The Hampden Select Board on April 2 reviewed proposed town meeting warrant articles and the town operating budget, focusing discussion on school capital items, building security upgrades for municipal buildings, and revenue and capital requests tied to town projects.

Why it matters: The Select Board’s advisory and signature roles shape what appears on the town meeting warrant and which items the town will ask voters to approve; several warrant items have direct budgetary and safety implications for residents.

School-related warrant items drew sustained attention. Board members said they want the school committee to prioritize security upgrades—door locks and access control—over a proposed Fire Road parking lot repair. One board member said parents are unlikely to oppose funding to make school doors safer and to speed emergency response, and urged the school committee to consider carving security work into individual warrant articles rather than an omnibus request.

Capital estimates and grant prospects were discussed at length. Select Board members reviewed quotes for access-control hardware and cameras (rough figures cited by staff: cameras roughly $35,000 and access control $50,000+), network switch and wireless upgrades, and security design that would compartmentalize the building so library, parks and recreation, and administrative areas could be controlled separately. Staff noted many components are procured from overseas and cautioned about supply and timeline risks.

The board also reviewed other warrant items: a potential veterans’ property tax exemption increase (estimated impact around $42,000 if implemented at the maximum discussed level), moving costs for municipal records (preliminary moving cost estimates up to about $80,000), and requests for park and senior-center equipment including commercial mowers (ranges cited in discussion: roughly $20,000–$25,000). Community Preservation Act requests for shade structures at the spray park and trail access from North Road were also discussed.

Revenue and reserves: staff reported approximately $1.2–1.3 million in levy/excess capacity and emphasized retaining some capacity to avoid pressure in future years. The town expects solar-lease revenues when a local solar field is fully operational; staff cited a projected annual contribution once fully online. Officials discussed stabilization and reserve funding levels and the schedule for finalizing budget numbers ahead of the warrant posting and public hearings.

Other procedural points: the board agreed to continue advising and to attend school committee budget meetings and public hearings. The Select Board planned to sign the warrant but acknowledged some articles might change before final posting and encouraged further coordination with school committee members before town meeting.