Hatfield Select Board Approves $10.9 Million USDA Sewer Plant Loan Documents

HATFIELD — June 9, 2026 — Hatfield Select Board closes a $10.9 million USDA sewer loan and moves toward a fire staffing review. The board voted unanimously Tuesday to approve bond documents transferring two wastewater plant bonds — a $9,491,000 issue at 2.875 percent and a $1,400,000 issue at 3.25 percent, both payable to the USDA Rural Utilities Service through 2063 and 2065 respectively — capping a project in progress since approximately 2022 that also carried a roughly $2 million federal grant component. The board granted a $169.60 sewer abatement to resident Nancy Curran of 6 Nolan Circle following a burst pipe, consistent with prior board practice of crediting sewer but not water charges in such cases, and designated six pieces of aging DPW equipment as surplus, including a 1968 construction trailer and a broken snowblower, with proceeds from recent surplus sales already totaling roughly $10,000. On fire and EMS, the board received word that interim Chief Flaherty is serving 10 administrative hours per week and that two consulting proposals are pending — one from CGR at approximately $43,000 for an operational review and one from Community Paradigm's Bernie Lynch at approximately $4,000 for deficit-reduction committee support — with full deliberation deferred to the next meeting. The board closed in executive session with special counsel on potential litigation tied to the Route 5 infrastructure project.