Hadley Capital Panel Splits Town Meeting Request Into Three Separate Articles

HADLEY -- April 7, 2026, Hadley Capital Planning Committee forwards restructured $1 million capital package to annual town meeting. The four-member committee voted 4-0 on each of three separate article groupings Tuesday, departing from last year's omnibus approach after a bundled borrowing package failed to reach the two-thirds supermajority required when individual articles lacked sufficient support to carry the whole. The school department, represented by Assistant Superintendent Annie, trimmed its request from $350,000 to approximately $137,083, dropping a security vestibule and blue-light warning system at Hopkins Academy in favor of replacement window blinds, described as original to the building and essential for lockdown drills, and bus stop arm cameras estimated at roughly $15,000 for the fleet. DPW Director Scott presented four borrowing articles totaling approximately $745,000 for road-work supplements, sewer asset management, water main replacement, and reconditioning of the underperforming Callahan Well No. 3. Three water reserve items, including reimbursements for a $100,998 Mount Warner Wells design grant and a $30,000 SCADA cybersecurity upgrade, both already funded out of the operating budget to preserve grant awards, round out the package. Town Accountant Linda Dunlavy said roughly $300,000 in unused prior borrowing authority, most significantly $215,000 from the completed senior center, could be redirected to reduce new borrowing, and said she would consult town counsel on whether redirected funds require a two-thirds vote.