachusetts/Hampden-pursues-grants-and-negotiates-cable-capital-requests-gaming-mitigation-allocation-likely-75000","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107290-df95c93049d34e092fa0456df1819270/orig.mp4?Expires=1770732243&Signature=bC1TyKr7o~ygSZQFpjMJsBvTIUYb5ilvAdDcsGV5iZxJgypbYDTaFXk2r8pAl3gxwsqhTdbeRRXTQd41ysXPqe9NsRcp07xxZqHwSUQZO3ys93jMFkPgc8XnhjeNH3pN~pROcYBs8CZ~q4Cp0XjlJdi9l~T3kpEL5bVFbUeI3kJwmhGEoE04gIg0DsdQla6JDO0V06HAfY1ga9WUiOHGKaGYOVa3VClPDkD6hX0LFuIByBehg8R1zimyekyxUTEzy~ttrUIMf9qEE0TT6x4EqlQbGq4ngy45xn1UBGs-8f-4gps2-m7sUh-liwIfViKEhbGXkFcHYiA9jakXC6Ch5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Town officials said a recent meeting with the gaming commission’s community mitigation grant staff indicated Hampden’s outdoor recreation and marketing proposal is likely to receive a $75,000 block grant for the town.

At the March 24 meeting a speaker said the gaming commission staff noted uncertainty about future funding because the governor’s budget did not include the community mitigation grant program; statewide allocations could be reduced in future years.

Staff also reported speaking with the Piney Valley Planning Commission about the state''s one-stop grant program. Expressions of interest were being prepared; staff said they planned to submit two expressions of interest: one for improvements to \"TWB\" (discussed as a municipal building) and another for reuse planning for the current municipal building to study highest-and-best use. A speaker emphasized that expressions of interest give feedback rather than commit the town to construction.

Separately, board members said cable franchise negotiations are near conclusion except for two outstanding capital requests; the town expects a written response from the cable company within one to two weeks. A staff member also reported a closed digitization grant and a draft memorandum of agreement for invasive species removal at Rockham Brook and an adjacent downtown parcel; the board said it will take that MOA up at a future meeting.

Ending: Town staff said they will follow up on the gaming grant confirmation, file expressions of interest for state planning grants, and continue cable negotiations over outstanding capital items.","Officials said the town is likely to receive a $75,000 community mitigation block grant, discussed expressions of interest to the Piney Valley planning commission for municipal building work, and reported ongoing cable license negotiations over capital requests.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6107294,"Hampden Select Board presses timeline for warrant, budget after advisory and school assessment deadlines loom",277,849000,1126000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2777022-90d35c3b56afb2a6326b6200c0916787&start=849&end=1126","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2777022-90d35c3b56afb2a6326b6200c0916787/thumbnail_849000.jpg","/articles/6107294/Massachusetts/Hampden-Select-Board-presses-timeline-for-warrant-budget-after-advisory-and-school-assessment-deadlines-loom","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107294-1980600ad26798e0166ac6a7248ff76c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770732243&Signature=Ow5W6JCeg320NBdf5Uk5G5s0MtowvZwh45iqgCm1bCLzYIiWpjJvJWK-OF0DiIjFlKKa8nqsxRYEBz-yl4utmYLLnc4dp-LupH58PYKYqzhEXyGvJjxeyLk4yLowLUFPUlQh95eB~CZow5eZNiQHRRZ1wC5VcuYQVrks~aBnISR1ucwDRpT75R6vZOD9H82rEfC0RVbMwk-1iDbC2x5ofKQfp5592ze60Znhc4860oKUSYb2QW-kLxJZ~Mu7cmotKJDh8oMKVhq4ato2M3pB3VmbI-CUgHdt45di-yyKTws3EGBRqNQVUnI~TcpCad0nZPGWRtSNRM1CJodrCiEaVw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Select Board members reviewed the draft Town Meeting warrant and said the schedule is tight as school assessment numbers and advisory committee timelines converge.

A speaker said the regional school assessment is to be delivered by April 1, and noted the advisory committee wants to hold its public hearing April 14; the advisory committee requires seven days of advertisement, which squeezes the board’s timeline for finalizing and mailing warrant materials. Board members discussed publishing the warrant online as soon as possible and deciding whether to mail printed copies.

Board members flagged several warrant articles for attention: a proposed conservation restriction on a 1.4‑acre portion of a North Road parcel (article cited as Article 29 in discussion), a parking‑area design and associated easement on North Road, and items submitted by the regional school district including a Green Meadows parking lot repair and a fire‑road extension. Select Board members expressed concern that safety and building needs at some schools (locks, doors, flooring) may warrant higher priority than parking or equipment requests.

