Hatfield Select Board Accepts ADA Plan, Moves to Address Fire Staffing Gaps

Select Board · Meeting of July 21, 2026

Hatfield Select Board accepts 221-page ADA compliance plan and opens fire staffing talks with Northampton. The board voted unanimously Monday to receive a completed Americans with Disabilities Act self-evaluation and transition plan from consultants Jim Nasick and Mike Kennedy of Your Access Advocates, identifying deficiencies across every town building, both schools, recreation areas, and public sidewalks — including inaccessible portable toilets, non-compliant bathroom fixtures mixing adult and children's standards, and an Elm Street vegetation overgrowth that has reduced sidewalk clear width to as little as 28 inches. The board separately approved draft letters to Northampton and South County EMS Chief Drummull exploring whether either could serve as the town's primary fire or ambulance provider after full-time firefighter Nicole Thornton resigned, leaving the department with no full-time staff; posting for full-time firefighter EMT positions is set for July 24.

The board also accepted a $670,000 MassDOT unpaved roads grant contract with a December 2027 completion deadline, received a staff intern's research recommending a community benefit agreement framework for any future data center proposal, and accepted a $2,000 bench donation from the estate of Robert L. Hebert.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,964 words

Source: the Select Board meeting of July 21, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.