Finance Committee Approves $36,000 Reserve Transfer for Town Hall Security

BELCHERTOWN — February 20, 2026 — Belchertown Finance Committee votes 4-0 to release $36,000 for immediate Town Hall security upgrades. The special session, called after Town Manager Steve submitted the reserve fund request on February 11, approved a package that includes programmable electronic locks, interior and exterior cameras accessible by police and the Wilbraham dispatch center, and a public service window to limit open floor access. The reserve fund, which started the fiscal year at $155,000 and fell to $105,000 after a September health-insurance transfer, now stands at $69,000. The town manager described roughly a year of escalating confrontations — erratic and threatening visitors to the public health and treasurer-collector offices, a former employee who returned and cornered an HR staffer, and a constituent who shoved paperwork in employees' faces — saying the town "cannot wait until July." Police Chief Pakanis, cited in written communications the chair summarized, characterized the expenditure as money that "will be very well spent."