A primary focus of the meeting was the zoning change request from Great Horse, a major landowner in the town. The request sought to include a zoning change on the fall town meeting warrant to shift a specific area from residential to golf recreation zoning. This change would allow for the relocation of a maintenance shed currently violating zoning laws. The representative for Great Horse expressed gratitude for the Board’s efficiency in expediting the process, emphasizing the community’s greater impact on a zoning change at the fall town meeting rather than a special meeting requiring 200 signatures.

The Board members discussed the procedural implications of the fall town meeting, clarifying that while it is legally a special town meeting, it is advertised as a fall meeting within Hampden to engage more community participation. Concerns were raised about the zoning bylaws and whether current regulations permitted golf-related uses. Additionally, there were inquiries about the status of a construction project on Country Club Drive and whether the access road would become permanent or be restored post-construction.

Debate ensued regarding the timing of the planning board’s referral, scheduled for September 25, and whether to wait for this input before voting on the warrant article. One member suggested waiting to gather more information from the planning board and the community, stating, “We still have time to close the warrant to put it on the warrant the week on the 30th.” Another member expressed concerns about delaying the vote, emphasizing transparency and the importance of community participation. The representative for Great Horse highlighted the logistical challenges of gathering the required signatures if the warrant article was not included, noting the significant time and energy required.

Ultimately, the Board reached a consensus to seek more deliberation and input from the planning board before finalizing the decision, acknowledging the importance of community engagement.

Another item was the appointment of Jared Lyons as a probationary firefighter. The fire chief introduced Lyons. Lyons shared a personal story about a dehydration incident that inspired him to join the fire department and give back to the community. He expressed gratitude for the opportunity, stating, “I want to be a part of something in this community to give back to other people when they really need it in times of crisis.” Following some light questioning about his background, Lyons’ appointment was unanimously approved.

The meeting also included a discussion on the proposed renovations and expansion of the senior center. A board member questioned the rationale behind the decision-making process, particularly regarding the minor reduction in square footage despite calls for cost-cutting measures. The committee’s revised plan, labeled option B4, proposed reducing the required square footage and removing certain features from the original plan. The estimated cost for this revised option was presented as $5.9 million, down from the initial $6.6 million. The committee acknowledged the impact of inflation and escalated expenses due to time delays and planned to hold a forum at the end of October to communicate the needs and benefits of the Senior Center to the community.

The Board also discussed the management of employee life insurance benefits. It was noted that the town had not effectively managed its life insurance offerings, with no open enrollment for new hires. A proposal was made to increase the life insurance benefit from $10,000 to $15,000 for active employees, with financial implications carefully evaluated. The current life insurance cost was approximately $580 per person, and any increase would impact the upcoming fiscal year budget.

Additionally, the topic of electronic voting systems for town meetings was addressed. Various quotes were reviewed for renting or purchasing voting devices. Ultimately, the Board decided to proceed with renting 400 devices for the upcoming meeting, weighing the options and potential costs carefully.

The Board also touched on logistics for moving town offices to a new space, scheduling a move in late June to early July, and considering the availability of funding from the upcoming town meeting for short-term improvements. The proposal for an every-other-week meeting schedule was discussed, with a decision to adopt the schedule after the special town meeting in October.

Community events, such as the upcoming Fall Fest and Public Safety Night Out, were also mentioned, including requests for food permits and organizing cleanup events. Furthermore, the Board discussed the annual tree lighting ceremony, tentatively set for November 24, to avoid conflicts with Thanksgiving weekend.