The board noted there are roughly 30–35 warrant articles under consideration, and members agreed to finalize timing for signature and publication at the next meeting. No formal changes to the warrant were made at the March 24 meeting.

Ending: Town staff and board members said they will aim to have warrant materials posted online in the coming week and will meet again to finalize publication and signature procedures.","Board members reviewed Town Meeting timetable, warned of tight deadlines for assessment and advertising, and flagged several warrant articles including conservation and school parking items.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6107299,"Hampden officials press for clearer regional agreement as Wilbraham middle school overcrowding, ventilation concerns persist",78,202000,280000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2777022-90d35c3b56afb2a6326b6200c0916787&start=202&end=280","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2777022-90d35c3b56afb2a6326b6200c0916787/thumbnail_202000.jpg","/articles/6107299/Massachusetts/Hampden-officials-press-for-clearer-regional-agreement-as-Wilbraham-middle-school-overcrowding-ventilation-concerns-persist","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6107299-100f5f2a58ad6f3ed86db763038f4edb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770732243&Signature=d1JZ6naX59qxpCS0apw0a8FUb69wX2IRsMUeLE3QfBJRp7iKb628wCc96utr-kJ5fQO72FRF9QgTnSro7ib7RfzUwhv2nszqow1mEF01t5wuVV~2P3tCYX-ivUelc6v6iT7GN1WjitFAp2Fta17b3fcy6KFIuTUohq7YNbsYku2rAlzMq3BpvorGfBHFkKCbKLqKVTEt5wuFR2OnhfXN4iFcVjfr0q4PHHd2yD0otk5XNJV7JDMOMsHjSz1IBlE69V~92~lnleQzZtzFnQsr~v4IyBphDF-htlp0pkmYZJMiU-H~yIVvJSq57EpIWqd1165Z38CEstiUSi47QgDGdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Don, a member of the Town of Hampden Select Board, said the board met March 19 with Wilbraham officials and that the meeting produced \"a rather frank and honest discussion\" about possible amendments to the regional school agreement.

The issue, Don said, centers on how to give the Wilbraham School Committee flexibility to manage overcrowding and building use while deciding who pays for capital repairs. \"One of the main sticking points is, will Hampden pay a share of the part for the children in the Wilbraham Middle School?\" Don said. He also said he was \"disappointed to see that the Wilbraham capital planning committee did not approve fixing the ventilation system in the school,\" an element cited in a 2015 feasibility study.

Why this matters: Hampden officials expressed concern that known building problems have gone unaddressed for years and that asking Hampden taxpayers to fund capital repairs for a building the town does not own would be a poor fiscal decision. Select Board members said they want a regional agreement that gives the school committee flexibility while protecting Hampden’s fiscal interests.

Board members discussed several options that surfaced in earlier planning, including repurposing Thornton Burgess (referred to in discussion as a district-wide grades 5–6 facility) and using the middle school as grades 7–8. Craig, a Select Board member, said that prior proposals to reassign grades and amend the regional agreement were considered but “went nowhere,” leaving the towns where they are now.

Speakers noted enrollment and facility figures cited in the meeting: speakers said the middle school currently houses 614 students and that the building was designed for roughly 420 students, language spoken aloud in the record. Board members urged a practical near-term plan because a new middle school, if pursued, would take many years to plan and construct.

The board did not take a formal vote on funding or a specific amendment. Members agreed to continue the dialogue with Wilbraham and scheduled a follow-up meeting for April 2. Several board members said they want a comprehensive plan that includes a commitment to fix urgent building deficiencies and a discussion of how any capital contributions would be prorated or recouped.

Ending: The Select Board will meet Wilbraham officials again April 2 to continue work on amending the regional agreement; no formal funding commitments were made at the March 24 meeting.","Select Board members discussed progress from a March 19 meeting with Wilbraham officials and debated whether Hampden should pay for capital work at the Wilbraham Middle School amid ongoing overcrowding and ventilation problems; the boards agreed to meet again April 2.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hampden Select Board approves minutes, keeps executive session minutes sealed and votes to enter executive session

Hampden pursues grants and negotiates cable capital requests; gaming mitigation allocation likely $75,000

Hampden Select Board presses timeline for warrant, budget after advisory and school assessment deadlines loom

Hampden officials press for clearer regional agreement as Wilbraham middle school overcrowding, ventilation concerns persist